James Longstreet (AKA Target Ship)

[divedivediver]

Thanks for the Longstreet info.....Looks like the tides will be low around late morning....so I will venture out then.....Thanks

Scott

 

[Spectre]

Keep your eyes out for a Boston Whaler, 'Til Snow. Tell him I volunteered him to give you guys a site brief so you guys don't end up impaled!

 

[divedivediver]

Oh....I will be staying in E. Dennis...where is the closest fill station?

 

[Spectre]

Oh....I will be staying in E. Dennis...where is the closest fill station?

There's a couple places in Hyannis.

http://www.capecodseasports.com/

 

[blacksambellamy]

The Longstreet was a great dive at one time. I spent all of my summers in Eastham and dove the Longstreet dozens of times. Myself along with my brothers recovered countless amounts of live ordnance, 50 cal machine gun rounds and machine gun parts. At one point our basement in Eastham was loaded with bombs some live some not. The largest of them was 4 feet long.

FOOLISH yes and lucky we are to be alive today to talk about it.

We have long since disposed of everything. The bombs were beginning to disintegrate and i believe were becoming unstable. Not to mention one day we woke up and realized we were completely nuts. To this day the Longstreet will produce live ordinance for those who seek it and know what to look for. If you plan on diving this ship make sure to be out there on a low tide when the water is about 20 feet. Anything protruding out of the sand must be left alone to tamper with such objects could mean instant death. I would say dive this ship for spearfising and gathering bugs only.
I also know of a sunken plane not far off CooksBrook beach. This is not known to many except the locals. We set out to locate it one year but were unsuccessful. I do however know people who gathered many parts from it. I was never able to find any record of a plane going down in that area.

 

[Spectre]

If you plan on diving this ship make sure to be out there on a low tide when the water is about 20 feet.

When was the last time you were out that way? If you aren't familiar with where the ship is, now-a-days it's actually better to go out there at high tide. There is almost nothing that protrudes the surface anymore except on low lowtides, but it's close enough to the surface to provide you with quite a bit of heartache if you come off the crest of a wave at the wrong place.

I also know of a sunken plane not far off CooksBrook beach. This is not known to many except the locals. We set out to locate it one year but were unsuccessful. I do however know people who gathered many parts from it. I was never able to find any record of a plane going down in that area.

I know the name, but I don't quite know where CooksBrook is. What type of plane? I heard many a story of plane 'issues' during the target practice on the Longstreet, with them crashing all along the bayside beaches from Truro to Orleans. So I'm sure there are some that ended up in the water as well.

 

[blacksambellamy]

Jeff i stopped diving the Longstreet many years ago while it was still above water. Maybe this summer i will go back out there. My parents live in Eastham and keep their boat in Rock Harbor so its quick access to the Longstreet. As for the plane it is said to be off Sunken Meadow beach on Eastham. I worked as a summer police officer for years in Eastham and spoke with 2 old-timers who would wade out to it on a moon low tide and gather parts. I know its there because i saw the parts and many years ago one of the newspapers did a story on it. Im not sure what paper i think it was the Cape Codder.

Are you from the Cape? My brother has a big business up there called Coastal Land Designs maybe you know him

 

[Spectre]

Are you from the Cape? My brother has a big business up there called Coastal Land Designs maybe you know him

No not really. I grew up in Westford and my best friend's parents have a place down in Eastham, just over by Campground beach. He keeps his boat moored on the sandbars and it's an easy 3 1/2 miles to the target ship. All through high school and college we'd go down every weekend over the summer. He's living down there full time now, in his parents place during the warm months, and in a loaner house for the winters, working construction for Delaney.

When did you work down there? I'm trying to recall the name of the rent-a-cop [no offense, that's what we called the 'summer help'] that was dating my buddy's sister's friend for the summer that they lived down there; that was around 1990 or so, but he kept popping in throughout the years.

If you were working there anytime between 1988 and 1995; It'd be a safe bet that you came out looking for us at some point in time

 

[blacksambellamy]

I would have been there then. I did 2 summers 89 and 90 i believe. What was your buddies sisters name?

 

[Spectre]

I would have been there then. I did 2 summers 89 and 90 i believe. What was your buddies sisters name?

Her name is Jodi. She is... Beth maybe? We were on Marion Way... the 3rd finger off Bay Road off of Campground. My buddy's name is Matt [Bushman]. I don't remember the last name of the officer... Chris IIRC, I think he worked full time in Wakefield or another W town.