DELAWARE- The Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control (DNREC) has once again enhanced Delaware’s artificial reef system by sinking two historic vessels. The addition of a retired City of Baltimore fireboat and a World War II-era tugboat took place today at Reef Site 11, known as the Redbird Reef. DNREC says this site already has over 700 retired New York City “Redbird” subway cars, making it a popular destination for anglers and divers.
The vessels, the MARAD TD-21 tugboat and the ex-City of Baltimore fireboat Mayor J. Harold Grady, were submerged by DNREC’s Division of Fish and Wildlife. The fireboat went down at 10:22 a.m. EDT at coordinates 38.40.457/74.42.961, settling at a depth of 75 feet. The tugboat followed at 11:25 a.m. EDT at coordinates 38.40.427/74.43.073 in 80 feet of water.
DNREC Secretary Shawn M. Garvin commented, “Repurposing these boats as reef deployments honors their history and provides new habitats for marine life, along with opportunities for fishing and diving. Each visit to Reef Site 11 can remind us of their significant past roles.”
The sinkings were executed by Coleen Marine, a Norfolk, Va.-based marine contractor with extensive experience in reef deployments across Delaware’s 14 artificial reef sites. Both vessels were thoroughly cleaned and certified for environmental safety by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Coast Guard, which also monitored the sinking process.
DNREC invested $180,000 from federal Sport Fish Restoration funds to purchase these vessels from Coleen Marine. The Redbird Reef spans 1.3 square miles and includes a diverse array of submerged structures, such as a former floating casino, a Chesapeake Bay cruise ship, 86 U.S. Army tanks and armored vehicles, eight tugboats, a fishing trawler, and two barges. In total, the reef system contains over 1,350 retired subway cars, significantly enhancing fish habitats over the past two decades.