"Vandenberg" to be sunk off Key West

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) and other law enforcement agencies will escort the decommissioned military ship “Gen. Hoyt S. Vandenberg” on its final voyage, Tuesday, May 26, weather permitting. The following day, the ship will slip beneath the surface and settle on the ocean floor in 140 feet of water 6 miles south of Key West in the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary and will serve as an artificial reef.

The U.S. Coast Guard will establish a security zone around the 523-foot ship on the way to, and at, its final resting place. The FWC, Coast Guard, Monroe County Sheriff’s Office and the Key West Police Department will enforce the zone surrounding the vessel from the time it leaves port until it's safely on the bottom.

The “Vandenberg” is behind the “USS Mohawk” at the East Quay Wall in Truman Annex Harbor. Once the ship leaves the dock, boaters must stay 500 yards away from the vessel. The trip from the dock to where the “Vandenberg” will sink will take one day. Once the ship goes down, the 500-yard security and safety zone will remain in effect throughout the night. At daybreak, as a safety precaution, authorities will require boaters to move one mile away from the “Vandenberg.”...[NaplesNews]