H.g. Smith Wreck

General Comments

FE321SS/88--OPR-B660-HE-88; NOAA SHIP HECK WAS REQUESTED TO SEARCH FOR A MISSING LOBSTER BOAT WHICH HAD BEEN REPORTED SUNK IN THE PROJECT AREA; VESSEL WAS DESCRIBED AS 29.5 FT., DARK GREEN LOBSTER BOAT WITH A WHITE PILOT HOUSE; BOAT HAD AN "A" FRAME ON THE STERN; THREE SIGNIFICANT CONTACTS WERE FOUND IN THE SEARCH AREA (ALSO SEE ITEMS 7699 AND 7700); DIVERS REPORTED WRECK RISES 8 FT. OFF THE BOTTOM, NEARLY OVERTURNED, LYING ON PORT SIDE AND IS SUPPORTED ONLY BY HER "A" FRAME; FISHING GEAR IS PARTIALLY ABOARD BUT TRAILS ASTERN; VESSEL SEEMS TO BE IN GOOD CONDITION; THE ONLY VISIBLE DAMAGE WAS THAT THE STARBOARD WINDOWS OF THE PILOT HOUSE WERE BROKEN OUT; MR. GREG BOWERS OF BRIDGEPORT, CT., BROTHER OF THE SKIPPER, STATED THAT HE INTENDED TO SALVAGE THE WRECK, HOWEVER, AS OF JANUARY 13, 1989, THE WIDOW OF THE SKIPPER STATED THAT THE VESSEL HAD NOT YET BEEN RECOVERED; ALSO, LT BOB HONORATO, USCG, THE OFFICER IN CHARGE OF THE INVESTIGATION OF THE SINKING, STATED THAT THE VESSEL HAD NOT BEEN SALVAGED; LORAN C RATES: 9960-W 15171.6, 9960-X 26677.9, 9960-Y 43966.2, 9960-Z 60047.8; IN LAT 41-01-45.09N, LONG 73-10-26.53W; EVALUATOR AND HYDROGRAPHER RECOMMENDED CHARTING A NONDANGEROUS WRECK IN SURVEY POSITION WITH A LEAST DEPTH OF 101 FT. (ENTERED MSM 4/90) H11045/04 -- OPR-B340-RU; THIS ITEM WAS IDENTIFIED DURING MAINSCHEME SIDE SCAN SONAR OPERATIONS IN POSITION: LATITUDE 41°01¿45.191 N, LONGITUDE 073°10¿26.572 W [NAD83]. SWMB REVEALED A LEAST DEPTH OF 31.60 METERS CORRECTED WITH VERIFIED TIDES. IMAGERY INDICATED THE PRESENCE OF A CONFIRMED WRECK SITTING IN ITS SCOUR. THE OBSERVED WRECK IS 16 METERS SOUTH OF THE CHARTED POSITION. THE EVALUATOR RECOMMENDS REVISING THE SUNKEN WRECK NOTATION TO 103 WRECK. UPDATED 12/22/04 JCM.