Collier renews bid to obtain a Navy ship to sink off Marco for reef:

Fast facts:

The project's local booster, Naples diver and fisherman Mike Taworksi, is moving forward with plans to submerge another ship in the same location. He is looking at two that are docked at a naval yard in Philadephia — the USS Hawes and USS Doyle.

The USS George Philip. Submitted photo

MARCO ISLAND — After plans to bring the USS George Philip to Collier County sank, project leaders propelled ahead with other options.

Last year, Collier County commissioners formally asked the U.S. Navy to put the decommissioned ship on "donation hold" instead of scrapping it. The county planned to use the 455-foot frigate as an artificial reef about 30 miles west of Marco Island.

The Sheriff's Office and local fire departments found a precise spot, 6 miles north of the so-called "R" Tower, for the potential reef. The county even submitted an application to get a federal permit to sink the ship there.

But the Navy decided to scrap the frigate anyway.

"We weren't able to override that, to our dismay," the county's legislative affairs coordinator Debbie Wight told the Daily News last year.

Nevertheless, the project's local booster, Naples diver and fisherman Mike Taworksi, is moving forward with plans to submerge another ship in the same location. He is looking at two that are docked at a naval yard in Philadephia — the USS Hawes and USS Doyle.

"They are two of the USS George Philip's sister ships," Taworksi said. "They're both sitting there on mothballs. It seems likely one of those will be available next year."

Once a ship opens up, if Collier County secures it, Taworski intends to tow it to Tampa for cleaning and stripping before deployment. The whole process is estimated to cost about $120,000. The USS George Philip would have cost about $2 million to tow from Washington.

Taworski is working with county environmental specialist Pamela Keyes to acquire federal and state permits. Since the initial submittal last year, Keyes and Taworski have been working to resolve questions raised by the Navy in the application.

"It's basically little things we were able to work through," Taworski said. "We addressed and responded to all their concerns."

The updated submittal should be in the Navy's hands any day now.

"Part of the artificial reef program is to try to get spots permitted," Keyes said. "So, when materials do become available we have a place to put them."

Keyes added that county staff is open to deploying other objects in the area, such as miscellaneous concrete, an old barge or a ship.

"It doesn't necessarily have to be a ship," Keyes said. "It can also be some other material approved by the state."

Keyes said the permitting process could take more than nine months. Once an area is approved, it is open for five to 10 years.

Taworski hopes to get an answer by early 2012 and have the ship submerged in about 18 months. In the meantime, he is working on coming up with money for the project.

"We have a good amount of support and people wanting to give money," Taworski said. "I think because it will bring back eight times a year of what it will cost to reap."

A sunken ship in Collier County would benefit the local economy and the environment, Taworski said.

"It will bring people to dive who will visit restaurants, hotels and dive shops," Taworski said. "It's a real money-maker plus it's a nursery for fish, bringing in more marine life."

Source: Naples News. By JOANNA CHAU. 8 December 2011

http://www.naplesnews.com/news/2011/dec/08/US-navy-collier-county-ship-sink-reef-marco-gulf/

Global Diving & Salvage on a mission coast to coast, and beyond:

Left, Sonar imagery of the sunken wreck, the oil rig S.S. Montebello, torpedoed 2 weeks after Pearl harbor by a Japanese sub off the California coast.

Right, Global Diving & Salvage lowers its unmanned ROV, a "robotic sub", into the sea to collect data on the wreck it then transmits to an office on the ship.

Unlike some homeowners, when West Seattle-based Global Diving & Salvage is underwater, that means business is good. With 300 employees the company casts a wide net with locations in Richmond and Rio Vista, Ca., Houston, Tx., Anchorage, Ak., and 3840 West Marginal Way, in West Seattle, in addition to project sites spanning from New York State to the Gulf of Mexico to Honolulu.

"We're fortunate to be insulated from the (struggling) economy in that we do a lot of infrastructure work," explained Global Diving Marketing Manager Frank Immel. "You can put off maintenance, but only for so long."

Employees belong to the Carpenters Union. Their West Seattle facilities include their core office, warehouse, fabrication facility, storage yard, and environmental division.

Global sent a team to the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf with response gear. They were also part of the ASARCO Smelter remediation project in Tacoma last year,and dug contaminated dirt out of yards, put in clean dirt, and are doing a similar project now in Saipan.

Immel completed the Highline Community College two-year diving program they offered in the early 1980's, but does not dive for the company.

"Our guys can do pretty much anything under water that can be done on the surface," he said with pride. "I like to think our guys wear a different hard hat and different coveralls to work. But they are still construction workers. We pour concrete, install rebar, build forms, do demolition. We put people in very inhospitable environments every day. We're not 'supposed to be there'. But we can go there because of technology, and because we know what to do. We are experts at deep water diving, and saturation diving is our niche."

"Underwater, you can't always see," he emphasized. "The water can be turbid. In the Cook Inlet you can't see your hand in front of your face because of all the silt, sand, fine particles. It's black water. A dam we are building on the Ohio River in Illinois, you can't see anything beyond a foot and a half. Underwater lights just bounce off particles."

Owned by lifelong West Seattle residents Tim Beaver and John Graham, Global Diving garnered national attention in October by making waves six and a half miles off the coast of Cambria, California, about half way between San Francisco and Los Angeles, and 900 feet below the surface of the Pacific to explore the S.S. Montebello. The large oil tanker sank after it was hit by a Japanese submarine torpedo December 23, 1941, 16 days after the attack on Pearl Harbor. The vessel broke apart landing upright with her bow separated from the majority of the wreckage. Those on board abandoned ship and nobody died.

Global Diving's mission, under the eye of the United States Coast Guard, was to safely penetrate the skin of the vessel to find oil, if any remained, to prevent a leak into the ocean. To date, no signs of leakage were detected. 

The complex, high-tech $2.3 million operation utilized Global’s Cougar XT ROV- Remotely Operated Underwater Vehicle, an unmanned submarine with robotic arms, performed 3D modeling of the wreck, and utilized a neutron backscatter tool, a non-invasive sensing device, something like an x-ray, which helped determine the presence of oil without puncturing the vessel. 

No oil was found and so the vessel imposes no pollution threat to the California Coast.

While the company has its own fleet, the specially-equipped ship on the surface is termed a "vessel of opportunity" as Global Diving subcontracted it for the operation.

Global Diving's Eric Crumpton was on the ship used to stage the ROV and project. He helped control the ROV and collect data from his office, a modified shipping container, equipped with multiple computer screens and a control box with a joystick and switches, staged on the ship.

"The ROV can go down to 3,000 feet, has four cameras, six thrusters, and two-five-function manipulator (robotic) arms to hold tools," said Crumpton. " It has underwater LED lighting, color and black & white zoom cameras, and additional tool packages that bolt to the bottom of the ROV. We receive the data it collects from our office. There's a lot hanging on the other end of the umbilical."

He refers to the expensive technology used in the office above the surface. While the ROV explores the wreck, the ship above stays on position via GPS and remains above.

"It was exciting," said Crumpton. " We're a part of history. exploring one of the first ships torpedoed by Japanese sub off the West Coast."

Source: West Seattle Herald. By Steve Shay. 5 November 2011

http://www.westseattleherald.com/2011/11/05/features/global-diving-salvage-mission-coast-coast-and

Diving the world’s greatest shipwreck sites in Florida:

This story was first published on VISIT FLORIDA.

The Sunshine State offers some of the most unique and interesting shipwreck dives in the world.

6 miles off Key Largo on a warm spring morning, the skipper gives the order: “Divers down.”

As we step off the deck of the charter boat and slip below the surface, the hulk of a warship suddenly comes into view.

The shadowy figures of barracuda and tarpon slide across the deck as we drop through shafts of sunlight.

This ship – a 510-foot U.S. Navy Landing Ship Dock – has been at rest in 130 feet of water for nearly a decade.

The Spiegel Grove, named for the Ohio estate of President Rutherford B. Hayes, was commissioned in 1956 and served for more than 30 years before joining the nation’s Mothball Fleet.

In its heyday, the “Spiegel Beagle” ferried troops and landing craft throughout the world during the Cold War with the Soviet Union. The ship evacuated U.S. nationals from Beirut and assisted with the splashdown of Apollo 14.

But before the Spiegel Grove could become one of the most popular wreck dives in the U.S., workers had to make sure that its presence would not have an adverse impact on the fragile coral reefs of the Florida Keys.

So an industrial demolition and recycling company removed 400,000 linear feet of cable and flushed 110 fuel tanks in order to get the necessary environmental permits for sinking. They also welded doors and hatches shut, then scored another 83 holes to give diverse access throughout the super structure.

After nearly a decade of work, the ship arrived in Key Largo in the spring of 2002. But as the demolition crew prepared to sink the Spiegel, the ship flooded prematurely, flipped and when straight to the bottom.

Salvage crews righted the ship and laid it on its side, but the decks were much deeper than planned. The ship also ended up perpendicular to the current, making it more difficult for divers. But where man failed, Mother Nature prevailed. A summer storm came through and pushed the ship into an upright position.

The Gen. Hoyt S. Vandenberg has been on the bottom since 2009.

(Photo Credit: www.fla-keys.com)

Today, the upper decks can be reached at a depth of about 50 feet. The superstructure is teeming with tropical fish, another reason why this wreck is so popular with underwater photographers.

And while you are in the neighborhood, check out the former Coast Guard cutters Bibb and Duane, widely considered two of the best wreck dives in Florida. So, under ideal conditions, a diver can visit all three wrecks in two days.

The Vandenberg

About 90 miles away, off the nation’s southernmost city of Key West, the Gen. Hoyt S. Vandenberg is sunk in 140 feet of water. The 524-foot former Navy vessel, one of the state’s most popular artificial reefs, began its career in 1943 as a troop transport ship, the Gen. Harry S. Taylor.

After tours in World War II, the Hungarian Revolution and the Cold War, the Taylor was transformed into a missile-tracking ship and re-christened the Vandenberg, named after the former Air Force general.

The Vandy has been on the bottom since 2009, but a variety of local sea lives already have made a home here. Arrow crabs, many bigger than a human hand, crowd the ship’s surface and stairwells. Sleek barracuda and giant goliath grouper can be found from bow to stern.

Local divers have documented 113 different species of fish on the old troop transport ship that once tracked the U.S. space program’s launches off Cape Canaveral and eavesdropped on Russian missile launches during the Cold War.

The Oriskany

A one-hour boat ride off Pensacola, divers can explore the world’s largest artificial reef, an 888-foot aircraft carrier, the USS Oriskany. This Ticonderoga-class carrier, resting on the sea floor of the Gulf of Mexico about 20 miles south of Escambia County, served in both the Korean and Vietnam wars. Named after a bloody American Revolutionary War battle that pitted patriots against Tories and their Native American allies in the summer of 1777, the Oriskany has earned a  worldwide reputation as the most spectacular wreck dive available to recreational scuba divers.

Source: Palm Beach Post (Sourced from FloridaGoGo). By Terry Tomalin. 13 October 2011

http://blogs.palmbeachpost.com/travelsmart/2011/10/13/diving-the-worlds-greatest-shipwreck-sites-in-florida/

Port wants scuttled ship for dive site:

A Royal Australian Navy Sea King helicopter lands on the aft flight deck of the Royal Australian Navy amphibious ship HMAS Kanimbla (L 51) during the at-sea phase of Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) 2010 exercises

A scuttled warship off Port Stephens could help turn NSW into a world-class diving destination, the area's tourism body says.

Port Stephens Tourism has applied this week to the Department of Defence with plans to sink a decommissioned ship in the port between 2012 and 2020.

The sunken ship would be used to create an artificial reef and dive site in the same way as the HMAS Adelaide, which was scuttled off Avoca Beach in April.

HMAS Kanimbla

It is understood the most likely site for the proposed Port Stephens wreck would be north of Cabbage Tree Island in the Port Stephens Marine Park, an appealing spot because of its depth and shelter from open ocean.

Port Stephens Tourism marketing manager Tars Bylhouwer said the marine park's conservation requirements had helped with formulating the application to Defence.

"Basically we used [marine park] requirements as guidelines with what to include in our application," Mr Bylhouwer said.

While the Port Stephens region would be too late to snag the next decommissioned warship, the HMAS Manoora, an ideal target could be HMAS Kanimbla.

HMAS Kanimbla at Darwin in July 2006

Mr Bylhouwer said HMAS Kanimbla was more suitable for the Port Stephens timeframe as it was due for demolition between next year and 2016.

The proposed dive site could become part of a series of scuttled ships along the NSW coastline, Mr Bylhouwer said.

"If we can get a few ships up the coast, suddenly NSW becomes a diving destination," he said.

Source: The Herald. By Matt Carr. 13 October 2011

http://www.theherald.com.au/news/local/news/general/port-wants-scuttled-ship-for-dive-site/2322142.aspx

HMAS Kanimbla:

Career (USA)
Name:	USS Saginaw (LST-1188)
Namesake:	City of Saginaw, Michigan
Builder:	National Steel and Shipbuilding Company
Laid down:	24 May 1969
Launched:	7 February 1970
Sponsored by:	Wife of R. James Harvey
Commissioned:	23 January 1971
Decommissioned:	28 June 1994
Homeport:	Little Creek, Virginia
Fate:	Transferred to the Royal Australian Navy in 1994
Career (Australia)
Name:	HMAS Kanimbla
Namesake:	Kanimbla Valley
Commissioned:	29 August 1994
Homeport:	Fleet Base East
Motto:	"Cry Havoc"
Honours and awards:	Battle honours: Persian Gulf 2001–03 Iraq 2003 plus five inherited honours Awards: Meritorious Unit Citation
Status:	Active as of 2011

Source: Wikipedia

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HMAS_Kanimbla_(L_51)

Decommissioning of HMAS Kanimbla:

The Minister for Defence, Stephen Smith, and Minister for Defence Materiel, Jason Clare, today announced that the amphibious ship HMAS Kanimbla would be decommissioned.

In September 2010 the Chief of Navy imposed an operational pause on HMAS Ships Kanimbla due to seaworthiness concerns.

Since then, Defence has assessed the future of HMAS Kanimbla.

This included a detailed assessment of the capability provided by HMAS Kanimbla, an assessment of its materiel state and a cost and risk assessment.

The outcome of this assessment is that the most cost effective and lowest risk option is to decommission HMAS Kanimbla.

The cost to complete the extensive remediation work required on HMAS Kanimbla is estimated to be up to $35 million.

HMAS Kanimbla would not on that basis be available for operations until at least mid-2012. HMAS Kanimbla was scheduled in any event to be decommissioned at the end of 2014.

It does not represent value for money to therefore pursue further maintenance on HMAS Kanimbla.

HMAS Kanimbla

Accordingly, on the basis of advice and recommendations from the Chief of Navy and the Chief Executive Officer of the Defence Materiel Organisation, the Government has agreed to decommission HMAS Kanimbla.

This announcement follows a number of announcements relating to Navy’s amphibious capability in 2011.

In February the Government announced that HMAS Manoora would be decommissioned on the advice of the Chief of Navy that the ship was beyond economical repair to bring it back into operational service, given the vessel’s remaining planned life.

HMAS Manoora was formally decommissioned in May.

The Government also announced in February that it was pursuing the acquisition of the United Kingdom amphibious ship the RFA Largs Bay.  The Government indicated at the time that, should this acquisition proceed, it would consider the decommissioning of the HMAS Kanimbla.

In April the Government announced that it had successfully acquired Largs Bay for £65 million (approximately $100 million).

Largs Bay will be commissioned into Navy service as HMAS Choules in honour of Mr Claude Choules, the last known veteran to have served on active service in the First World War.

HMAS Choules is expected to arrive in Australia for a commissioning ceremony in Fremantle in December 2011.

HMAS Tobruk

HMAS Tobruk has been docked in Sydney since May while Defence undertakes scheduled maintenance to further assure the safety and reliability of the ship and to return it to 48 hours readiness notice.

Defence has previously chartered the P&O vessel Aurora Australis from May to 12 August to provide a humanitarian assistance and disaster relief sealift response vessel.

HMAS Tobruk is currently in the final phase of its scheduled maintenance period and is expected to be available for sea for a short period of time from end August to early September before it undergoes further scheduled and previously announced work to prepare it for the cyclone season which commences in November.

To provide an amphibious transport capability while HMAS Tobruk is prepared for cyclone season, Defence has negotiated the availability of the Australian Customs Vessel Ocean Protector to provide a humanitarian assistance and disaster relief sealift response vessel from 12 August until 14 October 2011.

The Ocean Protector is in addition to Australia’s agreement with New Zealand that the New Zealand amphibious lift ship HMNZS Canterbury would be made available as part of the joint Pacific-focused Ready Response Force, subject to any operational requirements in New Zealand.

Navy continues to examine amphibious transport ship options from 14 October in addition to HMAS Tobruk in the lead up to the arrival of HMAS Choules at the end of this year.

Source: Sea Waves Magazine. 17 August 2011

http://seawavesmagazine.blogspot.com/2011/08/decommissioning-of-hmas-kanimbla.html