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the seabed between the coral heads in
a gully, pointing towards the wreck to
bring the divers in, so the experience
can start before they even see the boat.
Key Bay is also ideal as we want to
expand the project and create a sort of
underwater artificial reef theme park,
and we can continue to build on it here.
How did you do it? It took eight
Q months to get all the necessary
approvals to sink four vessels in total
(Willy T plus three planes that we are
converting into sharks). The government
and the local community are on board.
Everyone is so enthusiastic.
After Irma, the boat had been
stranded on the beach at Norman
Island for nearly two years, during
which time it had got really stuck –
the entire keel was buried deep, and
the bow was dry on the sand. Once
commercial divers had welded the boat
back together so that it would float, it
took three attempts to pull the boat off
the rocks. We had an excavator on land
digging the sand from under it while a
crane on a barge lifted the ship and a
tug pulled it. Eventually it came off!
After that the Willy T was stripped
of all hazardous materials, then there
was an intensive period of adding
pirate-themed artwork. We also
cut holes in the boat – this time
purposefully! We used underwater
metal-cutting gear to create ports
to provide diver access, and capped
them so that, on the day of the sink,
we could easily unscrew all of the caps
and flood the boat evenly.
Before towing Willy T to its final
resting place, divers installed lift-bags
filled with air throughout the boat that
essentially acted as giant balloons to
set the boat upright if it began to keel
over. The final precautionary measure
for ensuring the boat sank upright
in the right location was to install a
four-point mooring system using large
ship anchors and chains. During the
sinking process these moorings were
constantly adjusted to align the vessel
with the reef and stop it drifting or
favouring one side. Luckily all of this
worked and the boat sank perfectly
upright exactly where we wanted it!
What has been the reaction
Q so far? Divers keep coming back,
raving about the attention to detail
and the ‘underwater theme-park’
experience. The BVI has some of the
most amazing pirate history in the
Caribbean, and we hope that building
awareness through the wreck site will
bring further attention to this rich and
somewhat forgotten history. Involving
the local community has also generated
excitement, as well as awareness about
our marine environment.
How does this help the ocean?
Q We aim to enhance ocean life
by creating artificial reef systems for
aquatic species to inhabit and thrive
Above:
Once the artistic
elements on
the boat were
completed, careful
preparations were
made to ensure that
the Willy T sank in
exactly the right
place and settled at
the right angle
January - February 2020 | www.liat.com
ZiNG CARIBBEAN | 75