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2-Anchor Wreck (aka the
"coal barge")
The Two-Anchor Wreck (aka the Coal Barge) was an
un-powered wooden coal barge, most likely intentionally sunk in the
Boston dumping grounds. It was discovered by Jeff Hannigan aboard the
Extremis in 2000, and could be the James Hudson sunk in 1925 based on
its cargo of coal (Gary Gentile's research). It is
approximately 150 ft in length with about a 30 ft beam. This was not a
self-propelled barge, so there’s no hardware to speak of in or on the
wreck save for one large winch near the bow. It rests upright in about 165 ft of water and is largely intact
– one can swim inside a large portion of the wreck. The relatively
small size, open design and the fact it’s intact make it easy to
navigate even in poor visibility. The most distinguishing features on
this otherwise plain wreck are the two large Navy-style anchors against
the wreck near the bow and the towing hardware on the deck. As of
the fall of 2004, the stern had collapsed completely, creating a sizeable
debris field off the stern.
This wreck has not had nets or much in the way of
monofilament in the years we’ve been diving it, so I’d rate it a pleasant
low stress dive. Visibility has been very good to moderate – this one
seems to have a higher frequency of good visibility days than others in the
area. A tour of the inside reveals a layer of coal across the bottom,
and the remains of a divider that runs the length of the hold lengthwise.
The construction of the barge is actually very interesting and can be seen
easily as it starts to decay. The interior planking is applied on the
diagonal rather than the typical horizontal I'm used to seeing. On my last dive I came across a couple of very large flounder inside, and
the bow was a beautiful garden of red, green and white anemones. |
