Photo Added By: Allan Dickson
Another addition to Trevor's Reef Our family would like to thank The Brielle Chamber of Commerce for a beautiful tribute they made recently (winter - 2008) in honor of Trevor. The members of The Brielle Chamber of Commerce recently added to a 47-foot Coast Guard Boat that was scuttled and sunk adjacent to the Trevor Dickson Reef. Trevor's Reef already existed due to many friends who donated funds and made arraingements through the DEP for creation of a reef in Trevor's name. Two barge loads of large concrete blocks were placed on The Sea Girt Reef in 2006 as a memorial to Trevor. Trevor loved all things water; surfing, water skiing, diving and especially fishing and he was a really good fisherman. This boat is a welcome addition to Trevor's Reef and it is something that we know that he would get a kick out of. Our family appreciates Trevor's Reef and this wreck as a wonderful memorial and an important asset to the underwater ecology of our oceans. We hope many people will enjoy Trevor's Reef, please - write down the numbers and go for a sea cruise, wet a line, or blow some bubbles down there, we know Trev will be smiling - Thanks! -------- Here is a copy of a article from the 2/21/08 edition of The Coast Star: Brielle Chamber sinks a big donation into reef program By Tom Dunphy A sinking ship is not usually cause for celebration, but one cold morning last month, it was. As a 47-foot decommissioned Coast Guard vessel slowly took on water and descended into the depths of the frigid Atlantic, onlookers from nearby ships watched with content. The ship was sunk at the Sea Girt reef site, northeast of the Manasquan Inlet, as part of the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection [DEP] Division of Fish and Wildlife’s ongoing artificial reef program. The program creates and maintains artificial reef sites between two and 25 miles offshore between Sandy Hook and Cape May. The reefs are usually made by placing large, stable objects on the ocean floor such as old ships, army tanks, or train cars, or by dumping concrete or rock. Fish and other marine wildlife find refuge in the reef areas, which also become popular destinations for fisherman and scuba divers. The ship sunk last month was donated by the Brielle Chamber of Commerce. The chamber has held family fishing tournaments for the last four years to support funding for the endeavor. Dave Arbeitman of Reel Seat in Brielle, a longtime chamber member, was one of the people responsible for making the project happen. Mr. Arbeitman explained that to get the project going, the chamber contacted the Division of Fish and Wildlife, who began the search for the boat. After close to five months, the old Coast Guard cutter was located at a salvage yard, where it was stripped down to its hull and lined with explosives to assist in its sinking. Then the ship was towed to the reef location and sunk. Chamber President Joe Higgins believes that this donation was important for the group to do. “It’s certainly, as we view it, an important project for the Shore area,” Mr. Higgins said, adding that as a Shore community, commercial and recreational fishing are a large part of Brielle’s economy. “There’s a moral and ethical reason to do it, too,” Mr. Higgins said, explaining that the chamber felt it was important to support environmental preservation in the area. “It’s a joint effort,” Mr. Higgins went on to explain, noting that many environmental groups, recreational fishing groups and local businesses came together to make the reef happen. The chamber decided to name the reef site in honor of Trevor Dickson, a young man from Brielle who lost his life in a sporting accident. “We’re a tight-knit community,” Mr. Higgins said, noting that the dedication of the reef was a way of the chamber reaching out to the Dickson family, thanking them for their contributions to the community, and offering condolences for the loss of their son. Mr. Arbeitman explained that the chamber is already at work on its next reef project, which will be placed on the Axel Carlson reef location off Mantoloking. “They’re [the DEP] already looking for a boat for us,” Mr. Arbeitman said. Anglers or divers who wish to check out the latest reef site can locate it at N 40 07.931, W 73 56.375. -------- ------- Reprinted courtesy of The Coast Star / Star News Group / Edition Date - February 21, 2008