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From Breakwater to Artificial Reef:
The Catalyst Project & YOGN-82 USS YOGN-82 was built in 1943 by Concrete Ship Constructors, National City, California and launched in 1944. Displacing 4860 tons, she measured 375 ft long, 56 ft wide and 38 ft deep. A total of 22 such barges were built from 1942 to 1944, YOGN-82 being the 16th. Each had a crew of 12 and carried 63,000 US barrels (10,000,000 litres) of gasoline in 24 cargo tanks. As so-called minor vessels, they were simply given a letter designation: YO (yard oiler), G (gasoline storage), N (not self propelled). But ships like YOGN served a vital role for the US Navy during their Pacific operations in WWII, as they were often the only in-theatre fuel storage facilities available to the US forces. After the war, YOGN-82 was declared surplus and laid up in Pearl Harbor as part of the Pacific Reserve Fleet. In the late 1940’s the Powell River Company – now Catalyst Paper – decided that a collection of concrete vessels would provide a permanent solution for the protection of their log pond. They acquired four reinforced concrete hulks in 1948 (John Smeaton, Armand Considerer, LJ Vicat, and Henry Le Chatelier), followed by Thaddeus Merman in 1950, PM Anderson and Quartz in 1956, Peralta in 1958, YOGN-82 in 1961, and Emile N. Vidal in 1965. These ten historic American-built WWI / WWII ships – averaging 366 to 375 feet in length and made of 5½ inch thick reinforced concrete – constitute the largest floating hulk breakwater in the world. In 1991, aware that the ships had well exceeded their lifespans, Catalyst launched a review of the breakwater’s barges. Since the mill’s wood room was closing, they determined that a smaller breakwater of six hulks would provide adequate protection for some decades. In 2015 the barges were again surveyed, and the four in the most deteriorated condition were identified for reefing. The company decided that YOGN-82 would be the first to be re-purposed. The sink date was set for June 23, 2018. The barge offered a challenge in that its hull was made of 5.5-inch reinforced concrete. Extensive calculations and thorough testing were required ahead of time to ensure a perfect sinking event. And picture perfect it was: watched by an audience onshore and on the water, YOGN-82 sank in 11 minutes and remained upright all the way to the sea floor. The ship is now accessible only by boat from Powell River, and is positioned in her underwater home with her bow facing the shore line. Two mooring floats have been installed to mark her location on the sea floor. Considering its location and depth, the YOGN wreck site will be ideal for training the next generation of divers. The ship’s natural openings and overhead environments should be approached with caution, as YOGN is intended for external recreational dives only. (photo: Seaproof TV) Video on a ARSBC Survey Dive on the YOGN-82, created by Dirk De keersmaecker
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Diving YOGN-82
YOGN-82 has become a habitat for many creatures. Since its sinking we've seen a huge increase in life that started almost immediately. I visited her about a half hour after the sinking and was surprised to see a few urchins on her deck already. I scratched my head on that for a few minutes until I realized that the impact would have sent them flying. It was fascinating to see the red, churning clouds billowing out from all the holds. It seemed almost post-apocalyptic. This was to change, of course. Within a few weeks we saw it become home to Giant Pacific Octopus, Buffalo Sculpin, Irish Lords, Rock Fish, Ling Cod, Pacific Cod and Perch so thick they blocked the entire ship from my sonar. All of it. What a treat it has been to enjoy this dive site. It's an excellent training ground for new and intermediate divers and certainly even technical divers will enjoy her. She has an almost friendly feeling to her. That could just be me, of course, but other folks have said the same. The water is usually clear were she lays. The penetration, should you wish to go inside, is simple with many large exits so you can see light from the outside all over it. It still feels a bit happily surreal that she's there. Not a day goes by we don't appreciate the YOGN-82 and all the people involved with her sinking. – Gary Lambeth, Salish Sea Dive 
June 23, 2018: YOGN-82 goes down in 11 minutes
Seaproof TV captures YOGN's first dive
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FIRST OF THE CATALYST HULKS BECOMES AN ARTIFICIAL REEF • POWELL RIVER, BC • 23 JUNE, 2018
On a sunny Saturday morning, spectators started gathering at Willingdon Beach in Powell River to witness a significant change to their seascape: the federal government approved sinking of the first of the breakwater ships from Catalyst Paper to be re-purposed to create a new marine habitat.
At 10:15 am, YOGN-82 could be seen under tow on approach to the designated sink zone, located about half way between the Catalyst Mill site and Willingdon Beach. By 11:25 she was being held in position by two support tugs. At 11:56 spectators on shore and in boats witnessed the detonation of high explosives onboard the hulk that pulverized holes in the 5½ inch thick hull of reinforced concrete, letting water in to flood the barge. This blast started YOGN-82 on her final 11-minute voyage – to settle quickly and gracefully on the seabed, upright and fully intact, at a depth of 90 to 100 feet.
YOGN-82 has been part of the mill’s 10 vessel breakwater grouping since 1961 and is the first of four vessels which, thanks to Catalyst's consultation with the Reef Society, will transform a group of American-built WW2 II ferro-concrete barges into new marine habitat and a recreational dive destination. Already there’s been keen interest from within the dive community by divers eager to visit this icon of maritime history. Divers were allowed to start exploring the wreck site on Sunday 24 June and the first tour took place on Monday 25 June.
Catalyst Management commented in their press release of 23 June that, following YOGN-82, the company will continue working with the ARSBC to reef three more barges (Emile N. Vidal, Quartz and SS Peralta) over the next five years. Details of these follow-on projects will be posted as timelines are established.
– Rick Wall, Vice President, ARSBC (27 June 2018)
On a sunny Saturday morning, spectators started gathering at Willingdon Beach in Powell River to witness a significant change to their seascape: the federal government approved sinking of the first of the breakwater ships from Catalyst Paper to be re-purposed to create a new marine habitat.
At 10:15 am, YOGN-82 could be seen under tow on approach to the designated sink zone, located about half way between the Catalyst Mill site and Willingdon Beach. By 11:25 she was being held in position by two support tugs. At 11:56 spectators on shore and in boats witnessed the detonation of high explosives onboard the hulk that pulverized holes in the 5½ inch thick hull of reinforced concrete, letting water in to flood the barge. This blast started YOGN-82 on her final 11-minute voyage – to settle quickly and gracefully on the seabed, upright and fully intact, at a depth of 90 to 100 feet.
YOGN-82 has been part of the mill’s 10 vessel breakwater grouping since 1961 and is the first of four vessels which, thanks to Catalyst's consultation with the Reef Society, will transform a group of American-built WW2 II ferro-concrete barges into new marine habitat and a recreational dive destination. Already there’s been keen interest from within the dive community by divers eager to visit this icon of maritime history. Divers were allowed to start exploring the wreck site on Sunday 24 June and the first tour took place on Monday 25 June.
Catalyst Management commented in their press release of 23 June that, following YOGN-82, the company will continue working with the ARSBC to reef three more barges (Emile N. Vidal, Quartz and SS Peralta) over the next five years. Details of these follow-on projects will be posted as timelines are established.
– Rick Wall, Vice President, ARSBC (27 June 2018)
