The Texas Coastal and Marine Council inherited the V.A. Fogg after she sank on February 1, 1972. She had sailed from Freeport, Texas into the Gulf of Mexico after off-loading a cargo of benzene. She was headed offshore to clean the tanks and was carrying a load of xylene when a spark ignited the benzene fumes, and the volatile cargo created an explosion that ripped apart the ship's hull plating, nearly splitting the vessel in two. She quickly sank in 100 feet of water. This tragic accident created the beginnings of the Freeport Liberty Ship Reef Site.
The S. S. John Worthington was a WWII tanker, originally built in 1920. She made 20 voyages during the war before being torpedoed off the coast of Brazil on May 27, 1943. Despite a house-sized hole in her hull, the Worthington's crew sailed back to Galveston. She was damaged beyond repair. After being stripped and partly salvaged, the ship was abandoned behind San Jose Island, where she eventually succumbed to the sea. This wreck is neither monitored nor maintained by the Program but is included here for the benefit of anglers, divers and the general public. Visibility at the site varies from good to poor. Anglers can target typical bay fishes such as sheepshead and spotted sea trout. Click the following link to read more about the Worthington (PDF, 729KB).
Ships on the Horizon
Texas Parks and Wildlife would like more ships to reef in the Gulf. We continue to look for opportunities to add other qualifying vessels to the Ships-to-Reefs program. Anyone interested in donating a vessel may contact Dale Shively, Artificial Reef Program Leader, at 512-389-4686.