New Artificial Reef in Deerfield Beach

mneptune · 06-04-2009, 09:57 AM

From the lowly Slum Sentinel.....

Smuggler's freighter to become artificial reef near Deerfield Beach

By Linda Trischitta | South Florida Sun-Sentinel
5:35 PM EDT, June 3, 2009

DEERFIELD BEACH - A makeover of the notorious Miss Lourdies is almost complete. The 38-year-old, 167-foot long cargo ship will soon shed her past as a freighter and more recently, as a smugglers' container.

At noon Saturday, if seas are calm and winds soft, she will become an artificial reef when she's sunk a mile southeast of Boca Raton Inlet, near the Deerfield Beach and Boca Raton border.

In June 2008, while the ship was docked on the Miami River, U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents discovered a cache of 154 kilo-sized bricks of cocaine worth $12 million.

The government seized the ship last March and gave her to the city of Deerfield Beach.

If you go "The plan was to make something special," said Arilton Pavan. The owner of Dixie Divers for several years has sought a reef for advanced open water divers at this site. He is part of a team of scuba aficionados and federal, city and Broward and Palm Beach County officials who worked together on the project.

As a reef, Miss Lourdies is expected to lure Goliath Grouper, moray eels, silver schools of jacks, cobia, stingray and nurse sharks, as well as customers of more than a dozen area dive shops and charter dive and fishing boats.

One of Pavan's diving clients, Dan Fasano of Lighthouse Point, contributed $10,000 for cleaning and stripping the ship and other costs.

Fasano survived cancer and a bone marrow treatment but is hospitalized. The founder of www.AsSeenOnTV.com, his dream is to christen the dive site "Miracle of Life," and use it to raise funds for cancer charities and new artificial reefs.

A 14-foot tall, solid bronze, 3,500-pound torch-bearing angel welded to Miss Lourdies' deck will greet divers.

"I believe in angels because they represent positive energy and good things," said Pavan about the $5,000 statue that Fasano purchased at a steep discount from Bernard Molyneux, owner of Antiques & Country Pine in Deerfield Beach. Molyneux is also a cancer survivor.

"This angel will protect the reef and the divers," Pavan said.

Palm Beach County's Environmental Program had an existing artificial reef permit and with Broward County's Environmental Department, monitored Miss Lourdies' cleanup and steered the project's permit applications to state and federal authorities.

Miss Lourdies was stripped of 50,000 pounds of wood, wire, insulation, pipes and valves, engines and generators by Bruce Schurger and The Bunnell Foundation Marine Contractors.

Schurger's crew cut eight 20-inch by 20-inch holes into the hull and screwed steel patches over them before filling the ship with 230,000 pounds of concrete ballast.

Once anchored above the reef site, four of Schurger's men will have less than 15 minutes to unscrew and push the patches into the ocean before the ship takes on sea water and sinks 135 feet.

"They get extra pay for that," Schurger said of the work. "We rehearse it."

Anchors that weigh 2,000 pounds, each with a 500-foot chain, will help hold Miss Lourdies in place on the ocean floor.

All involved are counting the hours toward fulfillment of their public and private partnership.

"It surprises me how many people want to help," Pavan said. "The goodness of the people is amazing. The way the economy is, we're looking for something positive. And this is positive."

(Positive to be catching fish on it soon.......

)

quack quack · 06-04-2009, 10:32 AM

Cool what depth will she be in?

weekendbender · 06-04-2009, 11:07 AM

before the ship takes on sea water and sinks 135 feet.

mneptune · 06-04-2009, 11:45 AM

Yup, depth will be 135 feet. I would really like to see many more artificial reefs placed off of PB county.

quack quack · 06-04-2009, 12:12 PM

Funny I missed that 135ft thing. But that is a good depth I like to see. A lot of the stuff goes in 200ft or better. I like them in 150ft or less. But on the flip side the shallow ones get covered with divers. The deep ones are to far for most divers.

WhItEoUt 23 · 06-05-2009, 10:53 AM

Is the sinking of this ship this saturday does any body know.

mneptune · 06-05-2009, 11:33 AM

Yes, Saturday May 6th, pending weather conditions. Looks like it will happen as scheduled.

WhItEoUt 23 · 06-05-2009, 11:40 AM

Thank you for the reply.

Special_K_III · 06-05-2009, 01:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mneptune

Yes, Saturday May 6th, pending weather conditions. Looks like it will happen as scheduled.

Saturday, June 6

mneptune · 06-05-2009, 02:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Special_K_III

Saturday, June 6

Ooops, my bad!!! Thank's for catching that "K"...JUNE 6th

Cutler · 06-06-2009, 10:23 AM

damn it...i wish they would sink that thing in 220....keep all the weekend warriors divers off of it...so i can dive it

GT Fish · 06-06-2009, 10:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cutler

damn it...i wish they would sink that thing in 220....keep all the weekend warriors divers off of it...so i can dive it

What kind of gas you breath at those depths? i can't dive past 30ft..i got tinnitus(ringing in the ear for life) from hanging on to a manta ray

He dragged me down to quick and i had a sinus clog and it ruined my left ear basically..so if you dive make sure you can clear your ears and don't dive with a sinus infection...Took me 3 months to get used to the rining in my ear, drove me insane...

ameristrat · 06-06-2009, 12:07 PM

I'm sorry to hear that, buddy!

JahMussa · 06-06-2009, 04:02 PM

Just got back from the watching the ship sink and all went as planned. The wreck should be sitting in 140 at the bottom and about 70 to the top. So rec dirvers and the techies can drive it.

Dan Fasano who funded a large portion of this is my neighbor. Truly a super nice guy and has a big heart. The last two years he has fought cancer and was recovering nicely after 2 rounds of chemo and was finally back home in January after a bone marrow transplant. He had a new lease on life and was very happy to be a big part of this shipwreck named Miracle of Life.

It's sad to say that Dan has been in a hospital for over a week and has some funky fungus attacking his brain. He is hanging on but his body doen't have an immune system strong enough to support the meds. It will take a miracle to save Dan but his dream of having a new wreck in his backyard was completed. I know there was video of the sinking and I'm sure they are playing it now for him at the hospital. I hope he can realize that he made this a reality and can rest in peace if things take a turn for the worse.

Best wishes Dan!
-Tek

mneptune · 06-06-2009, 05:33 PM

Our thoughts and prayers go out for Dan!! I hope he pulls through this and has the chance to dive on the wreck he helped put into place.

Capt. JJ · 06-06-2009, 07:16 PM

You dive trimix at those depths. Helium, Nitrogen, Oxygen. Or plain ol' air if you're an animal and enjoy getting narced out of your mind...
I dove the Skycliffe several years ago after my cave diving certification. Crazy story if you all want to hear.

WhItEoUt 23 · 06-08-2009, 08:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mneptune

Our thoughts and prayers go out for Dan!! I hope he pulls through this and has the chance to dive on the wreck he helped put into place.

Cutler · 06-08-2009, 10:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GT Fish

What kind of gas you breath at those depths? i can't dive past 30ft..i got tinnitus(ringing in the ear for life) from hanging on to a manta ray

He dragged me down to quick and i had a sinus clog and it ruined my left ear basically..so if you dive make sure you can clear your ears and don't dive with a sinus infection...Took me 3 months to get used to the rining in my ear, drove me insane...

Coop and I dive nitrox to 145 and air everything deeper. If Coop got his sheit together, we have a sick video of diving the SkyCliff in 204. Covered up with 16 huge bulls all the way down. Then I shot like a 35+ AJ that got blown up by two big bulls while on the end of my shaft....it was sick

Oh and by the way, I had a serious ear problem from diving also. Had to have inner ear surgery..bi-lateral fistula repair. Couldnt walk for 3 weeks, hear/talk for almost a month, lost all my sense of taste and smell which I only have about 30% of it back now and 80% of my hearing. The lengths we will go do continue to do the things we love

WhItEoUt 23 · 06-08-2009, 10:31 AM

I wanna see that video Cutler.

Cutler · 06-08-2009, 11:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by WhItEoUt 23

I wanna see that video Cutler.

tell coop...its pretty nuts

quack quack · 06-08-2009, 11:05 AM

God bless Dan!! Thank you for this new wreck!!!

Tunaking · 06-08-2009, 11:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cutler

Coop and I dive nitrox to 145 and air everything deeper.

Air to 145 and Nitrox everything deeper

?

06-04-2009, 09:57 AM	#1 (permalink)
mneptune Grander Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Palm Beach Boat: Grady White 25' CC Posts: 1,898	New Artificial Reef in Deerfield Beach From the lowly Slum Sentinel..... Smuggler's freighter to become artificial reef near Deerfield Beach By Linda Trischitta \| South Florida Sun-Sentinel 5:35 PM EDT, June 3, 2009 DEERFIELD BEACH - A makeover of the notorious Miss Lourdies is almost complete. The 38-year-old, 167-foot long cargo ship will soon shed her past as a freighter and more recently, as a smugglers' container. At noon Saturday, if seas are calm and winds soft, she will become an artificial reef when she's sunk a mile southeast of Boca Raton Inlet, near the Deerfield Beach and Boca Raton border. In June 2008, while the ship was docked on the Miami River, U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents discovered a cache of 154 kilo-sized bricks of cocaine worth $12 million. The government seized the ship last March and gave her to the city of Deerfield Beach. If you go "The plan was to make something special," said Arilton Pavan. The owner of Dixie Divers for several years has sought a reef for advanced open water divers at this site. He is part of a team of scuba aficionados and federal, city and Broward and Palm Beach County officials who worked together on the project. As a reef, Miss Lourdies is expected to lure Goliath Grouper, moray eels, silver schools of jacks, cobia, stingray and nurse sharks, as well as customers of more than a dozen area dive shops and charter dive and fishing boats. One of Pavan's diving clients, Dan Fasano of Lighthouse Point, contributed $10,000 for cleaning and stripping the ship and other costs. Fasano survived cancer and a bone marrow treatment but is hospitalized. The founder of www.AsSeenOnTV.com, his dream is to christen the dive site "Miracle of Life," and use it to raise funds for cancer charities and new artificial reefs. A 14-foot tall, solid bronze, 3,500-pound torch-bearing angel welded to Miss Lourdies' deck will greet divers. "I believe in angels because they represent positive energy and good things," said Pavan about the $5,000 statue that Fasano purchased at a steep discount from Bernard Molyneux, owner of Antiques & Country Pine in Deerfield Beach. Molyneux is also a cancer survivor. "This angel will protect the reef and the divers," Pavan said. Palm Beach County's Environmental Program had an existing artificial reef permit and with Broward County's Environmental Department, monitored Miss Lourdies' cleanup and steered the project's permit applications to state and federal authorities. Miss Lourdies was stripped of 50,000 pounds of wood, wire, insulation, pipes and valves, engines and generators by Bruce Schurger and The Bunnell Foundation Marine Contractors. Schurger's crew cut eight 20-inch by 20-inch holes into the hull and screwed steel patches over them before filling the ship with 230,000 pounds of concrete ballast. Once anchored above the reef site, four of Schurger's men will have less than 15 minutes to unscrew and push the patches into the ocean before the ship takes on sea water and sinks 135 feet. "They get extra pay for that," Schurger said of the work. "We rehearse it." Anchors that weigh 2,000 pounds, each with a 500-foot chain, will help hold Miss Lourdies in place on the ocean floor. All involved are counting the hours toward fulfillment of their public and private partnership. "It surprises me how many people want to help," Pavan said. "The goodness of the people is amazing. The way the economy is, we're looking for something positive. And this is positive." (Positive to be catching fish on it soon....... ) __________________

06-04-2009, 10:32 AM	#2 (permalink)
quack quack Old Salt Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: lake worth Best Catch: 25lb codfish 5 yrs old first hanger Posts: 6,333	Cool what depth will she be in? __________________ Amagansett means “place of good water” in one American Indian tongue, and for generations of Lesters who have lived here, it’s been true in the most literal way.

06-04-2009, 11:07 AM	#3 (permalink)
weekendbender Hooked Up Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Ft. Lauderdale Boat: Contender 25' Twin 200 Yamis Best Catch: 67 1/2 LJFL 133 Lbs. Occupation: 401k Sales Posts: 194	before the ship takes on sea water and sinks 135 feet. __________________ A man's got to believe in something, I believe I'll go fishing.

06-04-2009, 11:45 AM	#4 (permalink)
mneptune Grander Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Palm Beach Boat: Grady White 25' CC Posts: 1,898	Yup, depth will be 135 feet. I would really like to see many more artificial reefs placed off of PB county. __________________

06-04-2009, 12:12 PM	#5 (permalink)
quack quack Old Salt Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: lake worth Best Catch: 25lb codfish 5 yrs old first hanger Posts: 6,333	Funny I missed that 135ft thing. But that is a good depth I like to see. A lot of the stuff goes in 200ft or better. I like them in 150ft or less. But on the flip side the shallow ones get covered with divers. The deep ones are to far for most divers. __________________ Amagansett means “place of good water” in one American Indian tongue, and for generations of Lesters who have lived here, it’s been true in the most literal way.

06-05-2009, 10:53 AM	#6 (permalink)
WhItEoUt 23 Grander Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: pompano bch Boat: dusky 23 Best Catch: 160 lb swordfish 52 ib rooster fish Occupation: self employed Posts: 2,500	Is the sinking of this ship this saturday does any body know. __________________ TIGHT LINES AND SHARP HOOK'S

06-05-2009, 11:33 AM	#7 (permalink)
mneptune Grander Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Palm Beach Boat: Grady White 25' CC Posts: 1,898	Yes, Saturday May 6th, pending weather conditions. Looks like it will happen as scheduled. __________________

06-05-2009, 11:40 AM	#8 (permalink)
WhItEoUt 23 Grander Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: pompano bch Boat: dusky 23 Best Catch: 160 lb swordfish 52 ib rooster fish Occupation: self employed Posts: 2,500	Thank you for the reply. __________________ TIGHT LINES AND SHARP HOOK'S

06-06-2009, 10:23 AM	#11 (permalink)
Cutler Hooked Up Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Boca Raton Boat: 33 Invincible..coming soon Best Catch: a seagull...3lbs Occupation: Jeweler Posts: 711	damn it...i wish they would sink that thing in 220....keep all the weekend warriors divers off of it...so i can dive it __________________ www.altierjewelers.com

06-06-2009, 12:07 PM	#13 (permalink)
ameristrat Grander Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Delray Beach Boat: Grady White Sailfish 28 Best Catch: Blue Marlin, White Marlin, Sailfish, Swordfish Occupation: A Student at Wake Forest University Posts: 1,047	I'm sorry to hear that, buddy! __________________ "Laughter is my soul's release, but we're not smiling anymore. And can't we try to win this peace? Cause' we're never gonna win this war."

06-06-2009, 04:02 PM	#14 (permalink)
JahMussa Hooked Up Join Date: May 2004 Location: Lighthouse Point, FLA Boat: Contender 31 Best Catch: 96" x 64" Occupation: Tackle Ho! Posts: 718	Just got back from the watching the ship sink and all went as planned. The wreck should be sitting in 140 at the bottom and about 70 to the top. So rec dirvers and the techies can drive it. Dan Fasano who funded a large portion of this is my neighbor. Truly a super nice guy and has a big heart. The last two years he has fought cancer and was recovering nicely after 2 rounds of chemo and was finally back home in January after a bone marrow transplant. He had a new lease on life and was very happy to be a big part of this shipwreck named Miracle of Life. It's sad to say that Dan has been in a hospital for over a week and has some funky fungus attacking his brain. He is hanging on but his body doen't have an immune system strong enough to support the meds. It will take a miracle to save Dan but his dream of having a new wreck in his backyard was completed. I know there was video of the sinking and I'm sure they are playing it now for him at the hospital. I hope he can realize that he made this a reality and can rest in peace if things take a turn for the worse. Best wishes Dan! -Tek __________________ www.ILoveSwordfishing.com

06-06-2009, 05:33 PM	#15 (permalink)
mneptune Grander Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Palm Beach Boat: Grady White 25' CC Posts: 1,898	Our thoughts and prayers go out for Dan!! I hope he pulls through this and has the chance to dive on the wreck he helped put into place. __________________

06-06-2009, 07:16 PM	#16 (permalink)
Capt. JJ Hooked Up Join Date: May 2008 Location: Boca Raton/Boynton Beach Boat: Venture 34 "Tuna Time" Best Catch: 403# Sword, 400# Mako Occupation: Boat Driver Posts: 714	You dive trimix at those depths. Helium, Nitrogen, Oxygen. Or plain ol' air if you're an animal and enjoy getting narced out of your mind... I dove the Skycliffe several years ago after my cave diving certification. Crazy story if you all want to hear. __________________ It's a big ocean, find your own fish Tuna Time Charters, Boynton Beach, FL www.TunaTimeFishing.com

06-08-2009, 10:31 AM	#19 (permalink)
WhItEoUt 23 Grander Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: pompano bch Boat: dusky 23 Best Catch: 160 lb swordfish 52 ib rooster fish Occupation: self employed Posts: 2,500	I wanna see that video Cutler. __________________ TIGHT LINES AND SHARP HOOK'S

06-08-2009, 11:05 AM	#21 (permalink)
quack quack Old Salt Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: lake worth Best Catch: 25lb codfish 5 yrs old first hanger Posts: 6,333	God bless Dan!! Thank you for this new wreck!!! __________________ Amagansett means “place of good water” in one American Indian tongue, and for generations of Lesters who have lived here, it’s been true in the most literal way.

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