Annapolis to the US?

[Leroybrown]

I have looked in a couple of forums on this Annapolis reef project and this meeting planned for February.

Having watched the epic of the Vandenberg going on for over 10 years before it finally became one hell of a great dive I hope this mess ends up with the same happy conclusion. It sounds like there is a lynching in progress before that happens.

Some place on this board there mention of the ship being sold to a group in California. What gives with that? If the December posting by their president is anything to go on how could they ever hope to get a ship with toxins on board into the US? EPA and Coast guard would go nuts!

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

It's not just the Canadians hoping this ship gets sunk somewhere in the Vancouver/Van Isle area ... a lot of us Washingtonians went up there and put some hard work into prepping her as well. We go north because we've given up on ever getting an artificial reef of our own here in Puget Sound ... there's just too much bureacratic resistance.

If it goes to Sandy Eggo, I doubt I'll ever make the effort to go down there and dive it.

Ignore Kevrumbo ... he gives everything he associates with a bad name ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[aaen]

Personally, I would love to see it hauled over to Nanaimo and sunk off Snake Island wall at a depth of about 250'ish for us techie folk. Or at least put it besides the cape and the sask so we could scooter to all three in one dive and still appease the recreational divers.

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

I thought putting it in Howe Sound, where it could be accessed from the mainland, was a great idea. The NIMBYs won that battle, however. Barring that, I'd like to see it placed somewhere other than where there are already great attractions. Putting it in Nanaimo has advantages, but they already have three wrecks, a wall, and a bunch of other fine dive sites. Spread the wealth around a bit ... and that's exactly what these reefs represent is money into a local economy from people like me who pay to come up there, stay in a hotel, eat in restaurants, and hire a boat out to the location. Nanaimo already has a functional diver-based economy ... there's plenty of places that could benefit from having this wreck in their back yard ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[aaen]

Sadly most if the other spots on the island are barely gone to for the wrecks. Most are placed in very bad spots or are not very good dives. The sask and cape are the two best. There are others but they are rarely gone to.

But yes you are right it would be good to spread the wealth around, sadly I do not see that happening any time soon.


Regards

Steve

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

I dunno ... I think I've dived them all, and really enjoyed the dives on the Columbia and Chaudierre, in part because they didn't go down perfectly. The Mackenzie is a nice dive, and the Church is an OK second dive. I think the ones in Nanaimo get dives more often for the simple reason that they're easiest to get to, and have multiple commercial dive ops taking people out there. That's why having one in Howe Sound seemed so attractive ... it'd provide more access to mainlanders.

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[sunkmail]

Hey Bob,

Any chance you, or any of the washington contingent, are going to head up for the meeting on Feb 17, hosted by the UCBC, to hear what's up and give your perspective?

(Here is a link to the announcement)

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

No chance for me ... I'm in Winthrop until the 17th ... and hoping I can make it across the mountain passes to come home.

Please post how the meeting goes. I haven't nearly the amount of time on that ship as a lot of you local guys ... but it's still enough to give me a sense of wanting to see this project through to completion ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[wedivebc]

... Barring that, I'd like to see it placed somewhere other than where there are already great attractions. Putting it in Nanaimo has advantages, but they already have three wrecks, a wall, and a bunch of other fine dive sites. Spread the wealth around a bit ... and that's exactly what these reefs represent is money into a local economy from people like me who pay to come up there, stay in a hotel, eat in restaurants, and hire a boat out to the location. Nanaimo already has a functional diver-based economy ... there's plenty of places that could benefit from having this wreck in their back yard ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

Yeah Nanaimo really is already the Trukk Lagoon of the north

 

[aaen]

Exactly, we definitely need another.


Regards

Steve