Cherokee Wreck

General Comments

HISTORY F00453/99-- OPR-D392-WH; REMAINS OF A WRECK WERE LOCATED WITHIN 40 METERS OF LISTED POSITION. CONTACT HEIGHT WAS 13.8 FEET (SCALED IMAGE) COMPARED TO REPORTED HEIGHT OF 15 FEET (USS GENTIAN, 1944. HYDROGRAPHER RECOMMENDS FURTHER WORK IN ORDER TO OBTAIN LD AND POSITION. (UP 7/18/00, SJV) H10989/00-- OPR-D392-WH; SWMB SONAR OBTAINED A LD OF 79 FEET IN LAT. 38-35-53.687N, LONG. 74-39-29.396W. EVALUATOR RECOMMENDS DELETING 71-FOOT CLEARED DEPTH A ND CHARTING A 79 WK AS SURVEYED. (UP 7/11/02, SJV) DESCRIPTION 24 NO 441; LOCATED BY USCG GENTIAN ON 10/30/44, STANDING 15 FT HIGH IN 92 FT OF WATER AT LAT. 38 36 18N, LONG 74 39 36W; SUBSEQUENTLY WD CLEARED TO 71 FT(SOURCE UNK); POS. ACCURACY 1 MILE. 216 SHIPWRECKS OF DELAWARE AND MARYLAND BY GARY GENTILE;COPYRIGHT1990,GARY GENTILE PRODUCTIONS, P.O. BOX 57137, PHILADELPHIA, PA 19111; WRECK OF THE "CHEROKEE"; STEAM TUG, 120 FEET LONG, 25 FEET WIDE, 15 FOOT DRAFT; BUILT 1891- JOHN H. DIALOGUE & SONS, IN CAMDEN, NEW JERSEY; FORMER NAME "EDGAR F. LUCKENBACH", "LUCKENBACH NO. 2"; OWNED BY U.S. NAVY; OFFICIAL DESIGNATION NO. 458; FOUNDERED AND SUNK ON JULY 26, 1918; LORAN-C TD'S (9960 CHAIN): X = 26982.0, Y = 42519.1 (NOTE: CAPT. DAVID POTTER PUTS THIS WRECK AT X = 26989.7 - .9, Y = 42520.6). HULL SITS UPRIGHT ON THE BOTTOM VIRTUALLY INTACT EXCEPT FOR THE BREAKDOWN ALONG THE PORT BOW. ROUNDED STERN STANDS AS HIGH AS 15 FEET ABOVE THE WHITE SAND BOTTOM. RUDDER AND PROPELLOR EASILY SEEN WHEN VIS IS GOOD. BOW IS LOW TO THE BOTTOM WITH THE GUN BARREL HANGING OVER THE PORT SIDE POINTING INTO THE SAND. MOST OF THE SUPERSTRUCTURE COLLAPSED STRAIGHT DOWN. LOCALLY REFERRED TO AS THE "GUNBOAT". (UP 6/30/99, SJV)