The Mercedes: German Freighter, 194' long and sunk in 97' of water
I also produced artwork for Capt. Mike Halprin, owner/operator of the Seahorse, including a large mural and dive briefing charts. At the time there weren't many detailed images of the many wrecks that are dived off the east coast and Mike and I came up with an idea to draw these artificial reefs (intentionally sunk boats). It was easier said than done.
The Hydro Atlantic: not intentionally sunk but went down in a storm off Boca Raton, Florida in 1987. 320' long and in 172' of water. This is the only wreck I did not dive because it is beyond recreational diving limits. I worked from a video taken by Mike.
I had a lot of experience on most of the wrecks. One of my duties was to tie off lines to a shipwreck prior to letting divers descend. This required precision on Capt. Mike's part, reading surface and bottom current's direction and speed. Mike was the best, he had great instincts.
The Rodeo 25: Dutch freighter, 215' long and sunk in 130' of water
It was equally challenging for the divemaster not to mention dangerous (did I mention I was doing this for free and because I thought it was fun). I had to dive into the deep blue on the Captains cue; swim down as fast as I could, to depths up to 130', while dragging several hundred feet of rope attached to a 3 foot diameter surface buoy; my heart ready to explode; clear my ears so my head wouldn't implode, sometimes into dark water with visibility less than a few feet; find the wreck and attach a grappling hook to it without overshooting the wreck or before the surface float or ripping current pulled me away.
RSB-1: cable laying ship, sunk in 118' of water
And if I missed the wreck I would have to ascend and endure the "hairy eyeball" glares of angry divers, perched on the edge of their seats and sweating in their wet suits and heavy dive gear. They would have to wait for me to repeat the whole thing again--great motivation to get it right the first time. I'm not bragging but I never missed a tie off. Man was that fun!
The Captain Dan: USCG bouy tender, 175' long and sunk in 110' of water
Link to Wrecks of South Florida Part Two
Back to Architectural Rendering Gallery