How to turn a Cold War warrior into a
DIY REEF
On September 17, a Russian destroyer was sunk off the North Shore of Cayman Brac, in the Cayman Islands. Lawson Wood was there for DIVER Magazine to watch it go down.
The tugboat's whistle gave the signal, and the newly re-christened Captain Keith Tibbetts plunged beneath the waves of the Caribbean to a resounding cheer from onlookers. The noise coming from the huge ship as she went down was deafening.
Cayman Islands authorities had bought the vessel from the Russians at a cost of $275,000, to be sunk as an artificial reef. A Brigadier Type II Class Frigate, 95m long with a 13m beam and weighing 1590 tonnes, she had formed part of the old Soviet fleet of destroyers stationed in Cuba during the Cold War.
The ship - originally known simply as Patrol Vessel No. 356 - was to be positioned along the north wall of the island of Cayman Brac. Preparations began in the early hours of the morning. Water was pumped into the sealed areas of the vessel, 39,000 litres at a time, and the ship's three anchors were secured to prevent coral damage.
Jean-Michel Cousteau, who was filming the sinking, made the brave decision to stay on board as she sank. At 5.20pm we watched as, wearing full scuba gear, he clung to the guard rail and the ship crashed beneath the waves. As she went down, the aluminium superstructure was wrenched open in two places, splitting the living quarters with a resounding crack.
Even with the sea-cocks open, the vessel took a long time to sink. A tug kept a constant strain on the bow to ensure that she would land in the correct place.
On the seabed, the ship looked massive, listing slightly to starboard and perfectly placed in a sand-chute which plunged over a wall. We went down to have a closer look. Under the bow at 25m we found a field of garden eels. Under the stern, the rudders and propellers keep the hull clear of the bottom. On either side of her, healthy sections of coral reef were carpeted with huge barrel sponges.
The ship had been out of action for ten years, so a huge concentration of marine growth was already settled along the hull and propellers. To our amazement, we found fish around the ship almost immediately after she sank.
The location for the sinking and the ship's suitability had been thoroughly examined by local diving operators with the help of the Cayman Islands Department of Environment. Rising to within 3m of the surface water at her highest point, and sloping down to 30m, the Captain Keith Tibbetts is the only diveable Russian ship in the western hemisphere.
Appeared in DIVER - December 1996
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