Mississippi Gulf Fishing Banks, Inc.

Activity Report for the Period
August 9, 2002 - September 12, 2002

Summary
During this period, there were 6 rubble deployments from the seaway staging site to FH-13, 2, and 10; One rubble deployment from Nichols Junior High School to FH-11; 2 dives following rubble deployments; 1 piling maintenance trip; and one trip made to search for a reported buoy adrift in the Ship Island Channel.

020818 Nichols Junior High Rubble #9 272F11

Position: 30°15.515'N/88°54.015'W 12225.9/47081.2/29447.4
On August 18, the final rubble deployment from Nichols Junior High School was deposited at FH-11 inside Ship Island. Surrounding Depth was 18 feet with a minimum depth reading taken of 16 feet. Predicted tide level was 1.6 feet with a range of -0.1 to 2.2. There were light winds and light current to the sothwest. Following the deployment, a trip was made to FH-2 to obtain video and make observations of the recently deployed Adeline Barge.

FH-11 Piling

Position: 30°15.548'N/88°53.962'W
On August 20, T & W Marine set a new piling at the FH-11 site inside Ship Island. The crane broke down which required shuttling of personnel and parts between Biloxi and FH-11. This delayed efforts considerably. In addition, the 45 foot piling was not being held well in the soft mud and it was elected to place a 60 foot piling instead. Eventually the project succeeded in placing the new piling at 30°15.548'N/88°53.962'W. Loran was not available. The old location was 30°15.534'N/88°54.008'W.

Buoy Retrieval Attempt
On September 6, a call was received from the DMR that indicated an MGFB buoy was adrift near the Gulfport Ship Channel. Foul weather was moving in due to Tropical Storms Fay and Edouard and it was decided to make an attempt to retrieve it. Unfortunately after significant efforts to reach the buoy, heavy squalls hit just 20 minutes prior to arrival. Winds gusting at 40 knots and seas getting unsafe, the trip was aborted. After the weather cleared out, on September 10, the DMR made an attempt to relocate the buoy but could not find it. Mariners are asked to keep a lookout for this and any other offsite buoys and to report their locations.

Seaway Clearing Project
An effort to clear out the seaway staging property of concrete rubble was begun this month. Inshore deployments were conducted by Vice Construction, while offshore deployments were conducted by a joint effort between Colle Towing and Vice Construction. Colle provided Barge and Tug services, while Vice provided loading and offloading services. PRIMOFISH.COM provided spotter boat operations. Efforts have been around the clock with weather delays caused by Tropical Storms Edouard and Fay as well as a couple days of high winds.

On August 23, the first Seaway Clearing Rubble was placed in FH-13. This load, followed by a load on August 26, were placed as satellites around the DISH (Deer Island SouthHampton) wreck which was deployed December 7, 2001. The first load was placed about 300 feet east of the structure and the second about 300 feet north of it. Following the second trip, a dive was made on the DISH to collect video and make observations. While not a large amount of juvenile snapper were seen, it was interesting to note that 4 large red snapper were sited in the 15-20 pound class. Large amounts of hardtails, spade fish, and bluefish were sited as well as inhabitants such as cocoa damsels, blennies, and arrow crabs. Visibility was good on the upper deck but declined rapidly below the gunwales. This reef site is progressing very well.

Further Seaway Clearing Deployments were made on August 28 and September 5 in FH-2. Rubble was placed as satellites 300 yards north and south of the Adeline Barge. A trip was attempted on August 30, but the Barge turned around just 3 miles from the site due to high winds and increasing wave heights. On September 11, rubble was placed 300 yards north of the Corps Barge in FH-2 as a satellite. Also on September 11, rubble was placed on FH-10, the Horn Island Middle Ground Site, inside Horn Island. Coordinates for all these deployments are detailed below.


020823 DISH Rubble East Satellite, SCR1, 273F13
Position: 29°59.810'N/88°30.058'W 12473.0-1/47022.2/29625.5
300 feet east of the DISH. The surrounding water depth was 87 feet with a minimum depth of 77 feet recorded. Predicted tide level was 1.8 feet with a range of 0.5 to 1.9 feet. Large Ts and Bases.

020826 DISH Rubble NORTH SATELLITE, SCR2, 274F13
Position: 29°59.849'N/88°30.119'W 12472.5/47022.3/29625.0
300 feet north of the DISH. The surrounding water depth was 86 feet with a minimum depth of 77 feet recorded. Predicted tide level was 1.1 feet with a range of 1.0 to 1.3 feet (neap tides). Large Bases mostly.

020828 Adeline Rubble North Satellite, SCR3, 275F2
Position: 30°05.045'N/88°32.927'W 12443.7/47043.5-4/29618.2
300 yards north of Adeline Barge. The surrounding water depth was 57 feet with a minimum depth of 50 feet recorded. Predicted tide level was 1.0 feet with a range of .9 to 1.5 feet. Drift to S-SE.

020905 Adeline Rubble South Satellite, SCR4, 276F2
Position: 30°04.914'N/88°32.892'W 12443.9/47042.9-8/29618.2
300 yards south of Adeline Barge. The surrounding water depth was 57 feet with a minimum depth of 50 feet recorded. Predicted tide level was 1.0 feet with a range of .3 to 2.3 feet.

020911a Corps Barge Rubble North Satellite, SCR5, 277F2
Position: 30°04.820'N/88°34.630'W 12426.3/47042.4/29600.2
300 yards north of Corps Barge. The surrounding water depth was 58 feet with a minimum depth of 50 feet recorded. Predicted tide level was 0.7 feet with a range of .5 to 1.9 feet. Light winds, but strong current running north to south. Some rubble scattered south toward Corps Barge.

020911b Horn Island Middle Ground Rubble, SCR6, 278F10
Position: 30°15.941-.930'N/88°38.983-.950'W 12381.5-.8/47085.3-.2/29601.1-.4
West of piling, largely scattered. The surrounding water depth was 14 feet with a minimum depth of 11 feet recorded. Predicted tide level was 0.4 feet with a range of .5 to 1.9 feet. Light current running north to south.







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