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Could Escambia County soon be the final underwater resting place for a ship larger than the Oriskany and even longer than the Titanic? |
Yes, we could. Yes, this is something that is under serious consideration.
That is the buzz I am hearing from folks excited about the prospect of a nearly 1,000 foot ship, bigger that the Oriskany, being submerged in our local waters.
"This would make Escambia County waters the ULTIMATE dive spot, if we could sink the SS United States in waters off of Escambia County." said a local avid fisherman and diver with whom I spoke about the prospect of us acquiring, transporting, and ultimately scuttling the United States off the coast of Pensacola Beach.
"Right now, to our east and west, the other counties are working overtime to add more artificial reefs and dive spots---so for us to add the SS United States would help us keep pace." said this individual.
He then pulled out a tablet and showed me all the submerged reefs and ships and tanks and other features on our sea bed extending east and west and out as far as 30 miles or longer. From the HUGE amount of numbers on this graphic shown to me---it appears as if Alabama has everybody beat, with row after row of sunken features lighting up the screen. Rows and columns. Way more than Escambia--although Escambia does have a lot of Bridge pilings and concrete spoils submerged off the coast in a gigantic rectangle.
Okaloosa county has a huge footprint of sunken materials and ships as well. Also, they have a row of "columns" extending out into the Gulf in a kind of Christmas tree array. These are buoys that extend downward into the ocean to the bottom in and attract all sorts of pelagic species.
"If we could compliment the Oriskany with the SS United States--we would be a hub for divers worldwide and we would generate a lot of trips here and a lot of stays here from pro and amatuer (recreational) divers from around the world." said this angler/diver
WHAT WOULD IT TAKE--WHAT WOULD IT COST?
The move to bring SS United States to Escambia County will require a commitment of $10 Million dollars, and swift action. According to another individual with whom I spoke who has intimate knowledge of the plan to acquire and scuttle SS United States here--the vessel is up in Pennsylvania at a shipyard and must be moved by September 12th. It would have to be towed here, in the midst of peak hurricane season, and then there would have to be a plan on where to sink the vessel.
I'm told the objective would be to sink it so it is an easier dive for recreational divers who typically can only go down about 130 feet. (by contrast, the Oriskany sits in water that is 230 feet deep, with only the very top of the tower reachable by the amateur, recreational diver).
I'm told there is a spot, closer to the shore than Oriskany, where the SS America could be sunk and which would allow for the 57' of vertical clearance necessary while also allowing a much larger porition of this ship to be reachable by recreational divers than is the case currently with the Oriskany.
I like the idea, I like the plan. But $10 Million is a heavy lift. Possible funding sources include TDT funds, perhaps some BP Oil Spill money, and potentially even a Triumph Gulf Coast grant if such a project could meet that board's criteria. Stay tuned over the next several weeks as this will be discussed due to the pressing timeline. And again, for my vote, I LOVE this idea just as I LOVED the plan to bring American Magic here -- which has now come to pass.
This ship could also be a huge get for our area.
I received a strong email of support from a member of the area's Marine Advisory Committee, on some additional data and facts about the SS United States, which I will publish, below:
11 comments:
What the hell 10mil to sink a old ship? What revenue will it create basically none thats how much. Maybe use the 10 mil to try and stop all the drug dealers shooting around town.
I really, really hope you can find a way to make this happen and successfully convey to the other commissioners how increasing our dive experiences in the area is critically necessary. One of the things I hated about having to leave the Marine Advisory Committee was not being able to help follow through on getting another wreck. After years of listening to testimonials and hearing data, it's the absolute truth that we are getting killed on those tourism dollars, as counties to the east have found ways to be much more nimble and creative with getting their hands on stuff to sink when it becomes avaiable. We're losing that industry. Thank you for recognizing the importance of this topic.
Yep. I used to scuba around sunken ships. Too cool. Dive boats, dive shops, scuba gear. Tourists and so on.
Good for the local economy as well as the marine wildlife.
Win Win.
10 mill for the tow and Insurance plus the resources to properly sink it upright...
The 10 million would be an investment that would pay off for generations. Your great working relationship with members of the TDC as well as Triumph board could make that a breeze to secure the funds and make that happen no problem.
If this can be sunk in shallower waters I am all for it. The Oriskany's deck being about 130 ft has always been a disappointment for me. I plan to eventually get my certification for that level, but as an amateur it is kind of a bummer.
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I agree with 826. The depth it could be placed makes a HUGE difference.
I don't dive anymore, (age etc) and my fav diving was actually in the keys about 35 feet. The deeper the site, less time spent under water. A lot of the certification is to understand the dive charts. Basically how long can you stay under depending on the depth safely with out getting the bends.
This could really be quite an attraction.
Lots to consider as to where to actually place it.
X marks the spot. Sunken treasure. The proxmity to shore, the depth, the shipping channels etc. Think about additional boating traffic and everything.
Far reaching consequences...
The dive INDUSTRY --- can we support it?
Dive schools, captain license, equipment shops, dive instructors,
651. Placed Upright, that would be cool... but what would they do, dig a hole. That would be too much work and expense in my opinion. Might not be feasible.
This is interesting.
How long would it have to be studied (feasibility) and how much would that cost? As to placement.
Who will do it, how many permits are required, how many agencies and bureaucracies involved? How much will that cost?
Rhetorical questions.
Hey Jeff, I see that this has been met with some animosity. I see the long term value of doing this and think it would be worth doing as long as the funding can be acquired responsibly without undue burden on the county or residents. I also appreciate the blog post. Something worth considering might be making short-form videos (2 mins) to discuss a topic like this because clearly folks didn’t read the blog. Or, even better, would be setting up a live on X or Facebook to discuss with constituents directly. Folks behind a keyboard always have more animosity When they’re not looking at your face.
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