At 524 feet long, the Vandenberg is almost two football fields long and stands 10 stories tall. The ship’s structure begins at depths of about 40 feet and continues to a depth of 145 feet, offering so many great nooks, masts and radar dishes to explore that it cannot all be seen in a single dive.
How deep is the USS Vandenberg wreck?
Vandenberg Wreck Location With an impressively massive length of 524 feet, the Vandenberg Wreck is almost the equivalent of 2 football fields stacked end to end. Measuring 10 stories high, her wide beam stretches 71.6 feet across and she rests fully upright at a depth of 140 feet.
Why did they sink the Vandenberg?
The USNS Vandenberg was intentionally sunk Wednesday to create an artificial reef for marine life. The decommissioned warship was scuttled in the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary between 10:20 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. ET to become the world’s second-largest artificial coral reef.
Where is the Vandenberg sunk?
Key West
Sink Date. The Hoyt S. Vandenberg Sank at 10:24 am, May 27, 2009 and is now an artificial reef, in Key West, Florida.
Where is the Vandenberg?
The Vandenberg wreck lies approximately seven miles south of Key West and sits in 140′ of water, the main deck is at 95′. The wreck sits upright and is 522′ long and 71′ wide.
Where did they sink the Vandenberg?
Location. At 24°27′ N, 81°44′ W. Approximately seven miles south of Key West International Airport in nearly 150 feet of water in the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary.
Where is the USS Vandenberg?
Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary
Location. At 24°27′ N, 81°44′ W. Approximately seven miles south of Key West International Airport in nearly 150 feet of water in the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary.
What was the name of the USNS Vandenberg?
On July 1, 1964 she was returned to the navy and became the USNS General Hoyt S. Vandenberg (T-AGM-10). In this exchange she served as a missile range instrumentation ship where she was deployed to Senegal as part of the Global Atmospheric Research experiment.
How far can you dive from the Vandenberg wreck?
The very top of the Vandenberg Wreck superstructure is where the vast majority of her most interesting wreck diving features are located. These points reach to within the allowable distance of 40 – 50 feet from the water’s surface. If playback doesn’t begin shortly, try restarting your device.
How many compartments does the Vandenberg have?
Built in 1943, the Vandenberg was originally named USS General Harry Taylor (AP-145) before her debut launch on October 10, 1943. Capable of speeds upwards of 17 knots, this massive ship carried 200 men and her 636 compartments ensured she had all the amenities of home.
When did the Vandenberg become the property of the Air Force?
The Vandenberg was also stricken from the Naval Register on several occasions only to be redeployed. In 1961 she became the property of the United States Air Force and this is when she was given her famous name of USAFS General Hoyt S. Vandenberg.
