New Reef in Texas

[MichaelBaranows]

The old Texas Clipper will make a nice reef off Port Isabel. See the attached link: http://www.theeagle.com/aandmnews/051905ship.php

 

[humanphibian]

Cool! I can't wait. I may not hear anything from Mr. Hammerschmidt on the specialty plates until he gets this project off his desk.

Oh well, I'll take a new dive site anyday!!

 

[texdiveguy]

The old Texas Clipper will make a nice reef off Port Isabel. See the attached link: http://www.theeagle.com/aandmnews/051905ship.php

This is exciting news,,,great end for the ship!!

 

[MichaelBaranows]

I wish it was a little farther up the coast but this a good start for the Texas Reef program.

 

[TwoBitTxn]

17 miles off Port Isabel in 135 feet. Not much of a novice dive site.

I don't know much about the ship. How tall is it? Assuming it lands on its keel (yea right) it may be ok.

TwoBit

 

[texdiveguy]

17 miles off Port Isabel in 135 feet. Not much of a novice dive site.

I don't know much about the ship. How tall is it? Assuming it lands on its keel (yea right) it may be ok.

TwoBit

You and I know MOST true wrecks are not novice sites,,,,,,this appears to be quite a vessel,,,,,hopfully some parts of her will be in range of the avg. serious sport diver.

 

[TxWingnut]

Do they have a date in November, I would like to watch the process of sinking it.

 

[archman]

I don't know much about the ship. How tall is it? Assuming it lands on its keel (yea right) it may be ok.

I've been aboard her a few times in the early-mid 1990's, during her last years of commission. She's got quite a bit of history. http://news.usti.net/home/news/cn/?/living.history/1/wed/dv/Uus-ship.R-My_FyB.html

Originally commissioned in the U.S. Navy as the USS Queens, the 473-foot ship sailed in World War II as an attack transport in the South Pacific. It was later decommissioned and became a passenger liner before being acquired by Texas A&M.

The Clipper was one of a handful of ships still operating a WW2-era steam plant, which frequently broke down over her decades of service as a merchant marine training ship. She was CHOCK FULL of old brass plumbing and fittings, but unfortunately that was mostly removed during her decommissioning.

It is rumored that her hull consists entirely of dozens of layers of maroon paint (regularly applied by aggie cadets), and that the original metal has long since corroded away. Nobody could ever mistake the Texas Clipper on the high seas, not with that maroon hull. The current training ship (Texas Clipper II) sports a boring gray hull, with maroon on parts of the superstructure only.

Assuming her "hull of paint" doesn't flake away, she should make one substantial wreck. She has pretty large cargo holds for penetration diving, and many, many decks.

 

[TwoBitTxn]

I still wish they hadn't picked Port Isabel. Sure its probably the best clear water on the Texas coast, but Dallas to Brownsville is 530 miles.

TwoBit

 

[archman]

Sure its probably the best clear water on the Texas coast, but Dallas to Brownsville is 530 miles.

I did the drive from College Station last week... seven hours of driving, blah.

Then I found out from one of my students that Southwest Airlines has direct flights to Harlingen from Austin, San Antonio, and Houston (Hobby), every day. You can get flights from Dallas with only one layover.

Next time I visit South Padre for some offshore diving, I'm flying down to Harlingen, and renting a car for a couple of days. The extra cost would be partially offset by not having to spend an additional day in a hotel.