ST. THOMAS
U.S. Virgin Islands
St. Thomas is by far the best known of the U.S. Virgin Islands.
Excellent
shopping, clear water, intimate beaches, night life and of course
spectacular
diving can all be found here. The reefs off St. Thomas support all
types
of tropical fish. In fact it's not uncommon for a diver to see
parrotfish,
damselfish, peacock flounder, turtles, and sting rays all on the
same dive.
For more information about the US Virgin Islands visit the US Virgin
Islands Board of Tourism’s official website –
www.usvi.net
AIRPLANE
This wreck is that of a Lockheed Constellation aircraft that was
rumored to be
designed by Howard Hughes just after WW II. The cargo plane had four
engines and a triple tail. The plane was originally commissioned for
the
U.S. Air Force, but after many years of service she was purchased to
deliver
fruits and vegetables between islands. According to Debbie & Joe
Vogel,
who own and operate a local dive operation, the plane crashed in
1980 while
en route between St. Croix and St. Thomas. The accident happened at
dusk
while a misty rain was present. No radio distress calls were heard;
it seemed
as though she just plunged into the sea. The Constellation stayed
together
and afloat overnight, allowing survivors to be rescued.
Unfortunately, her
pilot, co-pilot and one of her crew members were killed in the
crash. The
following morning the aircraft was in tow tail first, but she sank
off Fortuna
Bay before she could make it to shore.
The Airplane wreckage now sits in 45 feet of water about 100 yards
off
shore on the southwest end of the island. She has been scattered a
little
from the heavy winds of a few hurricanes, but divers will still be
able to
find two thirds of her fuselage and her wing intact. Her landing
gear, a still
inflated tire, and even windshield wipers are all recognizable. To
give you
an idea of the size of this huge aircraft, just imagine a 727
sitting in crystal
clear water in only 45 feet of water. Bringing a camera goes without
saying
for this site.
CARTANSER SENIOR
This 190 foot long, steel hulled freighter has an interesting
history. During
World War II, she was used to transport goods. After the war, she
was
used to carry various cargos between islands. She was brought to St-
Thomas
in 1970 and was abandoned by her captain and crew. By this time, the
vessel
had definitely seen better days and was eventually towed into a cove
where
she was moored. Over time, the unattended vessel began to take on
water
and was soon on the bottom. Unfortunately, her location for divers
was horrible
as she was sitting in silt, and poor visibility was inevitable.
At one point in1975, the Army corp. of Engineers was going to blow
the
wreck up as they considered the ship a hazard to navigation. Around
the
same time, St. Thomas noticed the amount of interest their
neighboring
British Virgin Islands were getting since the movie "The Deep" was
being
filmed on the wreck of the Rhone. St. Thomas decided that they too
should
have a clear water wreck, and started the wheels moving to raise the
Cartanser and move her to a spot more accessible for divers. Local
divers,
led by the St. Thomas Diving Club, banded together in the campaign
"Save The Cartanser". They raised funds by selling "T" shirts
stating their
slogan. This effort was a huge success that will be enjoyed by
divers for
many years to come.
On July l6th, 1979, with the help of a giant super crane paid for by
the
"Save The Cartanser" fund, the Cartanser Senior was raised, moved
five
miles to a cove on the west side of Buck Island, and re-sunk. She is
now
resting in 50 feet of water, leaning on her port side. Her hull has
split
open and bent a little from the various storms that have passed
through,
but this wreck is a photographer's dream. Everything from her engine
room
to her bow has been photographed hundreds of times. Her remains
attract
not only yellow tails, tang, groupers and angelfish, but dive boats
from
all over the island that bring divers to explore the wreckage.
FERRY BOAT
The Ferry Boat is the newest wreck off the island. She was named
Mein
Capitan and used as a ferry between St. John and St. Thomas before
her
sinking during hurricane Gilbert. The Ferry Boat was raised onto a
barge,
but due to the extent of her damage, it was not worth repairing the
vessel.
The Mein Capitan was then taken out and dumped off the southwest end
of Lovango Key. The vessel now sits upside down in 50 feet of water
and
has not yet fully developed as a fish haven. The Ferry Boot will not
remain
in this location for long since she was dumped without a permit.
Plans are
already underway to raise and relocate the wreck to a spot near the
General
Rodger's wreck. Wherever she ends up, the Ferry Boat should
definitely become
much more popular as tourists learn about her existence, and the
surrounding
marine life make her their new home.
GENERAL RODGER'S
The General Rodger's was a 120 foot long, steel hulled, auxiliary
Coast
Guard vessel. The ship has large reels on her stern deck which
indicate
that she may have once been utilized by the Coast Guard as a buoy
tender.
According to Steve Siminson, a local diver, she was sunk by the
Coast
Guard in 1972 to form an artificial reef. However, the General
Rodger's
didn't go down too easily. In fact, she took many hours before
slipping
beneath the ocean's surface, and during that time, she unexpectedly
swung
around over slightly deeper water. When the General Rodgers finally
did
sink, tragedy struck when one of the crew, who was helping to
scuttle the
vessel, drowned with her.
The General Rodger's now lies in 65 feet of water. She is not dove
on as
often as the Cartanser but is sitting upright and intact in a
channel off the
northwest side of St. Thomas. This wreck is fascinating to explore.
Divers
can swim through passageways, look out porthole openings, and can
even
see a huge spare propeller in her forward cargo hold. A current is
usually
present at this site.
The General Rodger's is also a great wreck to photograph.
Penetration is
unobstructed, and divers will find her propeller encrusted and very
colorful.
This site does not seem to attract quite as much fish life as the
Cartanser,
but large school of small mouth grunts, barracudas, tang, and jacks
can be
found. ,
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