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| MileMarker: | 0 |
| Location: | Lat 24 39.48 Lon 80 57.90 South of Coffins Reef, 1 mile S-SW of Marker 20; 5 miles SE offshore of Marathon |
| Markers: | 1 underwater buoy |
| Depth Range: | 75 to 115 feet deep |
| Skill Level req.: | advanced |
| Risks/Warnings: | depth; current |
| History | |
| The 200 foot research vessel Thunderbolt got her final name by serving as a stationary focal point for lightning strikes. Researchers from Florida Power and Light (FP&L) used 2 jet engines to blast ionized gas into the upper atmosphere, attracting large numbers of strikes on the poor boat. Beginning life as the USS Randolph in 1942, she began and lived as a US Army cable laying workboat. Following the lightning research (in the early 1980s), she was to begin a new career as an underwater surveyor vessel. Unfortunately for her (but fortunately for the diving community), she sank at the dock in Miami Harbor. Members of the Middle Keys diving community bought her in 1986 and paid to have her cleaned and prepped as an artificial reef. She was scuttled in 120 feet of water on March 3, 1986. |
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| Dive Description | |
| The Thunderbolt is a thrilling dive, for those divers qualified to make it. All diveshops will pre-qualify divers with C cards and logbooks. Only Advanced divers should attempt this dive, due to its depth and often strong currents. Sitting upright in 115 feet of water, the Thunderbolt is totally intact and recognizable as a nice wreck. It is heavily encrusted with a variety of encrusting sponges and soft corals. At the bow, her massive cable-laying wheel, now encrusted with coral and filled with schools of silversides, dominates the scene. Black jacks and bar jacks frequently come by to chomp a little silver meal. Her broad bridge sits amidship, with the wheelhouse still totally intact and highly entertaining to enter. It is often occupied by resident barracuda. Penetration of the wreck was made possible prior to her sinking, through the removal of her doors, hatches, and inner entanglements (don't get killed doing something you're unqualified for!). An openning at the base of the superstructure (center main deck) yields a staircase, which leads up to the wheelhouse. Swimming up her staircase is a fascinating thrill. The Thunderbolt's two large bronze propellers sit silently aft. In short, this is a stellar dive for advanced wreck afficionados. Highly Recommended. |
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| Divesite info by: Jonathan Brinkman | |
Divelog for Thunderbolt wreck
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| LOWER KEYS info (Key West - 7 Mi. bridge) |
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