Pinta
Built: 1959 Sunk: May 7 1963
Depth: 90fsw Tonnage: ?
Dimensions: 200' x 30'
The Pinta was a small ship, just under 200 Ft. long, and 30 Ft. wide she was a freighter built in 1959, with a 500 ton capacity. The Pinta was owned by a Dutch shipping company. She made her living, by carrying goods between the United States and Central America. She plied this route for about 4 years.

On May 7th 1963, tragedy struck, in the form of a collision, while the Pinta was on her way to New York City. She collided with a much larger ship, the City of Perth . The Pinta was hit, a little behind the bows on the port side. It was a mortal wound for the small freighter. The ship began to take on water and sink quickly. Luckily, the City of Perth was able to quickly pick up all twelve crewmen and officers. There was no loss of life. The collision was eventually blamed on the larger ship, due to faulty steering gear. While one door closed, and the Pinta sailed no more, another one opened.

Today, the Pinta lies on her port side, on a hard sand/clay bottom, in 90 Ft. of water. Having had a beam of 30 Ft., the hull rises to nearly 65' Ft. This helps make the Pinta an easy dive. The Pinta rests 23 Mi. From Great Kills Harbor, making her an easy one hour run for the John Jack. Until two seasons ago, the Pinta was completely intact. The large cargo holds are still partially filled with lumber. It is in the lumber piles, that a large number of lobster and black fish like to hide. While the holds are large and fairly open, the stern living quarters can be silty, dark, and hazardous. There are still many artifacts to be found on the pinta, and she is always a good dive. On one of my trips there a few seasons ago, I recovered a hand full, of Dutch coins. The wreck is covered in mussels. We have often stopped there, just to gather some for our Sunday gravy. The visibility is usually 20 - 30 Ft. on this wreck. Since it has a high profile, it often has better vis, than some of the nearby, low lying wrecks. The wrecks proximity to both Shark River (7 Mi.) And Manasquan inlets (11Mi.) make her a popular destination. Some busy summer weekends, she can have 3 boats anchored over her at the same time. I especially love to dive this wreck at night. Her relatively small and intact hull, make it very easy to navigate her at night. She is covered in anenomes that open up at night to feed.

It is possible to enter the chain locker in the bow. In this area, was a beautiful spare prop. It was removed about 10 years ago by Captain Duane Clause on the Porthole. Inside the chain locker, is a good spot to find lobsters. Moving towards the stern you come to the first cargo hold. The kold is fairly deep, and full of wood. After you come out of this hold you will swim over the main cargo boom. If you follow this boom out into the sand, you will find