Contrary to popular belief, sometimes it’s good to get “that sinking feeling.” And sometimes, it’s downright fantastic.

The Vandy started going down in the waters off Key West almost immediately after cutting charges were detonated Wednesday, May 27. (Photo by Andy Newman, Florida Keys News Bureau)

That was the case Wednesday, May 27, when the 523-foot-long Gen. Hoyt S. Vandenberg was successfully sunk in about 145 feet of water seven miles off Key West — becoming the world’s second-largest ship ever intentionally scuttled as an artificial reef.

At approximately 10:22 a.m., demolition experts pushed a button that ignited cutting charges strategically placed in bilge areas below the ship’s waterline. The vessel nicknamed the Vandy disappeared below the waterline in less than two minutes.

The Vandy now lies on the ocean floor in the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary, the triumphant conclusion of a monumental effort that began 13 years ago. On Saturday, May 30, the new reef opened to recreational divers. 

The Vandy now lies seven miles south of Key West, the second-largest ship ever scuttled as an artificial reef. It opened to recreational divers May 30. (Photo by Andy Newman/Florida Keys News Bureau)

“It looked to me like she went down dead bang straight, everything deployed the way it was supposed to, and now it’s time for the fish to come in, ” said Joe Weatherby, the guiding spirit behind the Vandy project. “We think there’ll be Goliath grouper on the bottom and sailfish on the top, and I don’t know anywhere else in the world you can see that.”

When it went down, the Vandy carried with it a remarkable history. Once a military troop transport ship, it was involved in surveillance during the Cold War and later tracked U.S. spacecraft blastoffs. It even played a role as a Russian science ship in the (mostly forgettable) 1999 film “Virus.”

Divers preparing to explore the Vandy can look forward to discovering highlights of that history via an intriguing “mystery tour” created by diver and metal sculptor Ann Lorraine Labriola. The tour incorporates 12 clues printed on a waterproof slate that lead to 12 “answers” in different sites on the ship’s upper decks.

Travis from the Florida Keys Community College welding department secures a steel "answer" to the Vandy. (Photo by Ann Lorraine Labriola)

Each “answer” is a one-to-two-foot symbol or date relating to the Vandy’s history. Ann cut them all out of steel and, with the help of the Florida Keys Community College welding department, welded them onto the vessel. 

“I thought it would be interesting for divers to uncover historic facts as they explored the ship,” said Ann, whose work fuses art, nature and archaeology. “There are no other wrecks that I know of where anyone has done anything like this.”

A Key West resident for more than 35 years, Ann has been creating underwater sculptures since 1979. In 1992 she crafted Stargazer, a 200-foot-long, 70-foot-wide constellation-inspired piece that lies in Key West waters between Rock Key and Sand Key.

What do the four stars welded here say about the Vandy's history? Dive into the "mystery tour" to find out. (Photo by Ann Lorraine Labriola)

Divers can request and purchase Ann’s “mystery tour” slates at Dive Key West (www.divekeywest.com) and other island dive centers. One of the best elements of the tour, she believes, is that all the welded pieces can be found on the upper levels of the ship in 45 to 70 feet of water — easily accessible to most recreational divers.

Want to see amazing video of the sinking, plus photos and stories about the historic Vandenberg? Find them at www.fla-keys.com.

For info on diving the Florida Keys, and listings of top dive operators in Key West and the other Keys, visit www.fla-keys.com/diving.

Topics: Events, Florida Keys, Highlights, Key West, Keys Environment, On the Water

Important alert: anyone who has spotted a bunch of smiling human-sized carrots playing tourist in Key West lately is not — repeat NOT — hallucinating, insane, or overdoing the liquid refreshment served in Duval Street bars.

Why are these carrots cavorting at Key West's Southernmost Point marker? (Carrot photos by Vanessa Brock of Brock Media International)

In fact, the venturesome veggies have been seen by reputable (and sober) witnesses at Key West’s Southernmost Point marker, touring the island on the Conch Train, and even going to sea on a sailing excursion.

Why are the carrots carrying on all over town? According to Key West chef Charlie (a.k.a. Charlotte) Wilson, they’re on a mission inspired by her local organic restaurant, Help Yourself — having fun to show people how good they can feel if they fuel their bodies with healthy foods. 

Coming up with a fresh and creative way to spread a health-promoting message is nothing new for Charlie. Actually, it’s a philosophy that underlies the British-trained chef’s entire business.

When Charlie and a now-departed partner opened Help Yourself Foods in October 2008, they debuted a veritable smorgasbord of healthy organic foods and an imaginative, ever-evolving menu.

Charlie Wilson is the guiding spirit behind Help Yourself Foods -- and its veggie ambassadors.

Charlie encourages people to eat “real food” — unprocessed food free of pesticides, chemicals, preservatives, hormones and antibiotics. Yet she knows that’s not always easy in today’s fast-paced world.

“Restaurants serving organic, healthy choices are in the minority,” Charlie said. “We aim to fill this gap by providing natural, organic, healthy food that tastes great, is fun, easily accessible and appeals to everyone.”

Help Yourself’s menu ranges from wraps and salads to smoothies, energizing breakfasts and main meals such as meatless lasagna and Korean barbecued organic chicken. Diners can even satisfy their sweet tooth with homemade sugar-free and dairy-free “no moo ice cream.”

Charlie hopes the restaurant will set an example of reducing waste as well as eating organic cuisine. Take-out customers are served their organic goodies in biodegradable containers, and 90 percent of the restaurant’s trash is composted or recycled.

The vivacious veggies promote the pleasures of healthy eating.

Given Charlie’s choice of “veggie ambassadors,” it’s no surprise to find that some of Help Yourself’s dishes contain carrots and carrot juice, or that her business logo features a smiling carrot.

Chances are, the human-sized bunch will turn up from time to time at the restaurant too — as well as in other Key West locations — spreading the word that healthy eating can be fun.

Just don’t expect them to indulge in a spot of “karrot-oke.” 

Find out what the cavorting carrots are up to at www.carrotfun.com, visit Help Yourself in Key West at 829 Fleming St., and check out the restaurant online at www.helpyourselffoods.com.

Topics: Florida Keys, Food, Key West, Keys Quirks, Restaurant Picks

Keys Fisheries' Gary Graves presides over a pot of stone crab chowder.

Not many people are aware that the stone crabs served at Miami’s famous Joe’s Stone Crab restaurant are provided by a commercial fishing operation in the Florida Keys — Keys Fisheries in Marathon. And Gary Graves, owner of Keys Fisheries restaurant and manager of the fishing operation, has been with the business since it began more than 40 years ago.

“I have been in the Keys since August of 1967, and in October of that year I went to work for Stone Crab Inc., which was started by the folks from Joe’s Stone Crab in June of 1967,” said Gary, who eventually became manager of the commercial fishing operation.

From that commercial fishing operation grew the idea for a restaurant. The first step was a retail market that opened in August 2000, and the restaurant debuted in November of the same year.

Stone crabs are most abundant in the Florida Keys, and considered a seafood delicacy. (Photo by Andy Newman/ Florida Keys News Bureau)

“I have been all over the world and eaten great food,” stated Gary. “I knew we produced great seafood and I always wanted a restaurant.”

So when Joe’s Stone Crab bought more property for the operation, an on-site building became available and Keys Fisheries Restaurant was born. Gary had no prior knowledge about the restaurant industry, or being an owner, so he started slow and casual.

“We started hand-to-mouth with two picnic tables and a few fish sandwiches. Then we hired a chef and began evolving, and we’re fortunate that we’ve had the same cooks and folks working in the restaurant for many years,” he said.

Even today, the atmosphere is refreshingly casual. Scrubbed picnic tables stand on an open-air patio at the water’s edge, and the cry of seabirds accompanies every meal. Instead of table service, customers order their selections from a menu printed on a huge blackboard, get their own utensils and pick up their own food.

The "lunch crowd" lines up to order at Keys Fisheries. (Photo by Andy Newman/Florida Keys News Bureau)

The menu has evolved to include the signature lobster Reuben and other popular favorites such as stone crab soup, conch chowder and Key lime mahi. The recipes were concocted over the years by different chefs and cooks, including Gary’s wife, Kathy. The menu now boasts about 40 items — and freshness is the main ingredient.

The stone crab soup is prepared with fresh-caught crabmeat that isn’t served with the claws on the menu. The conch chowder is homemade too. And although stone crab claws at most restaurants are served chilled, Keys Fisheries serves them hot to order during stone crab season from October to May.

“Our stone crabs are cooked to order during the season between 5 and 8 p.m., and so you’re eating them hot. This is very different — unique and absolutely delicious,” Gary said. “We also have the best value in stone crabs, being that we are the producer.”

Bennett Orr of Keys Fisheries plucks stone crabs out of a trap. (Photo by Andy Newman/Florida Keys News Bureau)

And the eatery’s famous lobster Reuben? Gary came up with the dish after attending a meeting in Miami at Joe’s Stone Crab, where he was shown the version offered at Joe’s Take Away. About five months later, he created an oversized sandwich at Keys Fisheries using lobster meat, homemade Thousand Island dressing and freshly baked bread.

“Being such a huge producer of lobster as well as stone crabs, we have leftover meat from the lobster tails,” Gary explained. “So it dawned on me, why not make our own lobster Reuben?”

Like savoring the lobster Reuben, ordering at Keys Fisheries is a unique experience. Customers walk up to a window and place their order for pickup. But instead of being asked their name, as in most establishments, they’re asked the question of the day, which might require them to name their favorite song title, pet peeve or New Year’s resolution.

When the order is ready, the customer’s answer is announced over the loudspeaker to signal that he or she can come collect the meal.

The system exemplifies Gary Graves’ philosophy — simply (and deliciously) based on “making his customer’s meal a good value, and also making dining at Keys Fisheries fun.”

Hungry for fresh Florida Keys seafood? Visit www.keysfisheries.com. 

Topics: Florida Keys, Food, Highlights, Local Color, Marathon, Restaurant Picks

When it begins its final tour of duty as an artificial reef, the 523-foot-long Gen. Hoyt S. Vandenberg will rest on the ocean bottom approximately six miles south of Key West, entrancing divers with its awesome size and distinguished military history.

The retired U.S. missile tracking ship Gen. Hoyt S. Vandenberg arrives in Key West, Fla., to undergo final preparations to become an artificial reef in the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary. (Photo by Andy Newman/Florida Keys News Bureau)

Plans call for the vessel, locally nicknamed the Vandy, to be sunk by early summer 2009 in the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary. Forty-eight hours after deployment and clearance dives are completed, recreational scuba divers can take the plunge — and begin to discover the world’s second-largest ship ever scuttled to create an artificial reef.

Like other structures used for artificial reefs — airplanes, buses and even bridge rubble — the gigantic ship will attract scads of marine life. Invertebrates and plants will attach and colonize almost immediately, and within six months the wreck could easily be covered. Mobile invertebrates and reef fish will then arrive to help grow the food chain.

Once positioned on the bottom, the upright wreck will measure 10 stories high in the water column. The keel is to rest at 140 feet, yet portions of the ship will come up to within 40 to 50 feet of the surface.

The chart here shows the projected location of the Vandenberg artificial reef within sanctuary waters.

Because Florida Keys waters generally offer excellent visibility, glass bottom boat passengers and snorkelers should be to see the top of the structure, its mast and crow’s nest.

A dozen or more dive points in the same area will interest novice and seasoned recreational divers, while deeper areas will beckon advanced and even technical divers. At about 100-plus feet, properly trained and equipped advanced divers will be able swim a full 475 feet along the starboard section of Deck 1.

For many people — divers and non-divers alike — the Vandy’s place in history is as fascinating as its size and structure.

The ship wasn’t originally called the Vandenberg at all. Launched in 1943, it was a U.S. Army troop transport dubbed the Gen. Harry Taylor. It wasn’t renamed the Gen. Hoyt S. Vandenberg until almost 20 years later.

As the Vandenberg, it tracked U.S. space launches off Cape Canaveral, served in the Pacific monitoring U.S. defense missile test launches — and even “eavesdropped” on Russian missile launches during the Cold War.

The Vandy was formally retired in 1983 and transferred to Virginia’s James River Naval Reserve Fleet, but that wasn’t the end of the vessel’s venerable career.

Russian lettering on the Vandy recalls its role as a Russian science ship in the 1999 movie "Virus." (Photo by Andy Newman/Florida Keys News Bureau)

In fact, a starring role awaited it. Temporarily assuming a new nationality, the Vandenberg was cast as a Russian science ship in “Virus,” a 1999 film featuring Jamie Lee Curtis, William Baldwin and Donald Sutherland. Some of the Russian lettering painted on the Vandy for its screen debut is still visible.

Today, rusty and dilapidated though it might be, the vessel is poised for one more major “assignment.” After more than a dozen years of planning, fundraising and extensive cleaning to remove pollutants, the Vandy was towed 1,100 miles from Norfolk, Va., to Key West. Temporarily docked at the island city’s Truman Waterfront, it’s now undergoing final preparations for sinking.

The 523-foot-long Vandy once tracked space launches off Cape Canaveral, Fla., and also monitored Soviet missile launches during the Cold War. (Photo by Andy Newman/Florida Keys News Bureau)

“Not only will it be the second-largest ship in the world ever intentionally sunk to become an artificial reef, but it is of huge historical significance,” said Key West Mayor Morgan McPherson before the Vandenberg’s arrival in the island city. “It will become the southernmost underwater museum on the historic trail of intentionally sunken ships off the Florida Keys.”

Naturally, dive operators throughout the Keys are eagerly anticipating the day they can show off the Vandy to their adventure-seeking customers.

Want to book one of the first Vandenberg dives? Then visit www.fla-keys.com/diving/ for Florida Keys diving tips and contact information for top local dive operators. 

Topics: Events, Florida Keys, Highlights, Key West, Keys Environment, On the Water