St. Lucie County - Monday July 10, 2023: The St. Lucie County’s artificial reef program is partnering with Marine Cleanup Initiative (MCI) to deploy the 127-foot M/V Time on Saturday, July 15 at 9 a.m., weather permitting.
McCulley Marine Services will deploy this historic vessel on the county’s permitted Fort Pierce Sportfishing Club artificial reef site in roughly 160 feet of water.
The M/V Time was one of the first mega yachts constructed of aluminum in 1987 and will become the A. A. Hendry Reef, subject to St. Lucie County Board of County Commissioners approval to pay tribute to the 19th century patriarch of the Hendry family, one of the pioneering families of St. Lucie, Martin and Hendry counties. The project was paid for by a donation from Mr. Gary Hendry and the Hendry family to MCI and will be the fifth deployment that MCI has been involved with since 2021.
The M/V Time was acquired by MCI in August 2022 in coordination with the MCAC Artificial Reef Fund (MCAC). For 10 months, Causeway Cove Marina has donated moorage for the vessel while being cleaned and prepared by McCulley Marine Services. This in-kind donation saved MCI more than $20,000 while allowing the M/V Time to be cleaned of all potential pollutants.
Based on prior deployments, the M/V Time should depart from Causeway Cove Marina at about 6 a.m. on Saturday, July 15. The boat should arrive at the approximate deployment area (27°26'12.0"N / 80°01'08.0"W) at approximately 9 a.m. and the deployment should be completed by 11 a.m.
Viewing of the deployment is encouraged, but vessels should stay at least 50 yards from the deployment to ensure safety of all boats involved.
“This deployment is another part of The People’s Reef Project and shows what can happen when everyone comes together to conserve and protect the marine environment,” said St. Lucie County Coastal Resources Coordinator Jim Oppenborn. “MCI thanks St. Lucie County Artificial Reef Program and Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) for supporting them on this project and is collaborating with the United States Coast Guard and St. Lucie County Sherriff’s Marine Unite to ensure the safety measures of this deployment.”
The aluminum bar taken from the M/V Time has been donated to the Causeway Cove Marina and will be a lasting legacy of the Hendry family and Causeway Cove Marina’s dedication to improve the environment.
For further information or to confirm your participation, please contact Christa Stone with Marine Cleanup Initiative at 772-361-3614. For more information about MCI visit https://marinecleanupinitiativeinc.org.
For information about how to get involved with St. Lucie County’s artificial reef program visit www.stlucieco.gov/artifiicalreefs or contact St. Lucie County Coastal Resources Coordinator Jim Oppenborn at 772-519-6056 or at oppenbornj@stlucieco.org.