We have exciting news!
On December 15, 2013 the South Carolina Memorial Reef Committee is pleased to announce that the dedication and blessing of Barge 1 will be held at Stevens Towing on Yonges Island!
Our schedule is as follows:
2:00 PM - Dockside tour of the completed and ready for transport Barge 1. During this time, families that wish to intern loved ones on the Reef will be able to transfer their loved one’s remains to officials with Stevens Towing for placement on Barge 1. Due to safety precautions, boarding of Barge 1 will not be permitted but friends and visitors will be able to view the completed Barge 1 “up close” at pier side.
3:00 PM - Blessing & Dedication. All are welcome to attend!
As of December 15th, we will be on official “transport” watch. Stevens Towing and DNR officials will be looking for a 48 hour “weather window” to move Barge 1 to its final resting place. Once the transport window is announced, we will broadcast the dates and coordinates. We should be able to provide sufficient advanced notice so that all those who wish to experience this historic event offshore will have ample time to plan accordingly. It is estimated that the transport of Barge 1 will take about 18-24 hours to reach the deployment site (depending on conditions) and additional time to confirm placement and prepare for deployment.
The dream has become a reality. Thank you all for your support and we look forward to seeing you on December 15th!
Please post to FB and other social media to help us spread the word.
That thing looks awesome. I’ve been jealous of the Gulf’s radio tower reefs for a long time.
http://www.postandcourier.com/article/20131201/PC20/131209944/first-sc-memorial-reef-barge-almost-ready&template=arttl
S.C. Memorial Reef?s first structure almost ready
If the folks who have spearheaded the effort to develop the South Carolina Memorial Reef had their druthers, they might be heading offshore on good days to chase pelagic species attracted to the area. Instead, they?ve had to learn patience as preparing the structures that will be deployed has taken longer than anticipated.
The good news is that the end is in sight. The first of two barges that will be deployed could be ready within a matter of a couple of weeks, and then it?s up to Mother Nature to provide a favorable weather window in which to tow the giant fish-attracting device 50 miles offshore and sink it in an area that has been designated the Charleston Deep Reef.
?It?s taken a lot longer to build but it?s coming together nicely. Our original goal was an August-September time frame,? said Steve Leasure, part of the group that came up with the idea of a deep-water reef that would serve to memorialize members of the offshore fishing community who have passed away.
Leasure said heavy rains slowed construction and the committee wanted to make sure it could maximize available materials, and there has been a hodge-podge of materials obtained. It might be described as a ?Sanford and Son? creation, a tribute to the old sitcom about a junkyard owner.
The two barges that eventually will sit on the bottom of the ocean in 350 feet of water are 260 feet long, 52 feet wide and 20 to 25 feet tall, according to Bob Martore, who heads the S.C. Department of Natural Resources? artificial reef program. But that doesn?t supply a lot of vertical relief since the reef is in 350 feet of water.
So everyone involved in the project began reaching out for mat