Scuttling of ex HMAS Adelaide scheduled for April 13th

[Nigel Price]

The Ex-HMAS Adelaide Artificial Reef Project is a government initiative to create a new dive site on the NSW Central Coast. The decommissioned Australian Navy escort frigate will be towed from Sydney to a position off Avoca Beach, where it will be scuttled, subject to weather conditions. Strict boating safety controls will apply on the April 13 tow from Glebe Island # 2 berth through Sydney Heads and north to Avoca Beach. The tow distance is about 31 nautical miles and is expected to take about 8 hours.
Heres to some good luck for sunshine for NSW shipspotters to get good pix of the tow and sinking.

See the website below for details and a map of the scuttling zone off Avoca Beach and the exclusion zone while this is being done.

http://maritime.nsw.gov.au/wh/adelaide.html

[Clydee]

Ex HMAS Adelaide was previously best known to civilians for in January 1997, finding the yachts of Thierry Dubois and Tony Bullimore (competitors in the 1996

[Clydee]

Australian Broadcasting Corporation has reported

The decommissioned warship HMAS Adelaide has finally been scuttled on the New South Wales central coast.

It was delayed by more than an hour after a pod of dolphins followed a school of baitfish into the exclusion zone and refused to leave in time for the 10.30am (AEST) deadline.

The dolphins were finally coaxed out of the way of the former frigate and it took about a minute for the ship to sink after being imploded.

Thousands of onlookers watched today's scuttling, with warnings of road closures and lengthy traffic delays around Terrigal, Avoca and North Avoca.

See shot of dawn departure from Sydney Harbour.  Note prepared hull openings
http://www.shipspotting.com/gallery/photo.php?lid=1287475

See ABC News video (I hope this works)
http://www.abc.net.au/news/video/2011/04/13/3190323.htm

[Glenn Towler]

Adelaide was in Hobart, just before Tony Bulimore set off on his attempt to be the fastest to sail round the world solo, which he was forced to abandon just past New Zealand.

[Timsen]

BRAVO ZULU! I'm glad we finally have a great new dive destination and fish habitate, and that the No Ship-activists did not succeed in spite of all their ugly attempts to force the government to abort the plans which would mean the ship simply would have to be scrapped after all those intense preparations to get it clean during the recent years! Congratulations and thanks to all those, who made this success possible!

[Battlestar]

Adelaide was in Hobart, just before Tony Bulimore set off on his attempt to be the fastest to sail round the world solo, which he was forced to abandon just past New Zealand.

When HMAS Adelaide (FFG-01) CAPT R. Gates Commanding, rescued Tony Bulimore and Therry Dubios, it departed HMAS Stirling in Western Australia (Fleet Base West) on the morning of 6 January 1997 in the Southern Ocean near 52

[Nigel Price]

Clyde, 

Your video link works OK - The ABC TV Channel captured the sinking well. I am surprised how the ship was mostly level as it was going under.

best regards,
Nigel

[Clydee]

Hi Nigel

Here is another link, showing her at work as a dive site.

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/health-science/gallery-e6frg8y6-1226039868856

Best regards
Clyde