The Elbow at Key Largo

[Reef_Haven]

My family and I were diving Key Largo last week, just after the ITK, from my own boat. One of the dives we intended to do was City of Washington, but there was no bouy at the GPS coordinates. There was a bouy #13 about 450 ft NE of the City of Washington Coordinates. Does anyone know what is at this bouy?
I chose a bouy closer to the light, probably about 200 ft NE. We dropped on a large wreck area, most of the wreck was low profile but there was a standing archway. Sorry I didn't have my camera. Any idea which wreck we were on?
We will probably go back next month and would like to visit City of Washington, Towanda, Civil War wreck, and Mike's wreck. Do they each have bouys?
Thanks

 

[KeyLargoBrent]

You were most likely on the City of Washington wreck. There are mooring buoys near either end, and an orange and white spar buoy just seaward of the center of the wreck. The Civil War wreck isn't marked. It lies in a sandy shoal between the City of Washington and what's left of the tower. There are mooring balls near Mike's Wreck and the Tonowanda, but I don't recall the numbers. Pat (MsParamedic) can probably help you out with those, as she dives up that way more often than I do.

 

[kidsdream]

As Brett said, it sounds like you where on the City of Washington.

If this was the arch you were referring to, then I am certain that was the wreck.

 

[Reef_Haven]

Yes, That's the arch. I also found a photo of it on Divespots.com
I think a few of the bouys were missing and some had been replaced without numbers.
I'll be sure to bring the camera next month.

 

[mike_s]

If memory serves me correctly, near the City of Washington wreck there is also some remains of some old steel structure sticking up out of the water... like several vertical pieces of angle iron with a few horizontal pieces on it also. sticks out of the water maybe 5 to 8 feet. maybe a woden platform on it at one time many years ago.... I think this is just south of the wreck... (hopefully I'm not confusing this with another site).

if I'm not mistaken about this... then you can use this as a reference to help find the wreck also...

 

[Big G]

You were most likely on the City of Washington wreck. There are mooring buoys near either end, and an orange and white spar buoy just seaward of the center of the wreck. The Civil War wreck isn't marked. It lies in a sandy shoal between the City of Washington and what's left of the tower. There are mooring balls near Mike's Wreck and the Tonowanda, but I don't recall the numbers. Pat (MsParamedic) can probably help you out with those, as she dives up that way more often than I do.

I dove Mike's wreck yesterday (Sun. 7/27/08) and we were tied to a ball marked simply with one letter, "L". It was very close to the "mini-tower" that marks the wreck. A good dive there with three nurse sharks and a 3.5 foot reef shark that all stayed in a tight area and circled around. Saw my first green moray of the year, too. Of course, all because I didn't take my video camera, right Brent?

 

[MsParamedic]

The mooring balls for the City are E9 and E10, Anchor Chain is E8 and Mike's is E7. Mike's is easily accessible (swim/diveable) from Mid Reef which is E6.