Temporary Resident
Joined: 01 May 2005
Posts: 116
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 Posted: Fri Oct 02, 2009 6:07 pm Post subject: |
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I've heard talk of sinking Kittiwake in the Cayman Islands for quite a few years now and it will probably be the best dive in Grand Cayman!
I doubt it will be ready in 9 months though --- If I had to guess I’d say some time around early to mid 2011, hopefully I’m wrong. It’s going to take a lot of time for all the negotiations, delivery, material & resources and everything else involved in getting a ship that size to the Cayman Islands, making it diver friendly, all the environmental considerations, sinking it in just the right spot, weather and unforeseen complications, “island time” delays, and who knows what else. They also have to rid the ship of all oil, gas, lead paint, hazardous waste/material and lots of other things to make it diver and environmentally safe. It’s just a massive project, but they do have the experience with the Keith Tibbetts on Cayman Brac, that turned into a great dive site.
I don’t know where the “big sand patch in the northern end of Seven Mile Beach” is but the exact spot where they sink that ship will involve extensive research and planning.
I found the Kittiwake’s specifications.
USS Kittiwake ASR13
Awarded: May 11, 1944
Keel laid: January 5, 1945
Launched: July 10, 1945
Commissioned: July 18, 1946
Decommissioned: September 30, 1994
Builder: Savannah Machinery and Foundry Co., Savannah, GA
Propulsion system: Diesel electric, one shaft, 3,000 SHP
Propellers: one
Length: 251.6 feet (76.7 meters)
Beam: 42 feet (12.8 meters)
Draft: 14.8 feet (4.5 meters)
Displacement: approx. 2,200 tons
Speed: 15 knots
Armament: two Mk-68 20mm guns
Crew: approx. 100
I’m guessing the ship’s height will be 100 feet or more after they remove the masts, smokestacks and everything else when the ship settles into the sand. They must have already done quite a bit of research in choosing the “big sand patch” --- their options of precisely where to put a ship that size are somewhat limited. The water has to be deep enough to cover the ship, plus another 20 feet or so --- any higher and it becomes a navigational hazard. They can’t put it out too deep or a hurricane or northwester could push it over the wall into the deep blue abyss --- bye-bye Kittiwake. When I go wreck diving I like to get to the bottom of the boat, or the side depending on how it’s situated.  If they are able to sink it top side up it should be shallow enough for at least a 15-20 minute dive without any decompression stops --- what an exciting dive that will be! A ship that huge with all the incredible sea life and fantastic visibility of the Cayman Islands will be truly outstanding!
It will be years before it really starts looking like an "artificial reef" --- decades for some species of coral, then attracting all the fish and eels and everything else that makes it a cozy natural looking habitat for all the sea life and divers to enjoy.  
Adding a new dive site in the west side will also take some of the traffic away from the other sites in that area, giving them a chance to recover a little from all the damage caused by divers over the years.
If everything works out like they are planning, the Kittiwake could be one of the best wreck dives in the Caribbean. I really hope it is ready by my Cayman 2010 trip.  |
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