SPONSORED IN PART BY NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC SNORKELER
UPDATE: We are pleased to announce the support and endorsement of EcoGuides by the Rainforest Alliance

EcoGuide Florida Keys | The Vandenburg
| CLICK HERE FOR PDF VERSION |

The Sinking of the Vandenberg
Andy Newman and Associates


At 10:24 am, May 27, 2009, the General Hoyt S. Vandenberg became an artificial reef in 140 feet of water seven miles from Key West! Upon first sight of the Vandenberg being prepared to be scuttled as the southern anchor of the Florida Keys Shipwreck Trail, former crew member Chuck Garrison, who served on the ex-U.S. military missile-tracking ship remarked, “Wow! This will be one helluva wreck to dive.” Garrison has visited the WW II wreck-strewn waters of the Pacific, and agrees the highly distinctive Vandenberg, the world's second-largest ship ever sunk to create a reef, has dozens of dive points to interest novice and seasoned recreational divers.

From the bottom, the Vandenberg measures 10 stories high in the water column, the keel is the deepest point at 140 feet. But it is the top of the structure that contains most of the ship's interesting attributes,
some purposely cut from one part of the ship and welded elsewhere to make attention-getting dive spots from bow to stern, all trimmed to reach within 40 to 50 feet of the surface.

Starting from a vantage point at the bow and moving aft, the kingpost and foremast are immediately
eye-catching, and provides underwater photo opportunities for dive buddies, and can serve as a rest
platform or perhaps a decompression stop on ascension from deeper dives. Continuing aft, the bridge symbolizes the ship's intriguing maritime history: at the top of the wheelhouse a telescope has been mounted, which was part of the star-tracking systems during Vandenberg's active duty.

Behind the bridge and the main mast is the smaller of two iconic radar dishes. Next is, the number 1 Barbette, a heavy steel structure in the shape of a pedestal used to protect artillery gun turrets on military ships. Aft of the number 1 Barbette is the larger radar dish, which in the 1999 movie “Virus” provided quite an explosive sequence when a laser from space blew the dish off the ship. It’s indeed intact though, secured to the vessel and ready for fish to shelter and breed.

All dive spots along the top structure are open, free from obstruction and should be easy to maneuver over and around during a dive. Further aft is the trimmed part of the foremast with the crow’s nest, as well as the bottom half of the ship’s smokestack — the other half, trimmed to approximately 20 feet tall for an even profile along the ship's superstructure, now sits atop the weather balloon hangar at the stern.

Likely to be one of the most visited dive sites on the Vandenberg, this balloon hangar will be loosely dubbed the “underwater Margaritaville,” a clubhouse tribute to the famous Parrotheads who have contributed support to the Vandenberg project, aside from being fanatical fans of Jimmy Buffett, whose musical and literary fame has saturated Key West.The Vandenberg will be a safe, enjoyable dive for all experience levels of certified divers. Those trained and experienced in light-wreck penetration can expect to explore the ship's many cargo holds, stair towers, elevator shafts and hallways.

At 100-plus feet, holes cut along the outside of the hull to help sink the ship provide swim-through opportunities for advanced and skilled technical divers. Yet the properly


.MORE READING