The
Great Isaac was a 185 ft. V-4 ocean going tug.
Constructed in 1944 in Boston MA by the General Ship and
Engine Works, it was powered by twin diesel
engines and displaced 1,117 tons.
Of the
6 super ocean going tugs built, all but the Great Isaac
were named after U.S. Lighthouses. The Great Isaac was
named after a 19th century English lighthouse in the
Bahamas.
In
1947, while en-route from Norfolk, VA to New York; it
was struck by the Norwegian freighter - "Bandeirante".
The crew abandoned ship and the Great Isaac sank within
a short time.
The
wreck of the Great Isaac lies 10 miles S.E. of Barnegat
Light, N.J. in 85 to 90 feet of water. Still intact, it
rests on its port side.
Steamer -
"Brunette"
On February 1,
1870, bound for Philadelphia from New York; the 274 ton steamer
"Brunette" collided with the "Santiago de Cuba" and sank in 75
feet of water about a mile off the coast of Pt. Pleasant, N.J.
The Brunette is
known as a digging wreck having produced many artifacts over the
years. Crates of door knobs, pocket knives, and bottles are some
of the cargo that divers have recovered.
Freighter - "Tolten"
The Tolten was built in
1938 and was originally launched as the Danish Steamer -
S.S. Lotta. Measuring 280 feet in length, it displaced
1,858 gross tons. As World War II began, it was taken
over by the Chilean government and re-named the Tolten.
The Tolten met its demise
on March 13, 1942 while en-route to New York when it was
struck by a pair of torpedoes fired from the U-404. The
Tolten suffered extensive damage and reportedly sank in
minutes killing 27 crew members.
The Tolten lies in 90 feet
of water about 15 miles off Barnegat Light, New Jersey.
Due to navigational hazards, the wreck was wire dragged
and is no longer an intact ship but a pile of twisted
steel scattered along the ocean floor.
It still remains a popular
dive site for many local wreck divers and is frequently
visited each season.
Tanker - "Stolt
Dagali"
Early
on the morning of Nov. 26, 1964, the Norwegian tanker
collided with the Israeli luxury liner SS Shalom,
lopping off the Stolt Dagali’s stern. While her forward
section remained afloat and was eventually towed ashore,
her rear section settled in 130 feet of water, taking
nineteen crew members to their graves.
Click on collage to enlarge
Sonar
Image of the stern - Courtesy of Capt. Bob Nash
Leaving
Houston, Texas on
February 19,
1942,
the R.P. Resor was carrying 78,729 barrels of crude oil
to be carried to
Fall
River, Massachusetts.
She had a crew
of
41, and carried an
ensign and eight navy
gunners. These men were needed to man a four-inch gun
mounted on the
stern.
German U-boat
activity compelled the R.P. Resor to steer a zigzag
course with no navigation lights. Extra lookouts were
posted.
Located 30
miles off Barnegat Light, N.J., the Resor has become a
premier dive site for area divers.
Underwater
tour of the R.P. Resor
Scallop Boat -
"Alex Mac"
Tug and
Scallop Boat Collide - 2 Dead
While towing a 316-foot barge in late June through thick
fog six miles off Manasquan Inlet, N.J., the crew of the
northbound 100-foot tug JoAnne Reinauer III felt a
shudder.
They turned to discover that they had collided with the
eastbound 64-foot scallop boat Alex Mac. It had
overturned and remained on the surface.
There were four people onboard when the accident
occurred at about 1945. Two leaped into the 62° water
and were rescued by a nearby fishing boat almost an hour
later. The captain and a crewmember were found clinging
to debris by the 90-foot charter boat Gambler. They had
been in the wheelhouse at the time of the collision.
Two others onboard were trapped below.
State police divers later discovered the bodies of
Michael Lampman, 39, and his nephew, Patrick McGoldrick,
16, inside the sunken vessel near the engine room. It
was McGoldrick's first trip working at sea.
Both vessels were equipped with radar. The Coast Guard,
citing its ongoing investigation of the accident,
declined to say if the radar was in operation and being
monitored when the collision occurred.
of
41, and carried an