I used to be acitive in the San Diego Navy Sailing Club when I was in jr. high. One day I sailed from the club, just south of the amphib base, to the 32nd St. docks; right up to the fantail of CVA-34 USS Oriskany. There I was in my little 14-foot sloop, and this behemoth rose up in front of me! What an awesome sight! IIRC, Oriskany took part in one of the Apollo recovery missions (Apollo 13?). Quite a history, that ship has. One of the great Essex class carriers.
It’s sad to see her go. But unlike the ferry Kalakala, the exploration vessel Calypso, and the steam yacht El Primero that I mentioned in another thread, there are other Essex-class carriers that were saved as museums. (e.g., CV-11 Intrepid) Sinking Oriskany does not deprive us of exapmles of this class of ship.
I’m sure Oriskany will make a fine dive site. Still, it will be sad to see her go.
Yeah, I saw this on the news the other day and I couldn’t figure out why the name rang a bell. Then I remembered - my dad served on it while in the Marines from '59 to '61. Don’t know how he feels about it, though.
I was under the impression that steel prices were unusually high lately. You don’t get much more steel in one place than an aircraft carrier. Is it still more economical to sink the craft than recycle it? (I know recycling ships is a messy process because of all the chemicals and toxins, but I would think that would be just as much of a problem when tossing it to the bottom of the ocean.)
The news article mentions that one of the benefits which may come from the use of the ship as a reef would be as a tourist attraction. Is it possible to dive on ships used this way? I’m not a diver, but it would seem both exciting and dangerous to do this.
Also, considering the terminology used in the story, would we have to refer to it as the “ex-Oriskany” reef?
http://www.mbtdivers.com/Oriskany%20Misc.htm
a lot of time and money has been spent for our area to recieve this treasure, and i for one will be in line for a hopefully great dive in the near future
The Oriskany has been decommissioned for almost thirty years, stricken from the Naval Register for fifteen, partially scrapped over the course of two years (1995-1997), and has basically been rotting away in Beaumont, Texas since 1997.
I’m glad they finally found a good use for her. It took long enough.
Florida has been awarded Oriskany. The ship will be sunk in about 210 feet of water, about 20 miles off of Pensacola in the Gulf of Mexico. Seems a bit deep for recreational diving, but that’s at the keel. What will the depth of the flight deck and top of the island be?
Pensacola has a naval air station, so on occasion recieves air carriers, destroyers etc.
That is the reasoning behind the area the Oriskany will be placed. 100’ is well within recreational dive limits
although will make for a quick dive. But I for one have no problem mulling around at 80’ for the extended bottom time. Besides, tasty Amberjack and Snapper like to hang around at those depths
I did a quick search, first, and found this thread, instead. I know it’s considered poor form to revive a zombie thread, but this does seem to be very much on topic.
Yup, the Oriskany has gone to the depths. She seems to have settled well, and all is in place for the reef to begin growing, and the divers to start diving.
Any Dopers who want to share dive pics on the ship would be greatly appreciated.
I, too, had thought that 210 feet seemed a bit deep for recreational diving, but had forgotten just how tall a birdfarm really is. Still it would be neat to investigate the screws and shaft bearings. (It would also give me the heebie-jeebies: If some idiot in the enginerooms allowed steam into the turbines it’s a great way to chum a diver or two… The fact that there’s no steam, and the enginerooms are flooded would be a rational reason to keep from panicking. But wouldn’t affect the visceral reaction I’d have to want to get out of there ASAP.)
Just what is the attraction of wreck diving? plus, the Oriskany has been stripped of anything that wreck divers like to take 9clocks, plates, other assorted junk). So, given the great deph and the hazards, will the oriskany become a graveyard for wteck divers 9like the Andre Doria)?
ralph124c, I can only answer some of your questions. Whether you or I can answer why wreck diving is popular or not, the fact does remain that it is.
The Andrea Doria is a diver’s graveyard for a number of reasons, but the biggest has to be the fact that she lies in a heavily fished area. The wreck, now, is covered in layers of nets that have caught on protruberances on the wreck, and can act to catch unwary divers. (One reason why the Andrea Doria is an expert-plus level dive, AIUI.) I doubt, strongly, that the Oriskany has been placed in a location where this consideration will apply. And, since the Oriskany is short of souveniers for wreck-looters, I doubt many will want to risk entering the ship - which is the other major hazard of wreck diving, AIUI.
Also, as others have pointed out upthread: While the keel is at 210 feet, her superstructure is at the 50 foot level, well within easy diving distance for most recreational divers.
I’ll hazard a guess and suggest that it’s similar to the attraction that a greasy-spoon diner at a distant small airport has to a private pilot: It’s someplace to go. A pretext to indulge a hobby.
I think you are right-I just never understood why somebody will risk their life (and spend a great deal of money) to bring up a cup or dish, or some such junk. I also wonder if the fedral Government is liable somehow-would the ORISKANY be listed as an "attractive nuisance’-in the legal parlance?
Just found this via Google, and thought I’d share, in case other Dopers might like to see a photo set of the actual sinking, and apparantly the inspection dive.