Wreck of the Zane Gray (AR-160)

Name: ZANE GRAY Type: Liberty Ship-dry cargo

Date Sunk: 1974 Cause: Artificial Reef Program

Size (ft.): Length = 441 x 57 x 37.3 ft. Gross Tonnage: 7191

Propulsion: Triple Expansion, oil-fired steam Location

Construction & Misc. Notes I have seen the name spelled Zane Grey or Zane Gray in several references. The ship was built by the California Shipbuilding Corporation, managed by the famous Henry Kaiser and associates. Kaiser, who had never built a ship prior to the Liberty program, developed the time-saving "prefab" method of shipbuilding. This allowed a liberty ship to be assembled from parts constructed off-site, using labor unskilled in shipbuilding te chniques. As a result, the liberty ships were completed much more quickly than was possible using the more traditional means. In one recording setting effort, the elapsed time from keel-laying to launch was 4 days 15 hours.
Source: L.A. Sawyer a nd W.H. Mitchell, The Liberty Ships, 2nd Edition, Lloyd's of London Press, Ltd., 1985

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DIVING NOTES:

Diving Depths: 65+ ft.

Visibility: n/a

Current: n/a

Summer Temperature: 60s below thermocline

Points of Interest: n/a

Fish/Animal Life: I noted several species of cold/cooler water marine life -- mussels and tautog -- on this wreck.

Description: I have dived this wreck only once, back in August of 1979 (2 dives), and do not have any recollection or log notes as to its condition or structure. I did note that it was warm on the surface, but cool on the wreck and there was a relatively strong current on the day I dived it. When sunk as artificial reefs, most, if not all of the liberty ships were cut down to at least to the upper deck level, thus removing all of the superstructure and other "interest ing" parts. Others were cut down to only 15 feet above the keel! The Zane Gray shares the same resting site as another liberty ship in the artificial reef program, the Dionysus, which was sunk in 1978.

Bottom Navigation Bar

Name: ZANE GRAY	Type: Liberty Ship-dry cargo
Date Sunk: 1974	Cause: Artificial Reef Program
Size (ft.): Length = 441 x 57 x 37.3 ft.	Gross Tonnage: 7191
Propulsion: Triple Expansion, oil-fired steam	Location
Construction & Misc. Notes I have seen the name spelled Zane Grey or Zane Gray in several references. The ship was built by the California Shipbuilding Corporation, managed by the famous Henry Kaiser and associates. Kaiser, who had never built a ship prior to the Liberty program, developed the time-saving "prefab" method of shipbuilding. This allowed a liberty ship to be assembled from parts constructed off-site, using labor unskilled in shipbuilding te chniques. As a result, the liberty ships were completed much more quickly than was possible using the more traditional means. In one recording setting effort, the elapsed time from keel-laying to launch was 4 days 15 hours. Source: L.A. Sawyer a nd W.H. Mitchell, The Liberty Ships, 2nd Edition, Lloyd's of London Press, Ltd., 1985


DIVING NOTES:
Diving Depths: 65+ ft.
Visibility: n/a
Current: n/a

Summer Temperature: 60s below thermocline
Points of Interest: n/a
Fish/Animal Life: I noted several species of cold/cooler water marine life -- mussels and tautog -- on this wreck.
Description: I have dived this wreck only once, back in August of 1979 (2 dives), and do not have any recollection or log notes as to its condition or structure. I did note that it was warm on the surface, but cool on the wreck and there was a relatively strong current on the day I dived it. When sunk as artificial reefs, most, if not all of the liberty ships were cut down to at least to the upper deck level, thus removing all of the superstructure and other "interest ing" parts. Others were cut down to only 15 feet above the keel! The Zane Gray shares the same resting site as another liberty ship in the artificial reef program, the Dionysus, which was sunk in 1978.