USS Speigel Grove

[gpatton]

FYI

I dove the Spiegel on 7-12-05 at 6:00pm for 27 minutes, max depth 86 ft. On the dive I took a bearing on the direction the SG was facing, according to my compass the SG is facing just south of east about 100 degrees. In this position the prevailing current is still at least 90 degrees abeam of the ship to the south. Generally along Key Largo the current runs along the outer edge of the reef which runs NE - SW.

Check out my pics from my dive on the Spiegel 7-12-05 at 6:00pm for 27 minutes.
The pics below don't illustrate the upright position of the SG very well because of the limited visibility.
http://www.glennpatton.com/Spiegel/SpiegelUpright.htm

Glenn

 

[jviehe]

Well, the fish arnt swimming sideways, so I guess it must be true. Nice video.

 

[KeyLargoBrent]

FYI

I dove the Spiegel on 7-12-05 at 6:00pm for 27 minutes, max depth 86 ft. On the dive I took a bearing on the direction the SG was facing, according to my compass the SG is facing just south of east about 100 degrees. In this position the prevailing current is still at least 90 degrees abeam of the ship to the south. Generally along Key Largo the current runs along the outer edge of the reef which runs NE - SW.

Check out my pics from my dive on the Spiegel 7-12-05 at 6:00pm for 27 minutes.
The pics below don't illustrate the upright position of the SG very well because of the limited visibility.
http://www.glennpatton.com/Spiegel/SpiegelUpright.htm

Glenn

Thanks for the update. I had heard that Scotty was standing guard above the wreck on Tuesday, and that NOAA was out there yesterday running off curious divers, and trying to get some sort of work done.

This from the Key Largo Chamber of Commerce yesterday:

As you may have heard, Hurricane Dennis has rolled the Spiegel Grove over and it now sits upright. Officials from the Monroe County Marine Resources and NOAA were inspecting the ship yesterday. Officials have called for a voluntary compliance from dive operators and the general public to stay off the site for one week so a safety assessment can be completed. Failure of a voluntary compliance could result in the closing of the Spiegel Grove for up to 3 months. Please allow the Marine Sanctuary and County to assess the site. Updates will be provided as the assessment results are obtained. Thank you.

 

[String]

Ive just got back to the UK. Sort of related to this story in that i was on the boat when it was first noticed it had moved.

The plan was to dive the Duane, on arriving current was too strong so they elected to go to the grove. Got there and nobody could work out what was where - it appeared over half the mooring buoys had vanished. There was also some oil on the surface.

After some debate they sent a staff diver down one they thought would be superstructure. He got to 90ft, aborted and said "nothing there". They then sent another staff diver down a different buoy who surfaced looking shocked yelling "its on the bow and upright. Someone else has gotta see this. I wasnt narced".

Then the phone calls etc started. The remaining mooring buoys have been removed and i can confirm the request for a voluntary no-dive to allow safety inspections with the threat of a 3 month order if ignored.

The annoying thing is i had to fly home that week so despite being on the boat that found it i didnt actually get to dive the thing.

 

[MikeJacobs]

I think you and the second DM who realized the wreck had righted itself win the top "Grove-story" bragging rights. Those moments must have been fascinating. I hadn't heard anything about the oil, but we were wondering about the open arm reaching out from the starbord side into the sand - did anybody see what happened to it? Did it break off, just drag over or is it vertical... questions that will soon be answered, I guess...

Sorry about the "wasted" trip to the Grove but hopefully your dives were pleasant.

Ive just got back to the UK. Sort of related to this story in that i was on the boat when it was first noticed it had moved.

The plan was to dive the Duane, on arriving current was too strong so they elected to go to the grove. Got there and nobody could work out what was where - it appeared over half the mooring buoys had vanished. There was also some oil on the surface.

After some debate they sent a staff diver down one they thought would be superstructure. He got to 90ft, aborted and said "nothing there". They then sent another staff diver down a different buoy who surfaced looking shocked yelling "its on the bow and upright. Someone else has gotta see this. I wasnt narced".

Then the phone calls etc started. The remaining mooring buoys have been removed and i can confirm the request for a voluntary no-dive to allow safety inspections with the threat of a 3 month order if ignored.

The annoying thing is i had to fly home that week so despite being on the boat that found it i didnt actually get to dive the thing.

 

[String]

The person that blew the bragging rights was the first guy that went down to 90ft, saw nothing and aborted. Technically the first person on the "new" wreck didnt actually see it

That dive was to be my first dive in florida but obviously it didnt happen - ended up on mollases reef instead. At least i can claim i witnessed a bit of this even no matter how indirectly

 

[KeyLargoBrent]

this from www.SpiegelGrove.com today:

The ship did not actually move... it only rolled upright
as it was meant to be. In the process of attempting to
right it after the original sinking, an anchor cable was
wrapped under the ship and then over the keel and
attached to the propeller shaft on the port side.

Two tug boats were supposed to pull lines attached
on the port side, away from this anchor line, and the
plan was that it would roll exactly as it has done now.
In the attempt, some of the lines broke, and only ONE
tug was actually pulling, and it just did not have the
power needed to roll the ship.

The ship was left lying on the starboard side, with this
anchor cable still in place. With the hurricane that just
passed through here, the waves were building to 20+
feet, and it is believed that these waves were pushing
the currents much faster than they usually run. This ship
was a landing ship dock, which means that the rear half
of the ship is basically a giant cup whose open "top"
was facing INTO this current. With the increased force,
the sea current just did the job that the tug boats had
attempted to do 3 years ago.

A factor which apparently contributed in this is the
fact that the regular currents which run in this area had
created a large void under the rear 50-60 feet of the
ship. This actually allowed the rudders and the props
to pass freely, unimpeded, into this void, where they
are now embedded deep in the sand.

Today, I was able to view about 1-1.5 ft of the top
of the starboard rudder, but the rest of it, and the
prop are now buried completely under the sand.

The most important thing to keep in mind with all of this
is the fact that the anchor cable had been rigged just for
this particular purpose... it was only 3 years later that the
proper force was finally applied to carry out the process.

 

[KeyLargoBrent]

Mooring balls are being redeployed today and tomorrow, and she'll be reopened to the diving public on Wednesday. There will be eight moorings attached to the wreck proper. Depths at the base of the new moorings will range from 62-101'. Dive safely, and enjoy!

 

[H2Andy]

very nice...

gotta love it

 

[baitedstorm]

Excellent news.....!!!! I can't wait to have a go on her again.