Texas Tower #4

bobpbx

bobpbx

Piney
Staff member
Oct 25, 2002
14,195
4,294
Pines; Bamber area
I spent a good portion of the afternoon at the Maritime Museum on Long Beach Island. Great history there. Towards the end of the afternoon, I became fixated on this story, they had a full rack of info on it and it was addicting. They almost had to throw me out. I never knew about this.

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en.wikipedia.org

Texas Tower 4 - Wikipedia

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smoke_jumper

smoke_jumper

Piney
Mar 5, 2012
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Atco, NJ
bobpbx said:
I spent a good portion of the afternoon at the Maritime Museum on Long Beach Island. Great history there. Towards the end of the afternoon, I became fixated on this story, they had a full rack of info on it and it was addicting. They almost had to throw me out. I never knew about this.

View attachment 19279

View attachment 19280

en.wikipedia.org

Texas Tower 4 - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org en.wikipedia.org
Click to expand...
Here is another interesting wreck off NJ that fascinated me too.
 
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1Jerseydevil

1Jerseydevil

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Feb 14, 2009
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As a mate on one of the local recreational dive boats, I had the opportunity to dive it when it was still partially standing at 80 deep. I hear it has now totally collapsed and is lying flat on the bottom at 190'. A friend was on a navy ship on its way to try and rescue the crew. He mentioned they were maybe 7 to 10 miles when it disappeared from the radar.

Bob. Did history mention that some of the bracings between the legs were damaged when towing from the shipyard to its location? Instead of returning for repair, it was decided repairs could be done once in position. From day one it shook and repairs continued until the end although it stood for a couple of years.
 
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bobpbx

bobpbx

Piney
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Oct 25, 2002
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Pines; Bamber area
1Jerseydevil said:
Bob. Did history mention that some of the bracings between the legs were damaged when towing from the shipyard to its location? Instead of returning for repair, it was decided repairs could be done once in position. From day one it shook and repairs continued until the end although it stood for a couple of years.
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Very interesting to hear of your knowledge on this JD. Yes, it did note that, and indicated the bracing may have made things worse. This is from the link I posted (Wikipedia): "During transportation, two or three structural supports were dislodged in rough seas. The Air Force considered two options: whether to fix the problem before or after erecting the radar platform. The latter was chosen, which affected the structural integrity of the platform."
 
ecampbell

ecampbell

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Jan 2, 2003
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I dove the TT #4 twice. We were on the boat "The Robin II" at Barnegat Light and settled in by 3AM, our gear strapped to the rails outside. I was a 45-foot crew boat, built for servicing offshore oil rigs. I settled in my sleeping bag on the floor, the hatch was dogged and off we went for the 5 hour, 75-mile slog. I remember every 5th wave lifting me off the deck as we plowed through the waves. The hook was set at the top at 80 feet. You could explore where your curiosity took you, then swim up to the top of the wreck and pick up the line. It was so far out that we were in the gulf stream, great vis and Hugh fish. One of the 3 legs broke and had quite a lean. I wish I had picked up a vacuum tube. Funny, I remember swimming through the bathroom, should have salvaged the seat. Never went below 130 feet, still a 3 hour dive on doubles. Hanging at 30 feet was a pleasure. Such a sight of the wreck and the pelagic fish and gelly fish. We finished the day with a dive on the ocean going tug Great Isaac in 90 feet just out of Barnegat Inlet.
 
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bobpbx

bobpbx

Piney
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Oct 25, 2002
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Pines; Bamber area
ecampbell said:
I dove the TT #4 twice. We were on the boat "The Robin II" at Barnegat Light and settled in by 3AM, our gear strapped to the rails outside. I was a 45-foot crew boat, built for servicing offshore oil rigs. I settled in my sleeping bag on the floor, the hatch was dogged and off we went for the 5 hour, 75-mile slog. I remember every 5th wave lifting me off the deck as we plowed through the waves. The hook was set at the top at 80 feet. You could explore where your curiosity took you, then swim up to the top of the wreck and pick up the line. It was so far out that we were in the gulf stream, great vis and Hugh fish. One of the 3 legs broke and had quite a lean. I wish I had picked up a vacuum tube. Funny, I remember swimming through the bathroom, should have salvaged the seat. Never went below 130 feet, still a 3 hour dive on doubles. Hanging at 30 feet was a pleasure. Such a sight of the wreck and the pelagic fish and gelly fish. We finished the day with a dive on the ocean going tug Great Isaac in 90 feet just out of Barnegat Inlet.
Click to expand...
Very interesting story Ed. When did you stop diving, and why (just out of curiosity).

I could not do it, nor could I climb tall structures, I don't like heights unless I feel absolutely safe.
 
ecampbell

ecampbell

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Jan 2, 2003
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I learned in 1969 on a double hose regulator, Lloyd Bridges Sea hunt style. I was into history, the wrecks and an occasional spear fishing trip, with targets of opportunity of scallops and lobster. I would go to Prinston University's library to research the wrecks, microfilm. I stopped in about 1997. Everything was picked over and I had been to the mountain top. That's another story of diving out of Hatteras, truly unbelievable.
 
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bobpbx

bobpbx

Piney
Staff member
Oct 25, 2002
14,195
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Pines; Bamber area
Let's hear the Hatteras story. I was there once, on that spit of land that jutted out close to the gulf stream (well, close in my idealized mind anyway). Amazing feeling.

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ecampbell

ecampbell

Piney
Jan 2, 2003
2,841
964
1Jerseydevil said:
The Robin II was the last boat I mated on before buying my own boat. I also worked on the original Robin and the dive boat Downunder also out of BL.
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What was your boat and did we dive together?

On the way to the TT on the Robin II
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Abandon all hope ye who enter here,
Robin II.jpg
 
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