Help sink the Annapolis

[TheWetRookie]

Hi All, As many of you are aware, the Annapolis, a Canadian destroyer, is being prepped for sinking locally. There is still though a fair amount of work to be done and the artifical reef society is looking for volunteers to help out with the work.

I have been out 6 times so far and I can say that it is well worth it, especially when I will get to dive it after it is sunk. All being well it will be sunk this summer and the site is local. The site is not 100% confirmed but it is narrowed down.

Both Sat and Sun of every weekend are available to help out.

If you can help out, please email Deirdre McCracken of the Artificial Reef Society of BC at dmccracken@artificialreef.bc.ca or you can contact her at Ocean Quest dive shop, phone number 604-436-1157.

Thanks All,

 

[TheWetRookie]

Hi All, I was talking with one of the organizers of the Artificial Reef Society and they were say that they really need volunteers to get the ship finished. They have a deadline of March 31 if it is to be sunk this coming summer. It is costing a lot of money to have to boat moored and insured so they would like to sink it as soon as possible.

The need your help so if you could spare a Sat or Sun please contact your LDS for signing up or use the email or phone number in the above post. They also have started mid week trips for those that have week days off.

Thanks all and see you on the boat.

 

[TheWetRookie]

HI All, this is emails that I received from the president and coordinators or the ARSOBC

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Hello Everyone!
As most of you know we have started our Wednesday Annapolis Mechanics Team Volunteering. We still have room for tomorrow if you would like to lend a hand. We also need volunteers this weekend Nov 21st and 22nd, so let me know if you can make it out. We have space open on all weekends and are continuing to work throughout the winter to meet our target completion date of March 31st, 2010 for the ship to be inspected. At this time of year the weather can be a little unpredictable so starting today we will go back to confirming if the following day is a go by contacting you the day before you are scheduled to go out. We are also encouraging carpooling to save on the logistics and cost of parking by meeting at 7:30 am sharp at St. David's Church. Please read the message below from ARSBC President Howard Robins about our project update and take a moment to read the attached document regarding an exciting Contest we will be starting as of today, November 17th, 2009!!!

Deirdre Forbes McCracken
Director of Public Relations
Artificial Reef Society of British Columbia

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The Artificial Reef Society of British Columbia
c/o Vancouver Maritime Museum
1905 Ogden Avenue
Vancouver B.C. V6J 1A3
Web site : www.artificialreef.bc

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A Message to Our Valued Volunteers​

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November 17th, 2009​

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Hi Everyone,

I’m sure all of you are interested in knowing how the Annapolis Project is progressing so I thought I would take this time to bring you up to date.

Our target to sink the Annapolis is mid to late summer 2010 and obviously the sooner we get the ship down before winter 2011 the more time we have to enjoy the dive experience in the warmer months.

One of the critical logistics we face now is the level of productivity the project needs in order to maintain our tight schedule. Much of the ship is ready for inspection with the exception of the main machinery spaces such as the engine room, boiler room, steering flats and chain locker room, literally the “nuts and bolts” of the project. We are in dire need of volunteers weekly on Saturdays and Sundays and if we have at least 6 persons each weekend days we will meet and exceed our targets. The problem we face is having to decide to hire out people to complete the work which would put the project in severe financial strain in a down turned economy. These projects are conceived and operated purely by volunteer efforts and for all of you who have put in time and sweat equity on the Annapolis, you have our deepest thanks.

It’s now crunch time as we entre phase 3 of the project which is to complete the ship preparations in time for environmental inspection. Even though the ship maybe ready in the New Year, it takes 3-4 months for the bureaucracy to do it’s thing before we see a permit. Once we have the permit we can set the sink date. At this point and for the past 3 weeks, the volunteer element has dwindled to 1- 2 persons and if we have continued labor problems you will understand the difficulty the project faces. I know we all want this project to conclude successfully so I am hoping we can get you back on board. We are also suggesting that volunteers meet to car pool at St. David’s Church parking lot at the top of Taylor Way to reduce parking cost. Plus we are also initiating a mid week crew beginning this Wednesday and every Wednesday thereafter since may have asked if we could accommodate this.

Thank you for your time in making this project a success with the ARSBC.


Sincerely,

Howie Robins
President ARSBC

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