News
Florida wreck to become art gallery again
The wreck of the USNS Gen. Hoyt S. Vandenberg in Florida’s Key West will once again be transformed into one of the longest underwater art galleries, as world-renowned artist Andreas Franke will display 12 pieces of art on the wreck.
In 2011, the Austrian commercial and modern artist and photographer attached 12 images to the 510-foot World War II-era ship. The pieces stayed on the ship for several months and transformed from their time under water. Also, the work was later shown in 2013 at the Studios of Key West for an exhibition.
On April 1, Franke and a group of divers will begin attaching his “Stavronikita” series, originally exhibited on the wreck of the SS Stavronikita off Bridgetown in Barbados. The process should take about two days to complete, Franke said.
The images, which Franke described as Baroque in nature, have never been shown in the United States before.
There will also be land-based exhibits of the work before it appears on the Vandenberg and after it is brought back to the surface.
The series will be exhibited before being deployed in its original state at both the History of Diving Museum in Islamorada on the 30th March and then at a yet-to-be-announced location on the 31st March, according to Capt. Joe Weatherby, an organiser of the sinking of the Vandenberg and the art project.
Organisers of the event have invited all Key West boats and divers to accompany and photograph the pieces as they are attached to the wreck.
Franke’s work will be brought up to the surface in late July, again accompanied by a large contingent of scuba divers, Weatherby said. The 12 images will then be dried and sealed. There will be an after-opening of the images at the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary’s Eco-Discovery Center in Key West, following which the images will remain on exhibit for approximately six months.
“One of the most interesting aspects of the project is to watch the transformation of the art while it is underwater,” Franke said. “It is interesting to see the clear artwork turn into a truly unique piece of art.”
Information about the art project can be found at www.thesinkingworld.com.
Source: www.keysnews.com
Photo: Andreas Franke
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Jake Davies boards Ghazala Explorer for an unforgettable Red Sea diving experience…
Overnight, the wind picked up, making the planned morning dive a bit bumpy on the Zodiacs to the drop point on Thomas Reef. There, we would dive along the reef before descending through the canyon and then passing under the arch before ascending the wall with a gentle drift. The site provided great encounters with more pelagic species, including shoals of large barracuda, tuna, and bigeye trevally.
Once back on the boat, it was time to get everything tied down again as we would head back south. This time, with the wind behind us, heading to Ras Mohammed to dive Jackfish Alley for another great gentle drift wall dive before then heading up the coast towards the Gulf of Suez to moor up at the wreck of the Thistlegorm. This being the highlight wreck dive of the trip and for many onboard, including myself, it was the first time diving this iconic wreck. I had heard so much about the wreck from friends, and globally, this is a must on any diver’s list. Fortunately for us, there was only one other boat at the site, which was a rarity. A great briefing was delivered by Ahmed, who provided a detailed background about the wreck’s history along with all the required safety information as the currents and visibility at the site can be variable.
Kitting up, there was a lot of excitement on deck before entering the water and heading down the shoreline. Descending to the wreck, there was a light northerly current which reduced the visibility, making it feel more like the conditions that can be found off the Welsh coast. At 10m from the bottom, the outline of the wreck appeared as we reached the area of the wreck which had been bombed, as our mooring line was attached to part of the propeller shaft. Arriving on deck, instantly everywhere you looked there were many of the supplies which the ship was carrying, including Bren Carrier tanks and projectiles that instantly stood out.
We headed around the exterior, taking a look at the large propeller and guns mounted on deck before entering the wreck on the port side to take a look in the holds. It was incredible to see all the trucks, Norton 16H, and BSA motorcycles still perfectly stacked within, providing a real snapshot in time.
Overall, we had four dives on the Thistlegorm, where for all of the dives we were the only group in the water, and at times, there were just three of us on the whole wreck, which made it even more special, especially knowing that most days the wreck has hundreds of divers. Along with the history of the wreck, there was plenty of marine life on the wreck and around, from big green turtles to batfish, along with shoals of mackerel being hunted by trevally. Some unforgettable dives.
The final leg of the trip saw us cross back over the Suez Canal to the Gobal Islands where we planned to stay the night and do three dives at the Dolphin House for the potential of sharing the dive with dolphins. The site, which included a channel that was teeming with reef fish, especially large numbers of goatfish that swam in large shoals along the edge of the reef. These were nice relaxing dives to end the week. Unfortunately, the dolphins didn’t show up, which was okay as like all marine life they are difficult to predict and you can’t guarantee what’s going to be seen. With the last dive complete, we headed back to port for the final night where it was time to clean all the kit and pack before the departure flight the next day.
The whole week from start to finish on Ghazala Explorer was amazing; the boat had all the facilities you need for a comfortable week aboard. The crew were always there to help throughout the day and the chefs providing top quality food which was required after every dive. The itinerary providing some of the best diving with a nice mixture of wreck and reef dives. I would recommend the trip to anyone, whether it’s your first Red Sea liveaboard in the Red Sea or you’re revisiting. Hopefully, it’s not too long before I head back to explore more of the Red Sea onboard Ghazala Explorer.
To find out more about the Northern Red Sea reef and wrecks itineraries aboard Ghazala Explorer, or to book, contact Scuba Travel now:
Email: dive@scubatravel.com
Tel: +44 (0)1483 411590
Photos: Jake Davies / Avalon.Red
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