Offshore Wrecks

[MakoMatt]

There are a lot of sunken wrecks in the waters around Long Island. Some very close to the beach, and others far offshore. Many of the them have become the tombs of the men who sailed them, and where their remains will be for eternity. Some were the victims of U-boat attacks, others of collisions with other ships, and some of unknown fates.

Here we will take a look into the history of some of these wrecks, both inshore, and offshore, and the fishing opportunities these present.

Please feel free to contribute.

I’ll start off with one offshore wreck that has been a consistent producer of the tunas for many years. My first trips to this wreck were back in the 1980’s

The wreck of the DURLEY CHINE

I’m sure all of the offshore guys know of this wreck, and there are probably some that are scratching their heads. Most of us know this wreck as the BACARDI.

The DURLEY CHINE was a British ship built in 1913, registered in Cardiff, Wales, and a Canadian cargo vessel. She was 279’ long, with 40’ beam. She displaced 1,918 gross tons. In 1917 she was involved in a collision with the British steamer, HARLEM. All 28 men aboard the HURLEY CHINE were rescued by the HARLEM. This collision happened in an area we refer to today as Wreck Valley.

The wreck lay unidentified for many years. Legend has it that a charter boat Captain found the wreck, and marked it with a corked empty bottle of Bacardi Rum that his charter group had consumed. A weighted line completed the marker. And that name stuck until 1987 when a group of divers discovered the true identity of the vessel. The proof was the recovery of the ships bell.

She lays in 185’, you can often find the fleet out there fishing her, the BACARDI.

 

[Snapprhead27]

Very cool! Thanks for that

 

[MakoMatt]

The Edmund Fitzgerald was lost 50 years ago today, November 10, 1975 sending 29 men to a watery grave.

 

[MakoMatt]

Getting a little closer to home, there is a wreck quite literally at T.O.B.A.Y. Beach. The Roda wreck.

The Roda was a 315’ British Freighter built in 1897, and met her demise running aground on Febuary 13, 1908.

She had made several trans-Atlantic to NY voyages. On this fateful journey she departed Huelva, Spain, loaded with Copper ore. Back then ships traveled much closer to shore than today. They were guided in part by the Fire Island Lighthouse. The shipping lanes we have today, Barnegat to Ambrose, Hudson Canyon to Ambrose, and Nantucket to Ambrose, are all located much further from shore than routes traversed in years gone by.

During a fierce winter storm on Febuary 13, 1908 the Roda was driven off course and grounded herself on a sandbar about 1/2 mile off the beach. In the days that followed all 25 crew were rescued. Attempts were made to pull her off the sandbar but were unsuccessful. So unsuccessful were the attempts that one of the tugs was pulled up on the bar as well, and wrecked. The hull of the Roda remained intact for a few months before she split in two. Today the wreckage lays in approximately 20’ - 30’ of H2O, and covers about an acre. The bottom is littered with her remains, and copper ore. On some tides what remains of the mast is still visible sticking out of the water.

This is a very dangerous wreck to fish as parts of the Roda still rise up to just below the water surface. Use extreme caution if you decide to explore this area.

 

[WhatKnot]

Getting a little closer to home, there is a wreck quite literally at T.O.B.A.Y. Beach. The Roda wreck.

The Roda was a 315’ British Freighter built in 1897, and met her demise running aground on Febuary 13, 1908.

She had made several trans-Atlantic to NY voyages. On this fateful journey she departed Huelva, Spain, loaded with Copper ore. Back then ships traveled much closer to shore than today. They were guided in part by the Fire Island Lighthouse. The shipping lanes we have today, Barnegat to Ambrose, Hudson Canyon to Ambrose, and Nantucket to Ambrose, are all located much further from shore than routes traversed in years gone by.

During a fierce winter storm on Febuary 13, 1908 the Roda was driven off course and grounded herself on a sandbar about 1/2 mile off the beach. In the days that followed all 25 crew were rescued. Attempts were made to pull her off the sandbar but were unsuccessful. So unsuccessful were the attempts that one of the tugs was pulled up on the bar as well, and wrecked. The hull of the Roda remained intact for a few months before she split in two. Today the wreckage lays in approximately 20’ - 30’ of H2O, and covers about an acre. The bottom is littered with her remains, and copper ore. On some tides what remains of the mast is still visible sticking out of the water.

View attachment 108357View attachment 108358


This is a very dangerous wreck to fish as parts of the Roda still rise up to just below the water surface. Use extreme caution if you decide to explore this area.

Do they have it marked off with the white Caution Buoy’s?

 

[MakoMatt]

Do they have it marked off with the white Caution Buoy’s?

Not that I recall, but I have not been there in quite a while.

 

[MakoMatt]

Getting off subject to something related to wrecks…………. Hang Logs.
Commercial fisherman, draggers in particular, keep records of problem areas where they have hung up their gear due to some obstruction on the bottom. It’s not just sunken ships, but could be anything at all from rock formations, ledges, Defense Department dumplings of various items, etc., etc.

Most anything on the bottom of an otherwise Sandy ocean will attract the chain of life. They are often good areas to fish.

So if any of you are friends with a commercial fisherman, you might want to see if he has any information, a hang log, that he would be willing to share with you.

Pictured below is old hang log I have dating back quite a few years. Locations were originally given in TD’s, but conversions have been made to LAT/LON using FURUNO LC-90 Mark II Loran. This is quite an extensive hang log that goes from the 43000 line to The Hague Line. There is a lot of information for our area here. There are thousands of entries. You can see how thick the log book is in relation to the $20

 

[longcast]

Getting off subject to something related to wrecks…………. Hang Logs.
Commercial fisherman, draggers in particular, keep records of problem areas where they have hung up their gear due to some obstruction on the bottom. It’s not just sunken ships, but could be anything at all from rock formations, ledges, Defense Department dumplings of various items, etc., etc.

Most anything on the bottom of an otherwise Sandy ocean will attract the chain of life. They often they are good areas to fish.

So if any of you are friends with a commercial fisherman, you might want to see if he has any information, a hang log, that he would be willing to share with you.

Pictured below is old hang log I have dating back quite a few years. Locations were originally given TD’s, but conversions have been made to LAT/LON using FURUNO LC-90 Mark II Loran. This is quite extensive hang log that goes from the 43000 line to The Hague Line. There is a lot of information for our area here. There are thousands of entries. You can see how thick the log book is in relation to the $20View attachment 108468View attachment 108469

Some superb intel.

 

[OVERBORED]

Hang logs were worth their weight in gold back in the late 80s when I did alot of codfishing. Used to do alot of hunting at night with some ancient equipment compared to todays electronics. All you need is a couple good spots in the area you fish. Spots that few or no one has.........game on.

 

[captmike28]

Getting off subject to something related to wrecks…………. Hang Logs.
Commercial fisherman, draggers in particular, keep records of problem areas where they have hung up their gear due to some obstruction on the bottom. It’s not just sunken ships, but could be anything at all from rock formations, ledges, Defense Department dumplings of various items, etc., etc.

Most anything on the bottom of an otherwise Sandy ocean will attract the chain of life. They are often good areas to fish.

So if any of you are friends with a commercial fisherman, you might want to see if he has any information, a hang log, that he would be willing to share with you.

Pictured below is old hang log I have dating back quite a few years. Locations were originally given in TD’s, but conversions have been made to LAT/LON using FURUNO LC-90 Mark II Loran. This is quite an extensive hang log that goes from the 43000 line to The Hague Line. There is a lot of information for our area here. There are thousands of entries. You can see how thick the log book is in relation to the $20View attachment 108468View attachment 108469

Anyone who fishes Tog regularly with traditional ground tackle understands the feeling of a lump in one's throat each time you drop the hook!

I have one spot on the CT side of the Sound that always produces well for me but along with it comes the ever-present risk of donating an anchor on days when the conditions are a bit challenging. There is one set of numbers in this vicinity where I have donated not one but two anchors over the past 23 years. It is now marked with a "Skull and Crossbones" next to it in my drop book! 

 

[OVERBORED]

We have a bunch of areas to the west that are virtually unfishable. So much rebar. Some areas up north in the nomans area that are as sticky as it gets!

I remember mating on a blackfish trip up there. Customer turns to captain and says " I ain't got no more hooks and I ain't got no sinkers, can you please move this boat!

 

[Pangaroo]

There's a wreck about 25 miles South Of Jones Inlet , They sank it in the 1920's to make a silent movie.I think it was named the Corvalis. Another wreck if you can find it was Bert Youngs Yacht. He was Paulie in Rocky . Somebody stole his yacht and it caught fire and sank. Another wreck was the Destroyer USS Murphy in 1943. It's about 50 miles from Jones Inlet. It was rammed by an Oil Tanker and the bow sank killing 35 of it's crew. And the German U Boats 550, 853 and 869 grave sites. 28 or 29 German U boat Sailors are buried in Hampton National Cemetery in Virginia. Both the US Navy and the Captured Germans gave them a full military funeral. One U Boat Sailor is buried in Rhode Island. Amazing !

 

[Pangaroo]

There are a lot of sunken wrecks in the waters around Long Island. Some very close to the beach, and others far offshore. Many of the them have become the tombs of the men who sailed them, and where their remains will be for eternity. Some were the victims of U-boat attacks, others of collisions with other ships, and some of unknown fates.

Here we will take a look into the history of some of these wrecks, both inshore, and offshore, and the fishing opportunities these present.

Please feel free to contribute.

I’ll start off with one offshore wreck that has been a consistent producer of the tunas for many years. My first trips to this wreck were back in the 1980’s

The wreck of the DURLEY CHINE

I’m sure all of the offshore guys know of this wreck, and there are probably some that are scratching their heads. Most of us know this wreck as the BACARDI.

The DURLEY CHINE was a British ship built in 1913, registered in Cardiff, Wales, and a Canadian cargo vessel. She was 279’ long, with 40’ beam. She displaced 1,918 gross tons. In 1917 she was involved in a collision with the British steamer, HARLEM. All 28 men aboard the HURLEY CHINE were rescued by the HARLEM. This collision happened in an area we refer to today as Wreck Valley.

The wreck lay unidentified for many years. Legend has it that a charter boat Captain found the wreck, and marked it with a corked empty bottle of Bacardi Rum that his charter group had consumed. A weighted line completed the marker. And that name stuck until 1987 when a group of divers discovered the true identity of the vessel. The proof was the recovery of the ships bell.

She lays in 185’, you can often find the fleet out there fishing her, the BACARDI.

I read it's in remarkable condition on the bottom.

 

[OVERBORED]

There's quite a few wrecks in the 20+ mile zone off the south shore of LI. Don't want to detract from Matt's post. Keep em coming!

 

[MakoMatt]

There's quite a few wrecks in the 20+ mile zone off the south shore of LI. Don't want to detract from Matt's post. Keep em coming!

I have some very interesting information on one of the 20 miles wrecks I’ll share later in the week. That area is scattered with wrecks, plus you have 20 fathom curve that adds its own structure to the area.

 

[MakoMatt]

There's a wreck about 25 miles South Of Jones Inlet , They sank it in the 1920's to make a silent movie.I think it was named the Corvalis. Another wreck if you can find it was Bert Youngs Yacht. He was Paulie in Rocky . Somebody stole his yacht and it caught fire and sank. Another wreck was the Destroyer USS Murphy in 1943. It's about 50 miles from Jones Inlet. It was rammed by an Oil Tanker and the bow sank killing 35 of it's crew. And the German U Boats 550, 853 and 869 grave sites. 28 or 29 German U boat Sailors are buried in Hampton National Cemetery in Virginia. Both the US Navy and the Captured Germans gave them a full military funeral. One U Boat Sailor is buried in Rhode Island. Amazing !

Great info! Here’s 2 photos of the USS Murphy.

One photo taken prior to the U-Boat

strike which took off about 1/3 of the ship, starting from the bow. That section remains on the bottom of the ocean. The 2nd photo is of the remaking 2/3 which was towed back to the New York Navy Yard where she underwent 7 months of restoration before returning to back into service.

The bow section lies in about 260’. Getting back to Hang Logs for just a moment………. The sketch below, made from observations from divers, shows a portion of the wreck strangled in fishing nets.

 

[OVERBORED]

Nets are the biggest problem when fishing some of these spots. The world famous Andrea Doria is well know as a tackle junkyard but back in the day she yielded some of the biggest cod and Pollock around.

Any conversation must include the pioneers who searched for and found some of the most famous and not so famous wrecks:

Paul Forseberg, Al Lindroth, Ritchie Kessinger, Jay Porter and Billy Urvalek.

 

[MakoMatt]

Nets are the biggest problem when fishing some of these spots. The world famous Andrea Doria is well know as a tackle junkyard but back in the day she yielded some of the biggest cod and Pollock around.

Any conversation must include the pioneers who searched for and found some of the most famous and not so famous wrecks:

Paul Forseberg, Al Lindroth, Ritchie Kessinger, Jay Porter and Billy Urvalek.

Agreed, much credit goes to those guys, and some others. Credit also should go to the the various dive clubs that have been able to identify these wrecks. And continue to this day to work on the identities.

Most of the information I have written about is all public knowledge. Some I know from personal experience, some from friends, some from legend, and some from the very large collection of information available online, and in books. One such book I would recommend for winter reading is “Wreck Valley III” by Captain Dan Berg.

 

[OVERBORED]

Also recommend "Fishable wrecks and rockpiles" by Tim Coleman

 

[Pangaroo]

Agreed, much credit goes to those guys, and some others. Credit also should go to the the various dive clubs that have been able to identify these wrecks. And continue to this day to work on the identities.

Most of the information I have written about is all public knowledge. Some I know from personal experience, some from friends, some from legend, and some from the very large collection of information available online, and in books. One such book I would recommend for winter reading is “Wreck Valley III” by Captain Dan Berg.

I purchased all 3 of Dan Bergs Wreck Valley Books and the craziest thing happened years later - My brother was having health issues and a visiting nurse came to check him once a week , the visiting nurse was Dan Berg!!!!! He came in and checked on my brother and after the checkup my brother and father started talking about fishing /boating because we had 2 sharks and other fish mounted in the living room. I didn't meet him, I assumed it was somebody I didn't know and walked away ( without ever seeing Berg) before they started talking about fishing/boating. And before that meeting I mailed Dan a picture of the SS Coimbra sinking in January 1942. I also purchased some of his Wreck Valley Videos. I wish I met him that day , loved his books and videos.
Bet you didn't know that they flew Anti Submarine Patrols from Mitchell Field during 1942. Nassau Community College is there now.