Former navy ship sunk in Delaware, USA

The U.S. state Delaware and its Department of natural resources and environmental control DNREC sank the former Army and Navy ship Shearwater on December 11.

The ship was sunk onto the Del-Jersey-Land Reef as the latest fish-attracting habitat and underwater enhancement to Delaware’s acclaimed artificial reef system.

Shearwater, commissioned in 1944 as a coastal freighter for the Army and later converted to a Navy survey support ship, went down in 120 feet of water about one-half nautical mile from the centerpiece of the Del-Jersey-Land Reef, the 568-foot ex-destroyer USS Arthur W. Radford.

Shearwater, one-third Radford’s length but with a height from keel of 38 feet, ended its working life in 2012 as a menhaden boat out of Reedville, Virginia, where it was last converted in the early 1970s to stay afloat.

Before it was reefed, the 71-year-old Shearwater had undergone extensive environmental cleanup and preparation for sinking, said Jeff Tinsman, Delaware Reef Program coordinator, including removal of interior paneling and insulation from the ship’s superstructure, emptying all fuel tanks, sanitation equipment and lines, and hydraulic fluids.

Shearwater was also prepared by marine contractors to give it a better chance of landing upright on the bottom of the ocean, enhancing its attraction for fish.

Reef Program Coordinator Tinsman said: “These old freighters make ideal reefs because of the voids and cavities in them – they’re really the perfect sanctuary for fish. Within a few weeks, blue mussels, sponges, barnacles and soft corals will attach themselves to the structure, and in about a year, the reef will be fully productive, for fish and fishermen alike.”

DNREC Secretary, David Small, said: “The artificial reef system has supported Delaware’s recreational fishing industry since its inception – and has grown into a flourishing program through DNREC’s dedicated efforts and strong partnerships with the private sector and federal agencies.”

Delaware’s artificial reef system includes more than 1,300 former New York City subway cars, tugboats, smaller commercial fishing boats, decommissioned military vehicles, and the ex-USS Arthur W. Radford, sunk four years ago and the longest ship reefed on the East Coast to date.

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