USS Kittiwake-Grand Cayman

[Deac in the Wake]

From CITA:


Kittiwake Sinking Postponed...
DateFriday, July 9, 2010 at 12:54PM

Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands, July 9, 2010. The Cayman Islands Tourism Association (CITA) regrets to inform the public of an urgent situation that has arisen which will cause the Kittiwake sinking events scheduled to take place between July 24th - 27th, 2010, to be postponed.

The CITA has done everything in their power to execute the necessary preparations to have the ship towed, but unfortunately, due to circumstances out of their control, the ship is unable to be towed from the US to Grand Cayman by the necessary date. This delay means that the Official Sinking dates will be moved further out. Based on all of the factors involved, the sinking will take place post hurricane season. The exact dates will be announced as soon as possible.

The CITA is taking comprehensive measures to mitigate the effects of this inconvenience on media, visiting journalists, guests and ex-crew members who all planned to attend and witness the sinking of the ex-USS Kittiwake in the Cayman Islands.

When notifying ex-crew member John McGrath, who had been awarded a trip as a prize for the best story in a contest, he responded with the following comment in a lighthearted manner; “This isn’t the first time that the old girl has been late for an assignment! If the US Navy, with all the power and money backing them, has delays, then I can certainly see why the Cayman Islands would have delays!”

The CITA apologizes for any inconvenience that this may cause to all parties involved. As soon as more information is made available, it will be shared. Any further inquires can be made to the CITA by contacting at 345-949-8522 or info@cita.ky.

 

[NvScubaSteve]

My understaning of the delay is due to problems securing persmission from the U.S. government to tow the Kittiwake, as a vessel that cannot navigate and has no propulsion, through U.S. waters during hurricane season. Really unfortunate that she won't be sunk before my next Cayman, however; I guess I now have a reason to start planning a return visit is sooner rather than later.

 

[Deac in the Wake]

Looks like multiple issues, not the least of which seems to be possible PCBs in gasket seals. The wait for this sinking is killing me. I kick myself for not making it to the 356/Tibbetts sinking on Brac. I intend not to repeat the same mistake.


cayCompass.com :: Contaminant could be Kittiwake problem

The sinking of the USS Kittiwake, originally set for 27 July, has been delayed due to the possibility of contamination by banned organic chemicals in 11 gaskets.

“Although it’s a project where we’ve had tremendous checks and balances along the way in making sure that we removed any hazardous materials and we go through all the necessary procedures, we had a third party inspection that needed to take place,” said Trina Christian of the Cayman Islands Tourism Association.

“We passed all those inspection [criteria] except for one. They said they wanted us to remove eleven gaskets on the hull.”

Ms Christian said removing the gaskets was necessary because of the possibility that dangerous chemicals called polychlorinated biphyenyls, or PCBs, may have been used in the gasket seals. The United States Congress banned PCB production in 1979, and the toxic organic pollutant was banned by the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants in 2001. It was not clear whether PCBs had been used, but the possibility precluded the ship’s movement on its original schedule.

“The United States is not legally allowed to export PCBs. If we didn’t remove them but just had the gaskets tested [for their presence], that would have taken two weeks as well,” explained the executive director of the tourism association.

“The ship was supposed to leave Friday, 9 July, but we either had to send a dive team in to remove the gaskets or dry dock the boat and there was no dry dock available though we searched high and low,” she said.

She added that all possibilities and permutations had been explored and discussed once the association had been notified of the potential issue.

Logistics problems

Since the tow of the Kittiwake to Cayman takes two weeks, the delay caused by either testing gaskets for the presence of PCBs or removing them meant that the timeline was affected, as the logistics of bringing the vessel to the islands during August became problematic.

The ship’s journey would have come in the middle of a potentially very active month in the hurricane season, not only in Cayman waters but also on the way down, and therefore the decision was made on Thursday to postpone the towing and sinking until after hurricane season.

In light of significant media interest in the sinking and its associated events that had been generated, Ms Christian said, the tourism association requested airlines and hotels be flexible with change fees associated with the revised sinking schedule.

The revised schedule will be announced once the project manager, Nancy Easterbrook, has had the opportunity to discuss the contractors’ availability for autumn 2010.

 

[dolphinlover98]

The latest off the web site, dated July 9, 2010, states the Kittywake sinking has been delayed.

Here is the web site for the latest news. Check under the Blog section for the announcement of the delay. It appears that they are now going to wait until after hurricaine season.

Search google for the website kittywakecayman for info and look under the Blog section. Sorry too little posts to put in the URL.

 

[ottowagner]

The maps will be available at CITA

 

[-hh]

Haven't been following this one too much, but I did take a look at the proposed siting map. Long story short, the winter NorWesters are going to do a number on that ship once she finally gets put down...


-hh

 

[Marek K]

Well, I don't know... Oro Verde was intact for several decades, until (I think) Ivan hit in 2004...though Kittwake will be a bit farther north along Seven Mile Beach.

We dived Oro Verde in the late 1980s, and then last week...

 

[ottowagner]

Hi everybody...the maps will be available at CTA and arttomedia.com
The Oro verde is in work, and it will be available in October. The Kittiwake maps will be available in a mater of days at arttomedia.com

 

[Sunset_House]

Rumor has it that the ship plans to be sunk the first week of December.. Stay Tuned!

 

[jcarini]

Hi,
I just regestered and found your thread about your dad. I work for him from 1962 to 1963. I was a second class diver and operated air stowage and the dive manifold on the Kittiwake.
Your dad was a good officer and an all around nice guy. I don't suba dive but the plaque is well deserved. Also, thanks for the great pictures of the Kittiwake. That chamber brought back a lot of memories.