DRUG BOAT WILL SERVE LIFE TERM Reef Association Sinks Panamanian Ship Off Lockwood Folly hy i>ou<; kirn kr A Panamanian ship seized about 10 years ago in a drug raid off the Brunswick County coast started a life term of community scrvicc last week. ITic Jell II. a 170-foot, steel hulled ship, was sunk at an artificial reel site 10 miles off Lockwood Folly Inlet last Wednesday. Federal officials confiscated the boat in the early 1980s after stop ping it about 1(H) miles offshore and seizing several tons of marijuana on board, according to Charlie Perry of American Fish Company in South port. The boat had been moored in Wilmington since then, but now promises to attract fish such as the prized king mackerel to the waters off Lockwood Folly Inlet. Dale McDowell, president of the Long Bay Artificial Reef Associa tion, said die boat was dropped on a reef that was formed in 1987 with a set of old boxcars and later expand ed with fiberglass boat molds. The Jell II sinking was the first sinking of a large boat arranged by the seven-year-old reef association, which draws its members from the Brunswick County and Oak Island fishing clubs. "We sink 'em. You fish 'em" is the motto of the group, which works with and receives financial help from the N.C. Division of Marine Fisheries and Brunswick County Commissioners. The Atlantic Occan floor along much of the North Carolina coast is Hat, not well suited to mos! rccrc ^ STAFF PHOTOS BY DOUG RljTTER MARINE FISHERIES OFFICIALS watch from their boat as the 170-foot Jell // is positioned over an artificial reef 10 miles off Lock wood Folly Inlet. LORAN coordinates are 45352.0, 592X9.0. alional and commercial fishing. McDowell said artificial reefs provide a special habitat that at tracts small bait fish. That, in turn, draws larger fish such as amberjack, cobia, barracuda and kings. "They'll be catching fish on it be fore the summer's over," said Mc Dowell, an avid fisherman from Sunset Harbor. The reef site. No. 445, is located about 9.3 miles out. Fishermen have already seen benefits from the reef association's last project. A barge was sunk off Shallotic Inlet in December 1989, and anglers were catching fish there the next spring. But fishermen aren't the only THE PANAMANIAN SHIP tilts on its starboard side as it starts to sink. Once used to transport illegal drugs+the vessel is now expected to draw fish such as barracuda and king mackerel to the Hrunswick County coast. June Was Warm And Dry The month of June was wanner and much drier than normal in southeastern North Carolina, ac cording to the National Weather Service in Wilmington. Average temperature for the month was 77.8 degrees, or 1.2 de grees above normal. The region re ceived only 2.57 inches of rain in June, which was 3.08 inches below normal. The average high temperature in June was 87.7 degrees while the av erage low was 67.9 degrees, accord ing to the weather service's monthly report. The highest daily temperature was 96 degrees June 1 . The mercury climbcd above 90 degrees on 14 days in June. The coolest reading of the month was 57 degrees, which occurred ev ery day June 6 through June 10. Cooling degree day units in June totaled 392. That was 44 units above normal and brought the sea sonal total to 864, which is 269 above average. The weather service recorded measurable rainfall nine days dur ing the month and thunderstorms on seven days. The greatest amount of rainfall in a 24-hour period was 1 .06 inches on J unc 19 and 20. Despite the lack of rain, there were only seven clcar days during the month. The weather service re ported there were 12 cloudy days and 1 1 partly cloudy days. This pro duced 66 percent of the possible sunshine for the month. Average wind speed for the month of June was 7.8 mph. The weather service recorded a peak gust of 44 mph during a thunder storm June 1. Ondura re-roofing sale ?Fast, easy installation ?Goes directly over old roof ?Won't rust or corrode ?Reduces noise ?Provides added insulation ?Lifetime warranty MAUI r\ Ml \/ IMVJ VV U HLI (h^954 *W ti+ft e i'4 IWfri ?*??'? % >tK IWf. ? _ m ( old Been ? Hi?i a/ f ill /U^ 'rf*' Causeway ? Our a I' ? H42 .v> /.> uiu\mu\unv\ ^ ones expected to benefit from the addition of the Jell II to the Lock w(xxl Folly reef. "Thai's going to be good for divers too because it's going to be open where they can go all the way into the bottom," McDowell said. Three lug boats pushed and pul led the Jell II from its resting placc in Wilmington to the reef site last Wednesday. The caravan started down ihc Cape Fear River on a falling tide around 6:30 a.m. and reached the site about six hours later. With fishermen watching from three private boats, tug crews posi tioned the boat just a few feet wesl of a large yellow buoy marking the IN SUPPLY BRING HOME THEfiBEACON On Sale At BRUNSWICK HOSPITAL KIRBYS PROFESSIONAL PHARMACY reef and opened valves and haichcs on the bottom and sides of the ship. Water entered the ship's hull ior nearly an hour without any visible signs that the vessel would soon sink about 50 feet to the ocean floor. "I think the Titanic sank faster than this," said Ruby McDowell, watching patiently from the sun drenched deck of her husband's boat, Dalee. Once the boat started sinking, however, it was only a matter ol minutes before it disappeared below the ocean surface. The Jell II first tilted on its starboard side before Fishermen! All reels stripped of old line, taken apart, cleaned, greased and relined by machine. Call Scott Burr 579-4548 after 5 righting itself and dropping straight to the bottom. The ship went down shortly alter 2 p.m., ending IX months of wading through red tape and waning for permits and proper weather condi tions. For acquiring the ship and coor dinating the actual sinking. Mc Dowell said the reef association paid S45.