Ronald B Johnson

Both the Corey ‘n’ Chris, or CNC, and the Ronald B. Johnson, or RBJ, were named in a naming contest. Their sinking was separated by approximately two years, and they now now rest in one discrete area off shore at Pompano Beach. The wreck known as the Corey ‘n’ Chris was named in honor of Carlos Sanchez’s two sons. Originally a 130-foot-long dredge was called BC-246, it belonged to the U.S. Army. Constructed by the Nashville Bridge Company in 1942, the BC-246 was later sold and rechristened as the Trident. After a productive career, the aging dredge was intentionally sunk on May 18, 1986, through collaborative efforts by the Pompano Beach Fishing Rodeo, Inc. and Broward County. It ultimately settled on the seabed at approximately 260 feet. The vessel’s is oriented in an east-west direction, sitting on a slight slope: the stern reaches around 270 feet, while the sand near the bow lies at 255 feet below the surface. The Ronald B. Johnson, launched on March 28, 1955, by Scheepswerf Gebr.VanderWerf in Deest, Netherlands, initially served the Otto Shipping Company, Limited. After running aground in Kingston, Jamaica, and being abandoned, it found a new purpose as an artificial reef. Towed to Florida, it was renamed in honor of a serviceman who lost his life in Vietnam, following a raffle conducted by Broward County. Name History: Original name: Otto (1955) Current name: Ronald B. Johnson (Divesite) The Ronald B. Johnson is named after a serviceman who died in Vietnam. In a joint operation with the U.S. Navy Explosive Ordnance Disposal team from Jacksonville, Resolve Marine Group sank the Ronald B. Johnson using C-4 explosives on May 15, 1988—almost two years after the sinking of the Corey ‘n’ Chris. Remarkably, the Ronald B. Johnson’s hull came to rest directly across the deck of the older dredge, Corey ‘n’ Chris. While the Corey ‘n’ Chris is oriented east-west, the Ronald B. Johnson runs north-south over the perpendicular hull. These two ships now rest in one discrete area off South Florida. Initially, the Ronald B. Johnson’s hull was fully supported by the Corey ‘n’ Chris. Over time, natural forces weakened its integrity, and Hurricane Andrew in 1992 delivered the final blow, causing the keel of the freighter to collapse fore and aft of its bisection with the Corey ‘n’ Chris. With a maximum depth averaging approximately 260 feet, this is definitely a technical dive. Strong currents often sweep over the site, but when conditions are favorable, these wrecks offer an awe-inspiring dive experience