Vandenberg In Political Trouble?

[Buoyant1]

Hmm, I wonder if Miami or Pompano would be interested (or able) for a last minute takeover...?

Today, Key West isn't a compelling dive destination... Yea, I suppose you can dive there, but unless your hitting the Wilkes, or on the way to the Dry Tortugas, its not a destination... The Vandenberg would have made it a must visit locale... They really missing out on alot of tourism dollars here... just ask the folks in Pensacola who benefitted from the 'O'...

defintely, KW isn't really where I go for DIVING...upper middle Keys...yeah...but most of the reefs down there aren't as nice as the upper Keys. (which is only what I've been divin on down there)

Wreck wise, the Tug is purportedly turning into dust, and the Cayman I hear isn't the greatest dive (and I've not seen too many of the ops advertising for it either)

If the Vandy was sunk, then KW would pick up from a diving perspective, and all that "wreck trail" stuff could cause some killer trips for the recreational people. I can't believe that they aren't embracing it more...

 

[matts1w]

I now present some quotes from KW locals on another board I sometimes frequent concerning the sinking of the Vandenberg and why it should not happen:

"The water depth of the ship will make it inaccessible to all but the advanced divers. (sorry I've never snorkeled in more then 40 ft of water and been able to see anything real well) "

"From what I hear the Speigal Grove trips are not what dive shop owners expected, and not bringing millions into the upper keys (in other words a bust)."

"The environmental impact concerns me. Even if they are "decontaminating" the ship prior to sinking it, that's one big chunk of rusting metal we're adding to our ocean. Is that a good idea?"

"I've read that the Speigel being in the water has changed the flow of water - change the currents - and as a result the fishing has changed."

"Right or wrong, my first reaction to this is - If the politicians want it, it must be wrong. . . . "

 

[Scoobahdood]

I now present some quotes from KW locals on another board I sometimes frequent concerning the sinking of the Vandenberg and why it should not happen:

"The water depth of the ship will make it inaccessible to all but the advanced divers. (sorry I've never snorkeled in more then 40 ft of water and been able to see anything real well) "

"From what I hear the Speigal Grove trips are not what dive shop owners expected, and not bringing millions into the upper keys (in other words a bust)."

"The environmental impact concerns me. Even if they are "decontaminating" the ship prior to sinking it, that's one big chunk of rusting metal we're adding to our ocean. Is that a good idea?"

"I've read that the Speigel being in the water has changed the flow of water - change the currents - and as a result the fishing has changed."

"Right or wrong, my first reaction to this is - If the politicians want it, it must be wrong. . . . "

All are non-divers! (I'm great at stating the obvious!) But I almost agree with the last quote!

 

[Al Mialkovsky]

Well Key West will shoot themselves in the foot if they allow this to get away from them. They'll cut that baby up into scrap pretty soon.

 

[deeper thoughts]

The feeling in the county is that this project will die.

 

[deepstops]

The feeling in the county is that this project will die.

It'll be Monroe County's loss if she ends up somewhere else. People there apparently can't see past their noses.....

Instead of me going down there for a day trip or a weekend to wreck dive, I'd spend a whole week if I could dive the Curb, the Vandy, the Northern Light, etc. They need to understand this wreck WOULD benefit the entire county, not just Key West.

 

[polarguard]

I just might see a WreckFest in my future...

Well if it is not a wreckfest in the Florida Keys it certainly is turning into a CLUSTER******

 

[polarguard]

Norfolk shipyard accuses firm of failing to pay for cleanup work
By Tim McGlone
The Virginian-Pilot
© April 8, 2008
NORFOLK
Colonna's Shipyard has filed a federal lawsuit accusing a New Jersey company of failing to pay $1.6 million for work on a James River Reserve Fleet ship.
Reefmakers of Moorestown, N.J., was hired by the city of Key West, Fla., to clean up the Gen. Hoyt S. Vandenberg, a former Air Force missile range ship, and tow it to Florida for sinking as an artificial reef.
Colonna's claims it is owed $1.6 million for work cleaning the ship of oil, asbestos, PCBs and other toxic hazards, according to the suit filed Thursday in U.S. District Court.
A federal judge ordered the U.S. Marshals Service to "arrest" the ship, so it cannot be moved until the suit is ended.
The Vandenberg, owned by Key West, is scheduled to be sunk as an artificial reef seven miles off the Florida Keys in May. But, according to news reports, that project is in jeopardy. A Key West newspaper reported last month that city officials are having trouble raising $2.4 million needed to complete the project.
The Vandenberg served as a troop transport in World War II and carried Hungarian freedom fighters to Australia after the 1956 Soviet crackdown. Later it was converted to track missile tests and followed the Mercury and Gemini space liftoffs. The ship also appeared in "Virus," a 1999 sci-fi movie.
Tim McGlone, (757) 446-2343, tim.mcglone@pilotonline.com
+++++++++++++++++++++
This is all quite a sad state of affairs

 

[BKP]

I now present some quotes from KW locals on another board I sometimes frequent concerning the sinking of the Vandenberg and why it should not happen:

"The water depth of the ship will make it inaccessible to all but the advanced divers. (sorry I've never snorkeled in more then 40 ft of water and been able to see anything real well) "

"From what I hear the Speigal Grove trips are not what dive shop owners expected, and not bringing millions into the upper keys (in other words a bust)."

"The environmental impact concerns me. Even if they are "decontaminating" the ship prior to sinking it, that's one big chunk of rusting metal we're adding to our ocean. Is that a good idea?"

"I've read that the Speigel being in the water has changed the flow of water - change the currents - and as a result the fishing has changed."

"Right or wrong, my first reaction to this is - If the politicians want it, it must be wrong. . . . "

That other board didn't happen to be the Flat Earth Society, did it?

Shame... all KW was missing is a stellar dive site...

 

[ReefHound]

Well that just about kills it for sinking this year. At least it'll also stop them from cutting it up for scrap as well. That at least buys time for another suitor to step in.