In April we posted, Farewell to Newtown Creek, New York’s Lovely “Honey Tanker”.  It was a fond farewell to a lovely coastal “honey tanker” that carried sewage sludge around New York harbor for decades.  When she was sold we did not know what was to become of her. We wrote: “The two rumored bidders were a scrap dealer from Maryland and a town in Florida with plans to sink the ship offshore as an artificial reef.” It turns out that, like so many other aging New Yorkers, the tanker is going to retire in Florida, in this case as a reef off Pompano Beach.

The ship was purchased at auction from the City of New York by Shipwreck Park, Inc., a not-for-profit organization initially funded by the City of Pompano Beach and the Isle Casino Racing Pompano Park in a public-private endeavor. Shipwreck park has renamed the Newtown Creek, the Lady Luck. After being stripped and cleaned of all pollutants, the 324′ tanker will be scuttled roughly a mile offshore in an area with 16 other existing wrecks.  She will be sunk on July 23rd in around 120′ of water with the top of her stack about 50 feet under the surface.

Pompano Beach artist Dennis MacDonald has been hired to create unique underwater displays, including a casino theme for the ship deck. The art displays will include a swim-through cascade of gigantic dice, great for photo opportunities, as part of the Isle Casino Racing Pompano Park sponsorship. Shipwreck Park Foundation says that the ship will be “one of the most artistic, intriguing, and attractive dive sites in the entire world.”

Lady Luck comes to town