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USS New York- #2 - Subic Bay - Philippines
dirtguy49 - 12/01/2007 8:40 AM
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Category: Travel
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 USS New York- #2 - Subic Bay - PhilippinesThe following description of this dive site at Subic Bay is from the Boardwalk Dive Center web site. You can access their web site at - www.boardwalkdivecenter.com/

Built in 1891, the ship served in the Philippine-American war, the Chinese revolution and WW1. She was decommissioned in 1931 and stayed in Subic Bay for the next ten years until the time that it was scuttled by US forces themselves to prevent the massive 17-inch guns from falling into Japanese hands.

She lies on her port side in 27m of water, with the topmost parts at 17m. The wreck is pretty much intact, although there is damage to the starboard side, particularly the mess and gun decks. Five decks are of interest.

The main deck at the top contains two sets of turret-guns, both of which are still intact. The bridge has been lost. One deck down is the gun deck. Access is easy through many gun ports. Next is the berth deck - accommodation, mess and officers` quarters. Two hatchways to the stern are easy to penetrate. As all wooden bulkheads are missing, movement through this level is easy. Below this are the stores, magazines and coal bunkers. Access here is easiest through grills under the aft gun turrets on the gun deck.

All the above decks are 6 ft in height. The final, lowest deck is the engine room which is 20ft high. Access is difficult and it is still largely unexplored. All four engines are confirmed to be still in place. Saftey margins here are extremely low.

The wreck is home to barracuda, lionfishes, spotted sweetlips, groupers, lobsters,Octopus,Eagle ray and blue spotted rays. Photography is excellent.

The Philippines has a ton of dive sites, but I mainly go to Subic Bay and Coron to dive the wrecks. For more info about diving at Subic Bay, try the web site mentioned above or the following

http://www.subicdive.com/
http://www.divebluerock.com/
http://www.mangossubic.com/

Let me know if you need more info