Sinking ships for wreck diving sites

Sinking ships for wreck diving sites is the practice of scuttling

Scuttling

Scuttling is the act of deliberately sinking a ship by allowing water to flow into the hull.This can be achieved in several ways—valves or hatches can be opened to the sea, or holes may be ripped into the hull with brute force or with explosives...

old ship

Ship

Since the end of the age of sail a ship has been any large buoyant marine vessel. Ships are generally distinguished from boats based on size and cargo or passenger capacity. Ships are used on lakes, seas, and rivers for a variety of activities, such as the transport of people or goods, fishing,...

s to produce artificial reef

Artificial reef

An artificial reef is a human-made underwater structure, typically built to promote marine life in areas with a generally featureless bottom, control erosion, block ship passage, or improve surfing....

s suitable for wreck diving

Wreck diving

Wreck diving is a type of recreational diving where shipwrecks are explored. Although most wreck dive sites are at shipwrecks, there is an increasing trend to scuttle retired ships to create artificial reef sites...

, to benefit from commercial revenues from recreational diving

Recreational diving

Recreational diving or sport diving is a type of diving that uses SCUBA equipment for the purpose of leisure and enjoyment. In some diving circles, the term "recreational diving" is used in contradistinction to "technical diving", a more demanding aspect of the sport which requires greater levels...

of the shipwreck

Shipwreck

A shipwreck is what remains of a ship that has wrecked, either sunk or beached. Whatever the cause, a sunken ship or a wrecked ship is a physical example of the event: this explains why the two concepts are often overlapping in English....

, or to produce a diver training

Diver training

Diver training is the process of developing skills and building experience in the use of diving equipment and techniques so that the diver is able to dive safely and have fun....

site.

Preparation

To prepare a hulk

Hulk (ship)

A hulk is a ship that is afloat, but incapable of going to sea. Although sometimes used to describe a ship that has been launched but not completed, the term most often refers to an old ship that has had its rigging or internal equipment removed, retaining only its flotational qualities...

for sinking as a wreck site, several things must be done to make it safe for the marine environment and divers. To protect the environment, the ship is purged of all oils, hydraulic fluid

Hydraulic fluid

Hydraulic fluids, also called hydraulic liquids, are the medium by which power is transferred in hydraulic machinery. Common hydraulic fluids are based on mineral oil or water...

s, and dangerous chemicals such as PCB

Polychlorinated biphenyl

Polychlorinated biphenyls are a class of organic compounds with 2 to 10 chlorine atoms attached to biphenyl, which is a molecule composed of two benzene rings. The chemical formula for PCBs is C12H10-xClx...

s. Much of the superstructure is removed to prevent the hazard of it eventually caving in from corrosion

Corrosion

Corrosion is the disintegration of an engineered material into its constituent atoms due to chemical reactions with its surroundings. In the most common use of the word, this means electrochemical oxidation of metals in reaction with an oxidant such as oxygen...

. Similarly, the interior of the ship is gutted of all structures that corrode quickly, and would be dangerous to divers if they came loose. The ship is thoroughly cleaned, often with the help of volunteers interested in diving. A significant part of the cost of preparing and sinking the ship comes from scrapping the contents of the ship, including valuable materials such as copper

Copper

Copper is a chemical element with the symbol Cu and atomic number 29. It is a ductile metal with very high thermal and electrical conductivity. Pure copper is soft and malleable; an exposed surface has a reddish-orange tarnish...

wiring. The hulk's suitability as a diving site is enhanced by cutting openings in its hull and interior bulkheads to allow divers access.

Sinking

The preparation phase removes a significant amount of weight, so the ship sits higher in the water than normal. The ship must be carefully weighed down by filling some sections with water as makeshift ballast tank

Ballast tank

A ballast tank is a compartment within a boat, ship or other floating structure that holds water.-History:The basic concept behind the ballast tank can be seen in many forms of aquatic life, such as the blowfish or argonaut octopus, and the concept has been invented and reinvented many times by...

s to prevent excessive rolling

Ship motions

Ship motions are defined by the six degrees of freedom that a ship, boat or any other craft can experience.- Translation :HeaveSwaySurge-Vertical axis:Vertical axis, or yaw axis — an axis drawn from top to bottom, and perpendicular to the other two axes...

in port or during towing

Tugboat

A tugboat is a boat that maneuvers vessels by pushing or towing them. Tugs move vessels that either should not move themselves, such as ships in a crowded harbor or a narrow canal,or those that cannot move by themselves, such as barges, disabled ships, or oil platforms. Tugboats are powerful for...

. The ship is towed to the sinking location, usually in shallow waters. The ship is scuttled using dynamite, in a controlled demolition

Controlled demolition

Controlled demolition refers to:* Demolition, the tearing-down of buildings and other structures* Controlled Demolition, Inc., Phoenix, Maryland firm that specializes in the use of explosives to create a controlled demolition of a structure...

. The holes are blown so that the heavier engine room and stern floods first, then the rest of the hull. The aim is to sink the ship in an upright position.

List of ships sunk for wreck diving

Ships sunk for wreck diving
Year	Vessel Name	Location	Country/Territory
2011		Cape May Cape May Cape May is a peninsula and island ; the southern tip of the island is the southernmost point of the state of New Jersey, United States. It runs southwards from the New Jersey mainland, separating Delaware Bay from the Atlantic Ocean... , New Jersey	United States
2011		Avoca Beach, New South Wales	Australia
2011		West Bay, Grand Cayman	Cayman Islands
2009		Barwon Heads, Victoria	Australia
2009	USNS General Hoyt S. Vandenberg (T-AGM-10) USS General Harry Taylor (AP-145) USS General Harry Taylor was a in the United States Navy in World War II named in honor of U.S. Army Chief of Engineers Harry Taylor. She served for a time as army transport USAT General Harry Taylor, and was reacquired by the navy in 1950 as USNS General Harry Taylor .Placed in reserve in 1958,...	Key West, Florida	United States
2007	HMNZS Canterbury (F421) HMNZS Canterbury (F421) HMNZS Canterbury was one of two broad beam Leander class frigates operated by the Royal New Zealand Navy from 1971 to 2005. HMNZS Canterbury was laid down on 12 June 1969 by Yarrow Shipbuilders and launched 11 months later on 6 May 1970....	Bay of Islands Bay of Islands The Bay of Islands is an area in the Northland Region of the North Island of New Zealand. Located 60 km north-west of Whangarei, it is close to the northern tip of the country....	New Zealand
2006	Xihwu Boeing 737	British Columbia	Canada
2005	HMNZS Wellington (F69)	Wellington	New Zealand
2005		Mooloolaba, Queensland	Australia
2004		Whitsand Bay, Cornwall Whitsand Bay Whitsand Bay, situated in south east Cornwall, England, United Kingdom runs from Rame Head in the east to Portwrinkle in the west. It is characterised by sheer, high cliffs, dramatic scenery and long stretches of sandy beaches...	United Kingdom
2004		Florida	United States
2003	CS Charles L Brown	Sint Eustatius	Leeward Islands
2003		Quebec	Canada
2002	MV Dania	Mombasa	Kenya
2002		Florida	United States
2002		Yankalilla Bay, South Australia	Australia
2001	HMCS Cape Breton	British Columbia	Canada
2001		Albany, Western Australia Albany, Western Australia Albany is a port city in the Great Southern region of Western Australia, some 418 km SE of Perth, the state capital. As of 2009, Albany's population was estimated at 33,600, making it the 6th-largest city in the state....	Australia
2000	HMCS Yukon	San Diego, California	United States
2000	Stanegarth Stanegarth The Stanegarth was originally built in 1910 as a steam powered tug by Lytham Ship Builders Company for service with the British Waterways Board. She was converted to diesel power in 1957...	Stoney Cove Stoney Cove Stoney Cove is a large flooded quarry which is a popular inland scuba diving site. It is between Stoney Stanton and Sapcote in Leicestershire in England. There is a diving shop, a pub selling beer and hot food and a diving training facility there.-Background:...	United Kingdom
2000	HMNZS Waikato (F55)	Tutukaka	New Zealand
1999	HMNZS Tui (1970) HMNZS Tui (1970) HMNZS Tui, formerly USNS Charles H. Davis , was one of nine Conrad class oceanographic ships built for the United States Navy , that later saw service in the Royal New Zealand Navy...	Tutukaka Heads	New Zealand
1995	HMCS Saskatchewan	British Columbia	Canada
1997		Dunsborough, Western Australia Dunsborough, Western Australia Dunsborough is a coastal town in the South West of Western Australia, south of Perth on the shores of Geographe Bay.Dunsborough is a popular tourist destination for Western Australians; in 1999 it was voted the state's best tourist destination. During the last decade the town has grown quickly and...	Australia
1996	HMCS Columbia	British Columbia	Canada
1996	MV Captain Keith Tibbetts (formerly Russian-built Frigate 356)	Cayman Brac	Cayman Islands
1996	Inganess Bay		British Virgin Islands
1995	HMCS Mackenzie	British Columbia	Canada
1992	HMCS Chaudière	British Columbia	Canada
1991–2001	"Wreck Alley" – The Marie L, The Pat and The Beata		British Virgin Islands
1991	MV G.B. Church	British Columbia	Canada
1990	Fontao	Durban	South Africa
1990	T-Barge	Durban	South Africa
1987–2000	Wreck Alley Wreck Alley Wreck Alley is an area a few miles off the coast of Mission Beach, San Diego, California with several ships intentionally sunk as artificial reefs and as SCUBA diving attractions for wreck divers.- Wrecks :Six of these were intentionally sunk.* Ruby E...	San Diego, California California California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...	United States
1987	USCGC Bibb USCGC Bibb (WPG-31) The USCGC Bibb was a Secretary-Class Coast Guard ship commissioned in 1936. Seven similar "combat cutters" were built and named for secretaries of the United States Treasury. The legendary Bibb was named for U.S. Secretary of the Treasury George M. Bibb.The ship saw service in World War II...	Florida	United States
1987	USCGC Duane USCGC Duane (WPG-33) The USCG Cutter Duane was a cutter in the United States Coast Guard. Her keel was laid on May 1, 1935 at the Philadelphia Navy Yard, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania...	Florida	United States
1980	Oro Verde		Cayman Islands
1970	Glen Strathallen Glen Strathallen Glen Strathallan or Glen Strath Allen was built in 1928 by shipbuilders Cochrance and Sons in Yorkshire. Millionaire Colby Cubbin converted her to a pleasure yacht as the person who had commissioned her went bankrupt before the ship was completed. During the Second World War she was loaned to the... (sunk to produce a diver training facility)	Plymouth Plymouth Plymouth is a city and unitary authority area on the coast of Devon, England, about south-west of London. It is built between the mouths of the rivers Plym to the east and Tamar to the west, where they join Plymouth Sound...	United Kingdom

Planned sites

. An Annapolis class destroyer decommissioned by the Canadian Forces

Canadian Forces

The Canadian Forces , officially the Canadian Armed Forces , are the unified armed forces of Canada, as constituted by the National Defence Act, which states: "The Canadian Forces are the armed forces of Her Majesty raised by Canada and consist of one Service called the Canadian Armed Forces."...

in 1996. The ship was purchased by the Artificial Reef Society of British Columbia

Artificial Reef Society of British Columbia

The Artificial Reef Society of British Columbia is a registered non-profit organization based in Vancouver, British Columbia. They began operations in 1989, with the G.B. Church project, and have since sunk 7 ships and 1 Boeing 737...

in 2008, which plans to sink her in Port Graves (Long Bay) on Gambier Island in Howe Sound.

Preparation

Sinking

List of ships sunk for wreck diving

Planned sites

See also