Finding a location was the easy part - cleaning the boat is the biggest challenge.
Artificial Reefs of the Keys has joined with Resource Control Corporation in addressing the issue of making the ship innocuous to its surrounding waters.
The partner company specializes in solving environmental problems and has worked with Sun Oil Co. in problem-solving techniques.
"The regulatory oversight is incredible for this project," Lohr said, referring to the intricate process of sampling every inch of the ship for possible pollutants and then eliminating them.
That cleanup process will take place in Virginia, where the Vandenberg is docked on the James River, and will be the first step in the "clean-it, tow-it and blow-it" procedure that Weatherby describes with a wistful smile.
Before the ship that once brought World War II soldiers home from France is towed to the Keys, it will be "swiss-cheesed", a process that makes several holes in the ship for three important reasons, Weatherby said.
"It makes it 100 percent safe for divers" because it becomes less of a maze with more entrances and exits, he said.
The perforations also make the ship more habitat-friendly for fish, and also allow the mild current to run through it so as to reduce the amount silt collected inside.
With a ship that big, easy access for divers is a paramount safety issue.
Weatherby explained the massive measurements of the Vandenberg by using local jargon.
"Stand at the top of La Concha and look toward Mallory Square," he said. "From the tip of your nose, down to the ground and then down the street all the way to the Bull [bar] is how big this thing is."
At two city blocks long and about seven stories tall, the Vandenberg will make the biggest artificial reef.
"It is the biggest in the world, the coolest-looking [ship] in the fleet and the cleanest," Weatherby said. "That's why we chose it."
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