Levin J Marvel Wreck

General Comments

HISTORY NM36/55--HERRING BAY WRECK LIGHTED BUOY WR1 EST. IN 22 FT. ABOUT 3,050 YDS., 45 DEG. FROM PARKER ISLAND SHOAL LIGHT TO MARK DANGEROUS WRECK OF SCHOONER LEVIN J MARVEL WHICH LIES SUNK ABOUT 100 YDS., 270 DEG. FROM BUOY. POSITION OF BUOY IS APPROX. LAT. 38-45-30N, LONG. 76-31-20W. CL214/56--COE (BALTIMORE DIST.) TO USC&GS; COE INVESTIGATION ON 3/15/56 REVEALS WRECK HAS BROKEN UP AND 16 FT. IS OVER WRECK AT MLW. WRECK NOT CONSIDERED AN "UNREASONABLE" MENACE TO GENERAL NAVIGATION AND REMOVAL IN THE INTERESTS OF NAVIGATION NOT CONSIDERED NECESSARY. WRECK LOCATED 045 DEG. TRUE, 3,050 YDS. FROM PARKER ISLAND SHOAL LIGHT. NM15/56--HERRING BAY WRECK LIGHTED BUOY WR1 DISCONTINUED. FE307/87SS--OPR-E609-RU/HE-87; WK LOCATED IN LAT 38-45-23.28N; LONG 76-31-26.25W. LEAST DEPTH OF 16FT BY DIVER PNEUMATIC DEPTH GAUGE. VESSEL FOUND TO BE IN LATTER STAGES OF DECOMPOSITION BUT INTERIOR BULKHEAD REMAINS ARE 6-8FT ABOVE THE BOTTOM. RECOMMEND CHARTING AS A 16FT SOUNDING WITH LABEL WK AND SURROUNDED BY DANGER CURVE. LORAN-C RATES: 9960-CHAIN; 16123.8W, 27580.5X, 42539.6Y, 58874.4Z (UPDATE 3/89 LQ) H10790/98-- OPR-E346AHP; ITEM LOCATED WITH 200% SIDE SCAN SONAR WITH AN APPERANT HEIGHT OF 2 METERS. ECHO-SOUNDER DEVELOPMENT USING 5-METER LINE SPACING. OBTAINED A LD OF 17 FEET (5.1 METERS) IN LAT. 38-45-23.30N, LONG. 76-31-26.27W. EVALUATOR RECOMMENDS DELETING THE CHARTED 16 WK AND CHARTING A 17 WK AS SURVEYED. (UP 6/28/99, SJV) DESCRIPTION **** REPORT OF MARINE BOARD OF INVESTIGATION (BALTIMORE, MD; USCG DATED 24 JANUARY, 1956); LEVIN J. MARVEL, 3 MASTED, BALDHEADED SCHOONER (TOPMASTS NOT RIGGED, RAM-TYPE HULL) 125.5 FEET LONG, WOODEN HULL, 183 GT, BUILT 1891 AT BETHEL, DE, REBUILT IN 1919 AND 1926. NO WATERTIGHT BULKHEADS AT TIME OF SINKING. OWNED BY CHESAPEAKE WINDJAMMER VACATION, ANNAPOLIS, MD. JOHN HENRY MECKLING, 3 STATE CIRCLE, ANNAPOLIS, MD, MASTER AND PART OWNER (31/64); JOHN THOMAS EVANS, DUNCANSVILLE, PA (31/64); ESTATE OF BERTRAM ASHMEAD, PHILADELPHIA, PA (2/64). VESSEL ANCHORED AT 0900 HRS., 12 AUGUST, 1955, 1.5 MILES EAST OF FAIRHAVEN, MD IN 26 FT. WITH 200 FT. OF CHAIN TO STBD. ANCHOR. (WIND NE, 25-40 MPH WITH HIGHER GUSTS; PASSAGE OF HURRICANE "CONNIE"). AT 1300 HRS. STBD. ANCHOR DRAGGING, PORT ANCHOR LET GO WITH 100 FT. OF CHAIN WHICH HELD VESSEL TO WIND AND SEA. AT ABOUT 1430, VESSEL ROLLED AND LAY OVER ON HER STBD. SIDE. VESSEL LAY ON BOTTOM IN ABOUT 22 FT. IN APPROX. POS. LAT. 38-45-30N LONG. 76-31-20W. 14 PASSENGERS DROWNED. PORTIONS OF WRECKAGE WHICH WERE RECOVERED INDICATED AN "EXCESSIVE AMOUNT" OF ROT IN STRUCTURAL MEMBERS OF VESSEL. **** EFFORTS BY LOCAL SCUBA DIVERS UNABLE TO LOCATE WRECKAGE IN 1986 (ESP. MR. ERNIE LIVINGSTON, PHONE 770-3000 (W), 869-3379 (H).