Project Milestones
Update: 09/06/2022
After some delay the deployment of Reef Balls that will adorn the The Brian Davis will be sunk tomorrow. This should be nice addition as it has been reported that many species of fish are now residing in and around the The Brian Davis. The addition of the pipe and reef balls will greatly and enhance AR-368. Please send us pictures we can share, thank you!
After some delay the deployment of Reef Balls that will adorn the The Brian Davis will be sunk tomorrow. This should be nice addition as it has been reported that many species of fish are now residing in and around the The Brian Davis. The addition of the pipe and reef balls will greatly and enhance AR-368. Please send us pictures we can share, thank you!
Update: 07/22/2020
After 3 years we are almost finished achieving our goal for the introduction of The Brian Davis Artificial Reef Memorial. The salvage operator is in final stages of preparing the boat to be environmentally safe for the sinking. This new AR over time will be transformed into a brand new premier angler and diving destination. I am sure Brian's Spirit will be there to make this happen as I know he would be so proud if he were still with us today.
The scheduled sinking date is for Friday, July 24, 2020. The sinking process will begin around 9:00 AM. Barring prohibitive sea conditions the tug will be towed to AR 368 and the new reef will be created on the morning of July 24, 2020.
Our family and invited friends will join us to watch the sinking via private charter. Those with the capability to travel by other boats are very welcome and encouraged to make your own arrangements. We'd love to see you out on the water! For those planning to ride their own boats, the location of the sinking is 34 09.514'N, 77 25.782'W
The sinking is planned for early morning. Please share the information as you see fit in other social platforms.
Update July 22, 2020
The Brian Davis is underway from Norfolk, VA and is scheduled to be on site July 24, 2020. There The Brian Davis will come to rest at the bottom of the sea and will be a new addition to the North Carolina's Artificial Reef Artifacts.
After 3 years we are almost finished achieving our goal for the introduction of The Brian Davis Artificial Reef Memorial. The salvage operator is in final stages of preparing the boat to be environmentally safe for the sinking. This new AR over time will be transformed into a brand new premier angler and diving destination. I am sure Brian's Spirit will be there to make this happen as I know he would be so proud if he were still with us today.
The scheduled sinking date is for Friday, July 24, 2020. The sinking process will begin around 9:00 AM. Barring prohibitive sea conditions the tug will be towed to AR 368 and the new reef will be created on the morning of July 24, 2020.
Our family and invited friends will join us to watch the sinking via private charter. Those with the capability to travel by other boats are very welcome and encouraged to make your own arrangements. We'd love to see you out on the water! For those planning to ride their own boats, the location of the sinking is 34 09.514'N, 77 25.782'W
The sinking is planned for early morning. Please share the information as you see fit in other social platforms.
Update July 22, 2020
The Brian Davis is underway from Norfolk, VA and is scheduled to be on site July 24, 2020. There The Brian Davis will come to rest at the bottom of the sea and will be a new addition to the North Carolina's Artificial Reef Artifacts.
| TheBrianDavisTow.3gp |
Update of as of June 22 2019.
NCDMF has begun the process of visiting marine salvage operators and the pictures shown below are the vessel types that are being targeted for our artificial reef project. We are now in a position whereby NCDMF will handle all logistics from procurement to sinking. Our excitement now has been tempered by NOAA's Protected Resources Division who has not granted their approval to North Carolina. NCDMF must obtain approvals from Corp of Engineers and NOAA PRD. The Corp of Engineers has responded positively, but NOAA's PRD has not approved the state's comprehensive plan. The latest update from NOAA is late September 2019. There are several reef projects within North Carolina in the works that are all currently in limbo, hopefully all projects will be able to move forward soon. Stay tuned ...
NCDMF has begun the process of visiting marine salvage operators and the pictures shown below are the vessel types that are being targeted for our artificial reef project. We are now in a position whereby NCDMF will handle all logistics from procurement to sinking. Our excitement now has been tempered by NOAA's Protected Resources Division who has not granted their approval to North Carolina. NCDMF must obtain approvals from Corp of Engineers and NOAA PRD. The Corp of Engineers has responded positively, but NOAA's PRD has not approved the state's comprehensive plan. The latest update from NOAA is late September 2019. There are several reef projects within North Carolina in the works that are all currently in limbo, hopefully all projects will be able to move forward soon. Stay tuned ...
Update of as of December 12 2018.
As we move forward with our project team can confidently say that we are now in a position to say the Brian Davis Memorial located within AR-368 will be a premier spot for Divers and Anglers alike. The current reef plan is to secure a 180' Tugboat adorned with approximately 300' reef balls. The projected sinking time frame will be between August and September of 2019.
As we move forward with our project team can confidently say that we are now in a position to say the Brian Davis Memorial located within AR-368 will be a premier spot for Divers and Anglers alike. The current reef plan is to secure a 180' Tugboat adorned with approximately 300' reef balls. The projected sinking time frame will be between August and September of 2019.
- On October 11, 2018 we were officially notified that our proposal to sink a tug boat at least 60 foot in length and to be publicly none as 'The Brian Davis' was accepted. We are anticipating planning sessions within the next several weeks to begin the planning process. Above is the AR site chosen because of Brian's affinity to the area when he went diving. Please check back here periodically for future updates as we move through the process. Again the Davis family is eternally grateful for all those that have contributed, your encouragement, and the continued support in helping us make this memorial a reality.
Great News Today – 10/21/2019
NCDMF has been approved for their master reef plan and they have received their permit. I have been informed by the Director of the Artificial Reef Division of NCDMF they intend to issue a bid to the salvage company next week for the vessel shown in my previous post. After a long two years this is the most significant and positive news we have received to date. It is now my belief that finally we will now begin to enter into the logistical phase of securing and the sinking of the ' The Brian Davis'.
On behalf of my family this has been a bitter sweet endeavor to honor my beloved Son. I want to deeply express my gratitude to all those who have contributed to this project. I want to sincerely thank the entire Artificial Reef team within NCDMF for their efforts and support over the last two years. Working with the management team has been a real pleasure.
As we begin the next phase, please check back often for updates.
Update as of October 11, 2018
**** GREAT NEWS ****
NCDMF has approved our proposal and we now begin the logistical process of acquiring and sinking a tug boat. Our family is extremely grateful for those that have contributed and supported us in making this memorial a reality in honor of Brian's memory.
Please refer to the Project Milestones tab for updates going forward on the project.
Update as of August 6, 2018
NCDMF is holding the first of several meetings tonight in Raleigh to discuss the latest updates. With some good fortunes the Southern Onslow Bay Region may have received approval from the Corps of Engineers which opens the door significantly towards achieving our goal. Stay tuned ...
Update as of June 10, 2018
Good News I attended a meeting recently and got some clarity on the process and challenges that NCDMF has faced in creating their 5 year master plan for future artificial reef enhancements. For the last 18 months NCDMF has been working with Corps of Engineers to gain approval on their master plan and they now can see the light at the end of the tunnel. The NCDMF has divided the NC coast into 5 regions for reef projects. The first region to finally gain approval was the Outer Banks. A write up from WSOC TV about their project can be found at this link. We are now hopeful that the other regions will be granted a permit from the USACE in short order since the language in each region is the same. All of us our tapping our fingers!
The Brian Davis Artificial Reef will be in the Southern Onslow Bay Region. Which AR site we will choose is TBD, but it will be one of the surveyed sites between 4 NM and less than 20 NM of the coast of Wrightsville Beach. Due to some recent requirement changes for Tug Boat operators has given us a good amount encouragement that we may be able to procure and sink a Tug Boat with monies we have raised to date.
Update as of January 02, 2018
The NC Division of Marine Fisheries believes the coordination efforts between their agency and Corps of Engineers should be resolved very soon allowing North Carolina to begin permitting new AR applications. We are coordinating our efforts with the Onslow Bay Artificial Reef Association ( www.obara-ncreefs.org/ ) . Using this organization and pooling our resources may afford us some additional funding towards getting this project off the ground. We're very excited about this new development. We recognize the process is going to be long, but we all remain steadfast in achieving our goal to place a memorial in the sea beneficial to the ecology and enjoyed by divers and anglers alike, in memory of Brian.
For those have contributed thus far we thank you very much. The total funds collected thus are in fully intact and are being held in a designated banking account that is linked to the GoFundMe site. No funds will be distributed until we have NCDEQ permit in hand and a sound execution plan that has been thoroughly vetted by the vested group at large.
Update as of Sept 25, 2017
Currently the permit request has been filed with the North Carolina Division of Marine Fisheries. In 2017 the Corps of Engineers issued some new regulations on Artificial Reefs that is now being reviewed. In the interim we are trying to locate a vessel between 65' and 100' that will be suitable for all regulatory agencies
NCDMF has been approved for their master reef plan and they have received their permit. I have been informed by the Director of the Artificial Reef Division of NCDMF they intend to issue a bid to the salvage company next week for the vessel shown in my previous post. After a long two years this is the most significant and positive news we have received to date. It is now my belief that finally we will now begin to enter into the logistical phase of securing and the sinking of the ' The Brian Davis'.
On behalf of my family this has been a bitter sweet endeavor to honor my beloved Son. I want to deeply express my gratitude to all those who have contributed to this project. I want to sincerely thank the entire Artificial Reef team within NCDMF for their efforts and support over the last two years. Working with the management team has been a real pleasure.
As we begin the next phase, please check back often for updates.
Update as of October 11, 2018
**** GREAT NEWS ****
NCDMF has approved our proposal and we now begin the logistical process of acquiring and sinking a tug boat. Our family is extremely grateful for those that have contributed and supported us in making this memorial a reality in honor of Brian's memory.
Please refer to the Project Milestones tab for updates going forward on the project.
Update as of August 6, 2018
NCDMF is holding the first of several meetings tonight in Raleigh to discuss the latest updates. With some good fortunes the Southern Onslow Bay Region may have received approval from the Corps of Engineers which opens the door significantly towards achieving our goal. Stay tuned ...
Update as of June 10, 2018
Good News I attended a meeting recently and got some clarity on the process and challenges that NCDMF has faced in creating their 5 year master plan for future artificial reef enhancements. For the last 18 months NCDMF has been working with Corps of Engineers to gain approval on their master plan and they now can see the light at the end of the tunnel. The NCDMF has divided the NC coast into 5 regions for reef projects. The first region to finally gain approval was the Outer Banks. A write up from WSOC TV about their project can be found at this link. We are now hopeful that the other regions will be granted a permit from the USACE in short order since the language in each region is the same. All of us our tapping our fingers!
The Brian Davis Artificial Reef will be in the Southern Onslow Bay Region. Which AR site we will choose is TBD, but it will be one of the surveyed sites between 4 NM and less than 20 NM of the coast of Wrightsville Beach. Due to some recent requirement changes for Tug Boat operators has given us a good amount encouragement that we may be able to procure and sink a Tug Boat with monies we have raised to date.
Update as of January 02, 2018
The NC Division of Marine Fisheries believes the coordination efforts between their agency and Corps of Engineers should be resolved very soon allowing North Carolina to begin permitting new AR applications. We are coordinating our efforts with the Onslow Bay Artificial Reef Association ( www.obara-ncreefs.org/ ) . Using this organization and pooling our resources may afford us some additional funding towards getting this project off the ground. We're very excited about this new development. We recognize the process is going to be long, but we all remain steadfast in achieving our goal to place a memorial in the sea beneficial to the ecology and enjoyed by divers and anglers alike, in memory of Brian.
For those have contributed thus far we thank you very much. The total funds collected thus are in fully intact and are being held in a designated banking account that is linked to the GoFundMe site. No funds will be distributed until we have NCDEQ permit in hand and a sound execution plan that has been thoroughly vetted by the vested group at large.
Update as of Sept 25, 2017
Currently the permit request has been filed with the North Carolina Division of Marine Fisheries. In 2017 the Corps of Engineers issued some new regulations on Artificial Reefs that is now being reviewed. In the interim we are trying to locate a vessel between 65' and 100' that will be suitable for all regulatory agencies