*Wreck Divers* - Shipwreck Spotlight
Welcome to the first edition of Shipwreck Spotlight. In this edition we will be talking about The Captain Dan.
The Captain Dan, originally The Hollyhock started its life in 1937 as a Coast Guard buoy tender. She was built by Defoe Boat & Motor Works, Bay City, Michigan at a cost of $347,800. The Hollyhock had two sister ships the Fir and the Walnut, and all of them entered service between 1937 and 1940. These buoy tenders were purchased to help with the building and upkeep of lighthouses and other navigational aids. They were also used as supply ships for remotely located lighthouses.
During World War II the Hollyhock was transferred to Lake Michigan where she was refitted to work as an ice breaker. The refitting proved to be a source of constant problems that she would suffer from for the rest of her commission.
In 1962 the Hollyhock was moved again, this time to Miami Florida where she would be used until she became decommissioned in 1982. She was then purchased by a missionary and renamed the Good News Mission ship, where she went from port to port bible pushing. During this time she became stranded in the Miami River. Local fishing and boating organizations purchased the vessel to sink as an artificial reef. She was renamed the Captain Dan was sunk as an artificial reef on February 20, 1990. She now lies in 110 feet of water with the wheelhouse is 70 feet and her deck at 90 feet. She is facing in a North/South direction with her bow pointing south and is in an upright position off Pompano Beach, Florida.
The Captain Dan is intact and has been prepared with large access holes allowing divers easy penetration.
Facts:
Length: 175 Feet
Beam: 32 Feet
Draft : 11’3”
Displacement: 885 Tons
Here are some videos and photos I found:
This video is a dive on the Captain Dan
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SBMDKBu95GM
These videos contain footage of the Captain Dan along with other dive sites and information on diving in the area of the Captain Dan.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bhxLG2YAiQA
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NtRreyj-iNA
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XNurfrlMeAg
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4_ydlXtqSxs
