Charles L. Brown.
A former AT&T cable-laying ship of about 100 m, scuttled as an artificial reef on 25 July 2003 and lying on her starboard side on sand. It is one of the largest wreck dives in the Caribbean, with open hatches, walkways, swim-throughs and cable reels now covered in sea fans and sponges. The upper hull at about 18 m is within reach of less experienced divers.
What's down there.
- Hull lying on its starboard side on sand
- Cable reels and crane assembly
- Wheelhouse, radar antenna and propeller
- Swim-throughs and open hatches (penetration possible)
- Deformed winch towers in the debris field
- Schools of horse-eye jacks
- Great barracuda, including a resident called 'Charlie'
- Yellowhead jawfish
- Caribbean reef sharks
- Cubera snapper
- Sea turtles
- Spotted eagle rays (occasional)
- Sea fans, sponges and orange cup coral
Top about 18-21 m (60-70 ft); sand at about 30-31 m (100 ft). Caribbean Compass gives about 35 m.
Open Water to Advanced; the dive centres recommend experience for the deeper parts. About 10-12 minutes by boat from the harbour.
How it got there.
Built in 1954 at Navalmeccanica, Castellammare di Stabia, Naples, as the cable ship CS Salernum (339.6 ft, 2,789 gross tons), fitted for oceanographic and hydrographic work as well as cable laying. Sold in 1984 to Transoceanic Cableship Co., a subsidiary of AT&T, and renamed Charles L. Brown; used for cable repair until her retirement. St Eustatius bought the ship for US$1, the island community helped clean her, and about 28 tons of fuel oil were removed. She was scuttled on 25 July 2003, taking one to two hours to go down, and settled on her side as engineers had predicted.
37 dives.
From the reconstructed log — the dates follow the pattern I dived, so read them as representative rather than exact.