DNREC sinks two vintage vessels to bolster Redbird Reef

DOVER — Delaware’s Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control added to the artificial reef system off the coast by sinking two vintage vessels – a retired City of Baltimore fireboat and a World War II-era tugboat – onto Reef Site 11, known as the Redbird Reef.

The reef is so named because it also contains more than 700 retired and repurposed New York City “Redbird” subway cars already.

The two boats, known as MARAD (US Maritime Administration) TD-21 and the ex-City of Baltimore fireboat Mayor J. Harold Grady – went down at approximately 10:22 a.m. EDT at longitudinal and latitudinal coordinates of 38.40.457/74.42.961 at a depth of 75 feet and the tug TD-21 was sunk at about 11:25 a.m. EDT at coordinates of  38.40.427/74.43.073 in 80 feet of water.