Oriskany departs for final destination

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Marine Times
By Troy Moon
May 15, 2006

The carrier Oriskany will be towed out to the Gulf of Mexico today — her final trip before being sunk 24 miles southeast of Pensacola on Wednesday.

“The Mighty O,” as the veteran of the Korean and Vietnam wars was called, will serve as the world’s largest artificial reef.

The ship will leave Allegheny Pier at Pensacola Naval Air Station about 10 a.m. today, base spokesman Harry White said. At least three tugboats will navigate the 888-foot-long Oriskany away from the pier, but only one tugboat will haul the ship out to the Gulf. The trip from Pensacola Naval Air Station to the reefing site will take from 10 to 12 hours, White said.

Veterans and the public wanting to see the Oriskany depart can watch from the base seawall, White said.

But those hoping for a closer peek at the 32,000-ton ship are warned not to get too close.

No recreational or commercial vessels will be allowed within 500 feet of the ship during the towing process, said Capt. Brad Williams of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission, which is coordinating state and federal agencies for the reefing process.

Once the ship arrives at the reefing site, boaters will have to stay at least one mile away from the Oriskany.

“This obviously is a big ship,” Williams said, “and the safety zones are necessary to keep everyone out of harm’s way. Keeping the public safe is paramount, and you also have to remember there are explosives on board the Oriskany.”

About 10 a.m. Wednesday, weather permitting, sailors from the Navy’s Explosive Ordnance Disposal Mobile Unit 6 Detachment-Panama City will detonate charges on pipes and valves in the bottom of the ship. The unit will use about 500 pounds of explosives to sink the ship, which is expected to come to rest under 212 feet of water.

The plan is for the explosives, once detonated, to fracture the valves and surrounding piping, causing the Oriskany to slowly flood. Estimates for how long the Oriskany will take to sink to the bottom range from two hours to seven hours. Navy officials said they doubt spectators will see any explosions, though they may hear them.

Navy, Coast Guard and Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission officials will be in vessels while the Oriskany is being towed to enforce the 500-foot zone during towing and will be stationed around the Oriskany once it reaches the sinking destination to keep boaters a mile away.

Although the ship is being sunk to become a diving destination, divers will have to wait at least 48 hours after the sinking before exploring the ship. Navy divers will inspect the ship once it is sunk.

“There will likely be floating debris following the sinking that will have to be picked up,” Williams said. “Not only that, the experts with the Navy say there will likely be some air released coming to the surface for a short period of time.”

Divers are excited about the new reef, which is expected to support a variety of marine wildlife.

If the sinking goes as planned, the first charters could head out to the Oriskany reef as soon as Saturday. Nearly 20 people already have signed up with Scuba Shack/Wet Dream Charters to dive the Oriskany on Saturday, said Eilene Beard, one of the company’s owners.

“It’s going to be an awesome wreck and add a new dimension to diving in Pensacola,” she said. “We’ve been getting phone calls from all over the world already. People can’t wait.”


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