Through the generously sized holes opened inside the corvette «Oliveira e Carmo» you can see the engine room below. If you look up, you can see the ship's chimney. «Divers will be able to enter through here and have access to the interior of the ship. The last level, which will be deeper, will only be accessible to technical diving», explains Luís Sá Couto, mentor of the «Ocean Revival» project.
At the end of October, the project will finally materialize with the sinking two miles from Prainha (Portimão) of two old Portuguese warships – the corvette «Oliveira e Carmo» and the ocean patrol «Zambeze».
The two ships are already ready to be sunk, moored side by side at the Portimão shipyard docks. On the deck of «Oliveira e Carmo», now stripped of weapons, cables and a whole range of materials and equipment, walk the two Canadian specialists from the company Canadian Artificial Reef Consulting, responsible for the operations of the sinking of the ships.
The first to sink will be the corvette, followed a week later by the small patrol ship. The exact date of the sinking will be announced today in a session at the Municipal Theater of Portimão, to which businessmen from the tourism sector were invited.
«And it's about time», says Luís Sá Couto, owner of the diving company Subnaut, founder, with the Câmara de Portimão, of the Musubmar association, promoter of the Ocean Revival project, which plans to create, through the sinking of old Portuguese Navy ships, a structure of artificial reefs off the coast of Portimão, aimed at underwater tourism.
The ships were supposed to have been sunk last August, but the complications in transporting the necessary explosives from the United States of America forced successive postponements of the operation. It's just that the clipping explosives are provided by the US armed forces, which, in times of constant terrorist threats, do not exactly facilitate the task.
«It was only possible to obtain these explosives with the intervention of the Portuguese Navy, which has been tireless and has helped us to resolve the numerous bureaucratic issues involved in the departure of explosives from the United States, their transport and their storage in Portugal. It is the Navy that will store the explosives when they arrive in our country and will check if everything is ok», explains Sá Couto.
The explosives are now being transported by sea, on a ship escorted by the US Armed Forces, on a journey that takes 15 days. The purchase and transport of explosives alone costs 120 thousand euros.
Technicians from the specialized Canadian company, which has vast experience in sinking ships all over the world – it has already sunk 23 – made the calculations so that the placement of the clipping explosives in the hull of the corvette «Oliveira e Carmo» opens half a dozen of square holes about a meter on a side. All so that, when it sinks, the ship stays straight on the sandy bottom of the sea, a mile off Prainha, between Portimão and Alvor.
«The cargoes are already placed outside the port. The ship is towed to the sinking site and it is there that the frames will be placed with the explosive cord, which heats the plate and cuts it, opening the holes that will lead to the sinking», explained Luís Sá Couto, in an interview to Sul Informação.
Taking into account the fears expressed by ecological associations, namely by the League for the Protection of Nature, the person responsible for the Ocean Revival project insists on explaining that "the explosives to be used do not have great expansion, they will not kill animals, nor do they have lead".
Good sea conditions are essential for sinking
In order for the operation to take place, on the last weekend of October, there is still a fundamental requirement, but it is something that no one can control: «they have to be in good sea conditions».
Therefore, it is not surprising that Luís Sá Couto has felt increasingly restless with the passing of time, the coming autumn and the state of the sea having more chances of not being appropriate. "We're a bit tight for time," he admits.
The sinking of this, which is the first ship to integrate the future artificial reef created thinking of the millions of divers in the world and that the Algarve wants to attract, will itself be a tourist attraction. There are already maritime-tourist vessel companies scheduling special trips to watch the sinking.
“A security cordon will be created around the site, but anyone who wants to take people to see it is free to do so. This will take place in October and will make it possible to create a great business day, unusual outside the high season», explains Sá Couto.
If all goes well, the day after the corvette sinks, and after the Navy divers confirm that everything is ok and that the safety conditions are guaranteed, divers can start exploring the old Portuguese warship, resting on a bottom of sand at 35 meters deep, but with the bridge at 15 meters.
«On the day of the sinking, one hour later, a team of divers from the Portuguese Navy, plus the Canadian team, will check the stability of the ship. Depending on what they determine, they will know if they can dive immediately or not», explains Sá Couto.
“The ship is well ballasted. The very weight of the ship and the fact that it has a wide base, as it is lightly keeled, should help its settlement on the bottom in that area, which is made of sand and mud”, he adds.
There is still a lack of money to complete the entire Ocean Revival project
Although the project Ocean Revival be promoted by the Musubmar association, whose founder is Luís Sá Couto's company, any company, entity or association can take its divers there, as the site will be open to free diving, as long as the rules are respected.
And speaking of rules, Ocean Revival has created a conduct manual, which will be sent to all companies that, in the Algarve and beyond, are dedicated to diving. “These ships, as they are something different in the world, as it is the first time that a navy fleet from a country is sunk on purpose, will attract a lot of curiosity. That is why it was essential to create a manual with clear rules, to ensure everyone's safety».
The regulation will be validated by the Captaincy of Portimão, and has been developed in conjunction with the dive centers of Portisub and Exclusivediver (Alvor).
The Ocean Revival project foresees, in total, the sinking of four deactivated ships of the Portuguese navy – the corvette «Oliveira e Carmo» and the ocean patrol «Zambeze», in the first phase, the frigate «Hermenegildo Capelo» and the ship “Almeida de Carvalho”, afterwards.
If ever fully implemented, the project will cost 2,5 to 3 million euros. But, with the crisis installed, it is not known now if it will ever be implemented in its entirety, especially since it only has a large private patron.
This first phase alone cost close to one million euros. Not counting the transport, in February, of the first two ships from Alfeite, in the Tagus estuary, to the Port of Portimão, where the decontamination and preparation for sinking operations took place.
However, the project launched on your website a crowdfunding operation (hosted on the ppl.com.pt platform) through which everyone can contribute financially to support. Just donate 10 euros for anyone to become a patron of the project. And there are already many there, especially people linked to diving, as you would expect.
Luís Sá Couto has not completely given up hope that other companies or tourist groups will perceive the project's interest in creating a new market niche that will attract more tourists to the Algarve. “What moves me through all this? Do anything useful for the country. We – Subnauta – will benefit, but so will all other companies. Nobody sees Portugal and the Algarve as a diving destination yet, but Turismo de Portugal will now have reasons to promote the country as such, having as its lure a project that is unique worldwide».
“Worldwide, there are eight million divers. If we manage to attract 70 to 90 thousand a year here, this will have a very big impact on the region. It will be additional tourists, with money, who would not come here. This can boost new dive centers, new businesses, new companies».
On the last weekend of October, if the state of the sea doesn't play any tricks, then the first step will be taken towards the realization of Luís Sá Couto's dream.
Veja here more pictures of the two ships prepared for sinking.
Watch here Jay Straith of Canadian Artificial Reef Consultant explaining this company's work on the Ocean Revival project:
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