Freeport Liberty Shipwreck

[galodoido]

Has anyone dove the Liberty Shipwreck 30 miles off of Freeport? Just trying to get a sense of how decent it is to dive. Mostly interested in the visibility, depth profile, and the existence of currents.

Some friends went snapper fishing there last year and said that every time the water was very blue and they could clearly see the ship from surface.

 

[Cap335]

There are 2 liberty ships in the same block as the VA Fogg one is perpendicular about 20 ft back the other is probabl 1/2 mile back and surrounded by 5 oil platform jackets (Star Reef). The bottom is about 100' ship relief is around 20 ft. I have been there with no current and with heavy current. Visibility also varies, I have been there when I could see the wrecks from the surface and when my buddy ran into it with out seeing it average is probably around 60 ft. During the winter the temps drop down to the mid 50's summer temps run in the 80's.

 

[ReefHound]

I've been on both including Star Reef a couple dozen times. September is the best time, usually. There is often a murk layer that rises 10-30' from the bottom, sometimes obscuring the wrecks. Most often, viz is around 10-15' on the Fogg, which is pretty much a collapsed pile of steel now. Max depth I've seen is 108' and top point was 95' last i was there. The Liberty ships retain their structure and have more relief, rising up to 80' so sometimes better viz on the deck. Star Reef jackets are on their side so the legs are angled with the outer legs (which would be the base if erect) the highest at 70' and the other ends around 90'. Sometimes when the murk covers the Fogg or the Liberty we have moved to Star and dived the tops. Above the murk I'd agree with the typical 60' viz. We have aborted a few times because of current but usually have found it light. There are no mooring balls so you have to anchor or dive bomb to tie in. I prefer the latter to be sure we are secure.

 

[Wookie]

He is talking about the George Vancouver. I'd be shocked if he meant the Fogg complex, but I've dived that a lot too. I have multibeam images of all of it if you'd like.

I've dived it many times, never in more than hand visibility, or less than a couple of knots of current. I used to maintain the TPWD buoy on it. If you get a day where you can see the wreck from the surface, go for it. I most often cleaned that buoy in braille conditions.

It's loaded with red snapper, big sows, year round, and it's in state waters, although with a 60 day snapper season, there should be ample opportunities to bring some home this year. Which reminds me, the wreck is loaded with fishing gear. Diver beware. I would call this an advanced dive.

The wreck is filled with and buried in the muck, but that shouldn't stop you from seeing the top 5 or 6 feet.

 

[nolatom]

I don't know the site, but to be excruciatingly correct, the FOGG is (was?) a T-2 tanker. Also a WW2 ship, but much nicer and faster ride than a Liberty ship. Many of them sailed another 30 or even 40 years in the US coastwise oil trade, usually after being lengthend with a new midsection.
The steam turbine-electric motor powerplant was valued for its ruggedness, which may be a reason they lasted so long, plus being US-built, so they could trade coastal whereas the foreign-flag ships couldn't. The downside was that some may have been pushed hard and kept alive "too long". Like the FOGG, which blew up while tank-cleaning benzene. And the MARINE ELECTRIC, lengthened/ converted to dry cargo, which foundered and sank off the Virginia Capes with a load of coal in a winter storm, taking all but 3 crew with her.

 

[Wookie]

I don't know the site, but to be excruciatingly correct, the FOGG is (was?) a T-2 tanker. Also a WW2 ship, but much nicer and faster ride than a Liberty ship. Many of them sailed another 30 or even 40 years in the US coastwise oil trade, usually after being lengthend with a new midsection.
The steam turbine-electric motor powerplant was valued for its ruggedness, which may be a reason they lasted so long, plus being US-built, so they could trade coastal whereas the foreign-flag ships couldn't. The downside was that some may have been pushed hard and kept alive "too long". Like the FOGG, which blew up while tank-cleaning benzene. And the MARINE ELECTRIC, lengthened/ converted to dry cargo, which foundered and sank off the Virginia Capes with a load of coal in a winter storm, taking all but 3 crew with her.

There are 2 liberty ships at the fogg site. There should have been 3, but the Vancouver was acting ornery that day, broke her moorings and proceeded into state waters and sank there. The liberty ships at the Fogg site are the Allen and the Shaw.

 

[Addicted2H2O]

I guess the next question is: Is there a charter that goes out there? I'm assuming the Fling doesn't since it's not listed on their website and it's really not all that far offshore.

 

[ReefHound]

He is talking about the George Vancouver. I'd be shocked if he meant the Fogg complex, but I've dived that a lot too. I have multibeam images of all of it if you'd like.

I've dived it many times, never in more than hand visibility, or less than a couple of knots of current. I used to maintain the TPWD buoy on it. If you get a day where you can see the wreck from the surface, go for it. I most often cleaned that buoy in braille conditions.

It's loaded with red snapper, big sows, year round, and it's in state waters, although with a 60 day snapper season, there should be ample opportunities to bring some home this year. Which reminds me, the wreck is loaded with fishing gear. Diver beware. I would call this an advanced dive.

The wreck is filled with and buried in the muck, but that shouldn't stop you from seeing the top 5 or 6 feet.

He said 30 miles off Freeport, isn't the Fogg/Liberty complex is about 34? The Vancouver is around 6 miles. I've been on it a few times too, once with a very nice 10-15'.

 

[ReefHound]

I guess the next question is: Is there a charter that goes out there? I'm assuming the Fling doesn't since it's not listed on their website and it's really not all that far offshore.

The Vancouver or the Fogg? Nobody runs scheduled service. There are a few small boats that might run if weather is right and enough divers to go. Can't imagine it being worth going to Vancouver for two or three dives. I used to DM for Capt Beard often but now that most of the platforms have been ripped out, we seldom go out. We never planned a Vancouver dive but if we went out for 3 tanks at Fogg area and for whatever reason only stayed out there for two, we sometimes would stop at Vancouver for a what-the-hell might as well breathe the air dive.

 

[galodoido]

He is talking about the George Vancouver. I'd be shocked if he meant the Fogg complex, but I've dived that a lot too. I have multibeam images of all of it if you'd like.

I've dived it many times, never in more than hand visibility, or less than a couple of knots of current. I used to maintain the TPWD buoy on it. If you get a day where you can see the wreck from the surface, go for it. I most often cleaned that buoy in braille conditions.

It's loaded with red snapper, big sows, year round, and it's in state waters, although with a 60 day snapper season, there should be ample opportunities to bring some home this year. Which reminds me, the wreck is loaded with fishing gear. Diver beware. I would call this an advanced dive.

The wreck is filled with and buried in the muck, but that shouldn't stop you from seeing the top 5 or 6 feet.

Would you email me this multibeam data? Would like to look at it in more detail. Here's my email:

ahcalde@gmail.com