Rita and Spiegel Grove

If anyone dives the grove (post Rita), can you please post the conditions and status of the wreck. I am planning on heading to Largo in Oct, and I was looking forward to the ship being upright... I hope it's still that way.

I'm supposed to dive the SG on Friday, current and vis permitting. I just called the op and they said we're still on so I'll post a report when I get back.

After 3-4 years (since it was sunk and turned over by the salvage folks) of erosion of the seabed behind the hull caused by the ships orientation in the prevailing current (thw bow faces east the current comes from the west) and the force of the water flow from Dennis (coming from the south, pushing water north) pushing onto the landing well at the stern, as well as the anchor tied under her keel, it rolled over to a more stable position in the eroded area north of the ship.

Apart from viz being blown by the water movement after Rita, i would seriously doubt that SG would roll again for quite some time. I say this as more erosion would be needed to create a space for her to roll into on the leeward/port side (north) and of course the flow hitting somewhere with a sufficient lever arm to gain the torque to turn it again - the landing well was really a good lever for that but this east to west moving storm would have pushed the water flow from bow to stern rather than across the gunwales where the next greatest surface area is (the side of the ship) or in from the stern again. IF it flips in any way again it will be several years down the line and the water flow will need to be more south to north again to roll her over again.

In short the flow of an east-west moving storm (the predominant direction they come in) will not cause SG to roll anymore, its mechanically almost impossible. A storm moving north from below Cuba is much more likely to move it, but may well still need a bit more help!

Well, stranger things have happened.
Things like ...

The Mercedes wreck getting twisted like taffy after Andrew,
albeit nowadays it truly -is- a wreck .... of twisted metal.

The United Carribean wreck getting relocated further west(? was it??)

Neverrrr, underestimate Mother Nature.

The past two times it's flipped (first time flipped when sinking and second time in July) have been within a week of me visiting Key Largo to dive it.

I have no plans to visit the rest of the year, so the ship should be safe from flipping again after the passing of hurricane Rita.

Dove the SG this afternoon. 2-4' seas on the surface. NO current at all at depth. 30' vis, 85° @ 90'.
She's still upright! As predicted.
I'll try to post a full report when I get back home.

Cool... Thanks for the info!