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USNS Vandenberg

by Ty Sawyer
Photo By: Haig Jacobs/Digital Island MediaCourtesy: Florida Keys News Bureau

It finally happened. After years of red tape, politics, a cost of $8.6 million and several failed attempts to get it in the water, the USNS General Hoyt S. Vandenberg was finally sunk off Key West, Florida. Seven nautical miles from this end of the world island, at 10:21 a.m. on May 27, an unlikely addition to the Keys world-class fleet of divable wrecks went down in 140 feet of seawater. This 523-foot-long USAFS (yes, that's right, U.S. Air Force Ship, who knew?) communication and tracking ship makes Key West a must stop on any serious wreck diver's wish list. The uppermost superstructure starts in only 40-50 feet of water, so the Vandenberg is even open to new divers to experience. Although it was sunk on a sandy bottom, the massive artificial reef has already started to attract marine life vying for its portion of this new undersea kingdom of real estate. And with so many communication arrays and points of entry, the wreck is worth many repeat dives.

To check it out, visit www.bigshipwrecks.com

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