BY STEVE GIBBS 
keysnews.com

KEY LARGO -- The big question now is when will the big ship roll. 

Even with filled air bags that provide 300 tons of lift already aboard the inverted Spiegel Grove, and about 25 air bags on their way from Rhode Island which will add an additional 250 tons of air, no one is yet sure exactly when the 6,880-ton ship will begin to roll. 

The 510-foot retired Navy ship began sinking hours before its planned scuttling May 17 as workers were still aboard cutting holes for better access by divers. Workers were safely evacuated, but the ship rolled over and remains partially submerged with its bow protruding from the water. 

Joe Farrell, president of Resolve Towing and Salvage, the Fort Lauderdale company hired by the Key Largo Chamber of Commerce, said Friday his firm is aiming for Wednesday or Thursday to right the ship. 
"At this point, it's still a bit too early to predict exactly which day we will bring the tugboats to try to initiate the roll," said Farrell. 

The objective is to complete the operation in two steps. 

First, 60 to 70 heavy vinyl inflatable airbags are being attached to the port side to provide 500 tons of lift. Farrell said divers burned the last air-bag hole Thursday afternoon. When inflated, some of the bags would stand more than 24 feet tall. 

Resolve divers plan to feed air hoses into 19 ballast tanks located on the port side of the well deck. The goal is to displace 2,000 tons of water from the left side of the ship, he said. This must be done without bursting the tanks or pumping air into unintended parts of the ship. 

While the Spiegel Grove is rising, two huge 5,000-horsepower tugs with heavy-duty cables attached to the ship will be pulling the ship so that it will roll to port. A strong current, that same current that rolled it over, should help turn the ship back upright. As it breaks the surface, trapped air will escape, sending the ship back down. 
When the ship sank some four hours prematurely, it rolled to starboard, settling keel up resting on the stern helicopter pad with its bow about 50 feet out of the water. 

Project Manager Rob Bleser hopes that phase one will roll the ship 180-degrees. 

If not, phase two begins. If the ship rolls onto its side, air bags will be attached to the starboard side, tugs will hook up and pull, and the same procedure as phase one will be used to turn the ship another 90 degrees. 
After a three day hiatus caused by heavy winds and high seas last weekend, Resolve is finally able to begin what was initially described as a seven-to-10-day project. 

"When the air bags are filled we'll be able to tell more, but it's anybody's guess as to how much air it will take to lift the port side of the ship," he said. 

"We really don't know how many tons of air it will take, because we don't know for certain how deep the stern has dug into the sand," he said. 

Farrell said two divers are bringing the air bags down nonstop. "They'll only stop for fuel," he said. 

"What really impresses us all is the tremendous amount of help Rob Bleser and the volunteers have been in this effort. As deep as this project takes us, we get very little down time [at 130 feet] and the volunteer divers are double-timing our whole operation," Farrell added. 

After some unseemly remarks at the time the ship sank, those close to the project are holding their cards tight to their chests. 

Others, including the chamber and Bleser, directed inquiries to Andy Newman of Stuart Newman Associates, the public relations people for the Tourist Development Council. 

When asked why, Bleser suggested that there has been enough bad publicity surrounding the Spiegel Grove sinking. 

"It's just a control thing," he said. 

sgibbs@keysnews.com

Photo: AP Photo/Bob Care. Kevin Mousante, a technical diver with Resolve Marine Group, uses a torch Thursday to cut holes in the upside-down hull of the Spiegel Grove off the coast of Key Largo. The holes will be used to affix giant lift bags as part of an effort to rotate and fully sink the 510-foot retired Navy vessel as an artificial reef in the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary. 

On the Net:  Monroe County Tourist Development Council: http://www.fla-keys.com/spiegelgrove

This story published on Sat, Jun 1, 2002 

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Sometimes good things emerge from tragic events. The events of September 11 demonstrated on a huge scale how strong the bond between people can become. But small tragedies, too, bring communities together. Such is the case with the citizens of the Upper Keys, who have been brought together by a disappointingly flawed sinking of the 510-foot retired Navy ship Spiegel Grove. 

So many people had worked so many years on the vision of an artificial reef/diving attraction unequaled in the county. While that vision now oscillates between cloudy and clear, the Upper Keys community has not lost its resolve. Quite the contrary. 

Joe Farrell, president of Resolve Towing & Salvage, the company hired to right the overturned ship, said that, in the years he has worked salvage jobs, he has never seen a community come together like Key Largo. He praised the spirit of cooperation by all involved: the three local banks that have financially supported the project, the dive community that has obligated to sell dive medallions to their customers in order to raise money, the Monroe County Commission, Monroe County Tourist Development Council and scores of volunteers. 

Working people in the Key Largo community made a difference by volunteering to prepare the ship for sinking. Divers Direct owner Kevin Senecal threw his company's financial support behind the project to tune of a quarter of a million dollars. The backbone of the eight-year project, people such as Spencer Slate, Stephen Frink, Rob Bleser, Doc Schweinler, Bill Harrigan, Joe Clark, and others all have earned respect with their determination. They navigated through many squalls of skepticism and a few storms of doubt. 

Make no mistake, the sun has not set on this project. The dogged determination of the Upper Keys community simply is not allowing the Spiegel Grove mis-sinking to settle in as a tragedy. No one was injured or lost in the premature sinking, it is pointed out. Every organizer and each volunteer worked as part of a team to evacuate equipment and people from the quickly-sinking ship. 

The tragedy would come only if the Key Largo Chamber of Commerce and all those who spent countless hours bringing the ship this far were to give up and abandon the project. But that will not happen. Sometime next week, a Herculean effort will get under way to right the ship -- either fully or partially. 

And no matter the outcome of that effort, the dedication and resolve of those who have brought the project this far will prevent it from being written off as a loss. The fruit of their determination is global interest. The worldwide publicity generated by the mishap will add significantly to the number of people who eventually will dive the Spiegel Grove. 

The citizens of Key Largo have politely declined pessimism. They already have succeeded. 

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Publication Date: Saturday, June 1, 2002 

Keynoter Staff 

Salvagers could try to flip the ship as soon as Wednesday. 

The Spiegel Grove, the 510-foot retired Navy ship, has been resting belly-up off Key largo since the first attempt to sink the massive vessel went awry two weeks ago. 

Experts with the Resolve Marine Group of Fort Lauderdale expect to make the first try at rolling the ship sometime between Wednesday and Friday. 

"At this point, it’s still a bit too early to predict exactly which day we will bring the tugboats to try to initiate the roll," said President Joe Farrell. "We are targeting a time window from Wednesday to Friday to make the first attempt." 

The schedule remains uncertain, dependent upon weather and the pace of preparations. 

Farrell cautioned that the first try may not succeed. "Maybe we’re too stupid to be intimidated, but we feel we’re up to this job," he said. 

A combination of technology and ocean currents will come into play in the effort to roll the capsized and partially sunk Spiegel Grove onto its starboard side, and possibly all the way upright, so it sinks as originally intended. 

Spiegel Grove organizers want the ship to come to rest upright so its upper decks approach within 40 feet of the surface, making it accessible to sport divers and visible to snorkelers. 

Late this week, Resolve divers started attaching the 60 to 70 lift bags onto the port side of the Spiegel Grove. The salvagers also plan to pump air into 19 flooded ballast tanks along the port side. 

When the attempt is made, the bow will be sunk and tugboats will try to pull the ship over, getting a hand from buoyancy created by the pumped air and air bags. 

If the Spiegel Grove rolls onto its starboard side and comes to rest, Farrell has plans to use hydraulic jacks mounted on barges to slowly pull the ship upright. 

At 510 feet, the Spiegel Grove is the largest ship ever scuttled to create an artificial reef within sport-diving limits. 

The Key Largo Chamber of Commerce, backers of the Spiegel Grove sinking, committed to spending an estimated $250,000 for the effort to prevent the ship from permanently sinking upside down. 

This week, divers successfully recovered several tools and keepsakes lost when the ship sank rapidly May 17, forcing the evacuation of about 40 volunteer workers. 

Terry Bates, a Daytona Beach welder, again has a circa-1940s cutting torch that went down with the ship. An heirloom from the grandfather, the torch can likely be used again. 

Dave Gable of Gable Mobile Welding in Key Largo wants his $4,500 welding machine back, even though he knows it will never operate again. "I’m attaching coolie cups to it and putting it in the center of my shop as a monument," he said. Divers retrieved the welding machine Wednesday. 

Also recovered were dozens of T-shirts that were to be distributed to volunteers who worked on the project. 

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Upper Keys Reporter
Publication Date: Friday, May 31, 2002 

Editor's Notes 
by Jackie Harder 

The Upper Keys is well known for its community spiritedness, which has been shown in abundance since the premature sinking of the Spiegel Grove. 

The 510-foot decommissioned Navy vessel went down ahead of schedule -- no one is absolutely certain why at this point -- turning the ship turtle in 130 feet of water. In that position, she becomes much more challenging to dive as an artificial reef. 

Efforts are now under way to move her at least to her side. Everyone is crossing their fingers that she can be moved upright. 

The vast majority of the people I hear from -- in person, on the phone and in e-mails from all over the world -- about the Spiegel Grove are excited about the project and want to help. 

But the real support has come locally. 

It starts with the members and leadership of the Key Largo Chamber of Commerce, the organization that’s been trying for nearly eight years to get this ship sunk. 

As a member of the chamber board, I have witnessed the banks that floated loans for the project, the dive shops that have committed to raise funds for the project, welding shops that closed their doors for the day so their employees could help out at the site, the County Commission and the Islamorada and Key Largo advisory councils of the Tourist Development Council, as well as the TDC itself and many, many others. 

Even upside down, the ship is already doing what its backers want -- bringing more business to the Upper Keys. 
Several hoteliers and restaurateurs report that their Memorial Day weekend was the best ever. There is no doubt in the minds of these business people that the publicity surrounding the sinking is drawing visitors here already. 

Just think what it would be like with the Grove sitting upright. 

There’s no guarantee that will happen, but if it doesn’t, it won’t be due to the lack of effort and prayers of the people in the Upper Keys. 

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As I write this the Spiegel Grove is still upside down, sticking about 50 feet out of the water, and who would have thought an event starting out so bad could turn out so good? 

Kudos to Key Largo Chamber of Commerce! I work closely with one of the directors, and even I was amazed at the long hours and days spent by these hard working folks trying to get the ship sunk. No pay, lots of criticism and still they persevered. 

And how about turning this sow’s ear into a silk purse of magnificent proportions? Sure, the publicity originally generated was pretty good, but the free press received around the world during the past week has been truly priceless! 

Millions and millions of dollars were not spent on the worldwide coverage the sinking has garnered. CNN international, et. al., jumped on the bandwagon and gave us more coverage than we could have hoped to achieve in the original sinking scenario. 

And let’s not forget the thousands of inquiries that have been made since the sinking was aborted. Now we have something big here! The “ship that would not die,” the “unsinkable Spiegel Grove” is now a must-see dive spot! 
It will probably be a while before we know exactly why it didn’t sink, but who cares? The ship will eventually go down, it will be the largest shipwreck artificial reef intentionally sunk anywhere, and this will once again place us among the top five dive locations in the world. 

Naysayers? How can anyone be negative with the results we have seen. If the feds with their pages of rules had not intervened, the ship would probably have gone down as expected. 

Thanks again, chamber members, and everyone else who helped, for a good deed that will benefit our community for decades to come. 

If you’ve got a gripe, sell it to the tabloids, because there is no downside here. This turned out better than anyone ever expected, and these hardworking citizens deserve our gratitude for a job well done. 

This is the best thing to happen to Key Largo in years, and the whole community is in the chamber’s debt. 

Michael A. Fagan 
Key Largo 

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May 14: History, photos, & Key Largo arrival 
May 17: Breaking news & photos of the sinking
May 18: More stories & sinking sequence photos
May 19: Early plans to right her are forming
May 20: Underwater photos & interactive graphic
May 21: Exclusive eyewitness story
May 22: Crew heads south to begin work
May 23: The Lana Rose is on the scene
May 24: Efforts delayed due to weather
May 25: Project Chairman resigns, then talks
May 26: Spiegel Grove is not the first...
May 27: Salvor reveals righting plans
May 31:  Rolling date set.  Graphics & map
June 1:   Volunteers help salvor
June 2:   Work nearing completion
June 4:  A Friday flip?
June 5:  Use your mouse to right the ship!
June 6:  Sinking moved to Monday
June 7:  Attaching the lift bags
June 8:  Weather changes plans
June 9:  Tugboats arrive for final preparation
June 10: She's on the roll...and goes down
June 11:  Salvors are done...she's on her 
               starboard side...and she is 
               WORLD FAMOUS!