dagodiver
Registered
23 October 2004
The day started at Bahia Honda state park boat ramp, launch boat and head towards the resting site of
the U.S.S. Kendrick (DD 612) a Bristol class Destroyer that measured 348'. The ship was built in the early forty's
and served in WWII. She was sank off American Shoals (I think) in 1968 during demolition tests.
Sea conditons were very nice with a 10knot breeze and 1-3 foot seas. The surface temp was a balmy 83*.
We hooked into the wreck at around 11:30 and it was time to get ready to dive, after about 1 hour of puting
gear on it was time to go see what we had spent so much time, effort and money on. Running behind my dive buddy
Jim J. we did the decent to are first planned stop at which time we gave the OK and continued are decent. In my
head i was thinkin the whole time that we were running to the wreck at 90 degrees about amid-ship but when Jim stoped
and started pointing in a direction i was not looking, THERE IT WAS........I could make out the outline of the entire ship..!!!!
I wish there was a hand signal for "unfreakin beliveable". A quick swim over to the deck and we were on the Kendrick, looking
around until are run time of 15 minutes were up and it was time to start the trip toward the surface and some warmer water,
the temp on the wreck was 60....burrrrrr. Vis on the wreck was 70' plus and the mid water vis a good 100' plus.
Noted on the wreck is the bow section is smashed upward back to about 30-40 foot and appears to be damage from
hitting the sea floor when it was sunk. Nothing really to shoot that i saw but some nice snowy grouper to look at.
Call me a "sally" or "whatever" diver but being able to put your hands on a piece of history laying on the bottom of the
ocean floor just does something for me. A great day on the water.
24 October 2004
Same boat ramp but this time to meet up with Keys "Brian" and Keez "Jeff" (I think) at the U.S.S. Wilkes Barre. (CL 103)
a Cleveland class light cruiser that measured 608'. We set the hook alittle before 11am and Brian and Jeff did the run to the
deck before i could get in the water. (sorry i didn't get a chance to see you guys i was on a mission) Upon decending to the
bow section of the Wilkes you can see where her keel was broke and the ship ripped in half, the bow is laying on her
starboard side with the gun turrets laying out in the sand about 70-100 feet away. We ran a 25 minute BT on the dive
and noticed lots of nice big fish of all types and of course some big bull sharks that kept us company on the wreck and
for the long deco time we had. The weekend couldnt of been better, after missing this trip 3 times this year because of
bad weather we finally made it to some of the "Ghost Fleet"
sorry so long winded but it was truley a great weekend.
the Kendrick is on an even keel in 330fsw
the Wilkes Bow is on her starboard side in 250fsw
Divers were
Myself
Jim J.
Doc D.
Alan B.
Ernie G.
Dive safe
Dago.
________________
The day started at Bahia Honda state park boat ramp, launch boat and head towards the resting site of
the U.S.S. Kendrick (DD 612) a Bristol class Destroyer that measured 348'. The ship was built in the early forty's
and served in WWII. She was sank off American Shoals (I think) in 1968 during demolition tests.
Sea conditons were very nice with a 10knot breeze and 1-3 foot seas. The surface temp was a balmy 83*.
We hooked into the wreck at around 11:30 and it was time to get ready to dive, after about 1 hour of puting
gear on it was time to go see what we had spent so much time, effort and money on. Running behind my dive buddy
Jim J. we did the decent to are first planned stop at which time we gave the OK and continued are decent. In my
head i was thinkin the whole time that we were running to the wreck at 90 degrees about amid-ship but when Jim stoped
and started pointing in a direction i was not looking, THERE IT WAS........I could make out the outline of the entire ship..!!!!
I wish there was a hand signal for "unfreakin beliveable". A quick swim over to the deck and we were on the Kendrick, looking
around until are run time of 15 minutes were up and it was time to start the trip toward the surface and some warmer water,
the temp on the wreck was 60....burrrrrr. Vis on the wreck was 70' plus and the mid water vis a good 100' plus.
Noted on the wreck is the bow section is smashed upward back to about 30-40 foot and appears to be damage from
hitting the sea floor when it was sunk. Nothing really to shoot that i saw but some nice snowy grouper to look at.
Call me a "sally" or "whatever" diver but being able to put your hands on a piece of history laying on the bottom of the
ocean floor just does something for me. A great day on the water.
24 October 2004
Same boat ramp but this time to meet up with Keys "Brian" and Keez "Jeff" (I think) at the U.S.S. Wilkes Barre. (CL 103)
a Cleveland class light cruiser that measured 608'. We set the hook alittle before 11am and Brian and Jeff did the run to the
deck before i could get in the water. (sorry i didn't get a chance to see you guys i was on a mission) Upon decending to the
bow section of the Wilkes you can see where her keel was broke and the ship ripped in half, the bow is laying on her
starboard side with the gun turrets laying out in the sand about 70-100 feet away. We ran a 25 minute BT on the dive
and noticed lots of nice big fish of all types and of course some big bull sharks that kept us company on the wreck and
for the long deco time we had. The weekend couldnt of been better, after missing this trip 3 times this year because of
bad weather we finally made it to some of the "Ghost Fleet"
sorry so long winded but it was truley a great weekend.
the Kendrick is on an even keel in 330fsw
the Wilkes Bow is on her starboard side in 250fsw
Divers were
Myself
Jim J.
Doc D.
Alan B.
Ernie G.
Dive safe
Dago.
________________
