Belzona II
SPECIFICATIONS
COORDINATES
MAX DEPTH
RELIEF
SUNK DATE
25° 41.758' N
60
ft
15
ft
80° 05.260' W
18
5
m
m
February 21, 1991
ft
m
90
ft
27.3
m
RECOMMENDED MINIMUM TRAINING
HISTORY
The tug Belzona Two, official number 213149, was originally built as the Henry E. Gillen in 1915 at Ashtabula, Ohio, by the Great Lakes Engineering Works. The tug, equipped with a 400-horsepower steam engine, was 75 feet long, 20 feet wide, and displaced 96 tons. In 1917, she was inspected by the U S . Navy and assigned identification I D ‐ 1789 for potential use asa patrol craft in World War I, but was never enrolled. During her long career, she changed hands and names several times: renamed Lasalle in 1922; the Iohn I. Roche in 1940; in 1959 she became the Barney Nelson; the Gayle K in 1965, whereupon she was repowered with a 500-horsepower diesel engine; and in 1971, when acquired by Crocker Engineering, she was named the Raven. Ownership of the tug changed a few times in the 1970s, until she was dropped from documentation on December 14, 1979, and was laid up. OnJanuary12,1982,she was sold to Russell and Sandra Barnes of Miami, who redocumented the vessel t w o years later. The tug’s service during this period is n o t accurately known, but supposedly she was involved in the Mariel Boat Lift from Cuba. Eventually, the old tugboat was sold into Honduran registry on August 6, 1990, and renamed the Miramar Express. Ultimately, Belzona America, Incorporated sponsored her asan artificial reef and she was sunk onFebruary 4, 1991. She lies in 70 feet of water, approximately 150 feet west-northwest of Belzona Three.Typically, there are rebar stakes in the sand guiding divers between the various wrecks in this area, which is known as the ”Belzona Wreck Trek.” While the tug is largely intact, Hurricane Andrew peeled open the amidships area. The 195‐foot long upside down Belcher Barge can be found approximately 300 feet to the north‐northwest, and from there divers can swim approximately 200 feet to the east to Visit the Hav Parker III and Schurger’s Barge.