Plans are underway to sink two former dive liveaboards as artificial reefs off the Destin-Fort Walton Beach coast, but while the operation has already dragged on a couple of years from its initial timescale, there was a further issue recently when one of the boats – the Nekton Rorqual – broke free and got wedged under a bridge.
The Nekton Rorqual, and its sister ship the Nekton Pilot, used to ferry divers on week-long adventures after being launched in 2001 and 1992 respectively, but the business ceased operation in 2010. Designer and owner of the vessels, John Dixon, said he was ‘sorry to see the vessels not get back into operation, but happy they can find new life helping the ocean environment’.
The odd-looking boats featured a unique ‘no sea-sick’ technology called SWATH (small-waterplane-area-twin-hull) for enhanced stability. and operated in various locations, including Belize and the Cayman Islands.
My husband and I was on the Rorqual in 2004. It was great trip because I did not have to take any sea sickness medicine. The boats are odd looking, but they did not rock back and forth.
Go to YouTube a look up Terryflyboyz for a video. I went twice and it was the best diving ever. Miss it.