• Launched: March 28, 1955, by Scheepswerf Gebr.VanderWerf at Deest, Netherlands for the Otto Shipping Company, Limited

• Destined for use as an artificial reef after she had run aground in Kingston, Jamaica and abandoned.

• Subsequently towed to Florida

• Named Ronald B. Johnson after a serviceman who died in Vietnam, following a raffle conducted by Broward County

Name History:

• Otto (1955)

• Ronald B Johnson (Divesite)

Divesite:

During a joint operation with the US. Navy Explosive Ordnance Disposal team from Jacksonville, Resolve Marine Group sank the Ronald B. Johnson with C-4 explosives on May 15, 1988 ‐ almost two years to the day after the sinking of the Corey N Chris. Amazingly, the hull of the Ronald B. Johnson came to rest directly across the deck of the dredge Corey N Chris. While the Carey N Chris is oriented along the east-west axis, the Ronald B. Johnson runs north-south over the perpendicular hull of the older dredge. Two ships, their sinking separated by approximately two years, now rest in one discrete area off South Florida. Initially, the hull of the Ronald B. Johnson was fully supported by the hull of the Corey N Chris. While the bow of the large freighter rested on the sandy seabed, the stern of the Ronald B. Johnson arced up and was suspended in the water column at an approximate 45-degree angle, rising to within 120 feet of the surface. Time and the forces of nature worked to weaken the integrity of the Johnson, and the influence of Hurricane Andrew in 1992 delivered the final blow, as the keel of the freighter collapsed fore and aft of its bisection with the Carey N Chris. With a maximum depth averaging approximately 260 feet, the “R.B.J.” is definitely a technical dive. Frequently, strong currents sweep over the site. When conditions are nice, the ”R.B.J.” can be an awe‐inspiring dive.