GENERAL OGLETHORPE

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Tug sunk as artificial reef

After months of unforgiving weather, recent calms seas finally allowed the sinking of the "General Oglethorpe" as an artificial reef 30 miles off the coast of Charleston in early May in 105 feet of water. The tug joined numerous other structures already at Comanche Reef – the retired Coast Guard cutter "Comanche" for which the reef was named, a large tug, a steel-hulled shrimp trawler, and 50 subway cars – all intended to provide fish habitat on a sandy stretch of seafloor. The complexity of the new sunk vessel provides habitat for a wide variety of species – everything from small baitfish that will school above it to larger snapper and grouper that will eventually take up residence. The wreck will be a great destination for anglers and divers. The "General Oglethorpe" marks the first of three deepwater new artificial reef structures funded in part by the Coastal Conservation Association of South Carolina (CCA SC) to improve habitat for snapper and grouper species. Report with photo: http://walterborolive.com/2018/05/new-addition-to-comanche-artificial-reef/

Tugs to be sunk as artificial reefs

The Coastal Conservation Association is funding a $300,000 project that involves sinking three 100-foot tugs on deepwater reef sites off the South Carolina coast. The "General Oglethorpe" will be heading to the site of the Comanche Reef, 30 nautical miles off Charleston in 100 feet of water, as soon as a weather window allows. An 98-foot tug is at the dock in Georgetown and most likely will be heading out in early spring to the Vermilion Reef, 30 miles off Georgetown in 120 feet of water. The CCA SC and the S.C. Department of Natural Resources' artificial reef program were trying to locate a third tug to be deployed at the Betsy Ross Reef, 20 miles off Port Royal Sound in 90 feet of water. The tugs will work well for the pelagics, the amberjacks, king mackerel a.o. Because the vessels are so large, when underwater currents hit them it causes an upwelling so suspended nutrients go up in the water column. You get a lot of schooling fish. Bait fish will school around these structures so that brings in the pelagics to feed. It really helps the entire structure of the fish community, everything from bottom fish to pelagics. The structures also are popular with the dive community and is a boon to tourism in general.