A proposal to sink a 366-foot decommissioned CanadianNavy destroyer off Mission Beach this fall is scheduled to be taken up Wednesday by a City Council committee.
The HMCS Annapolis would become the second ex-Canadian vessel at the San Diego Underwater Recreation Area, which is popular with diving enthusiasts. The HMCS Yukon was sunk in July 2000.
The proposal before the Public Safety and Livable Neighborhoods would get the ball rolling on environmental reviews, with the aim of sinking the ship in September or October.
The Annapolis is being held under court receivership in Canada because of a default by its owner, according to a city staff report. An organization called California Ships to Reefs is working to acquire the vessel and tow it to the waters off San Diego.
The staff report says the ship would be inspected by Canadian and U.S.authorities before it's towed, and would then go into a dry dock for hull cleaning and removal of any remaining paint.
The ship would be sunk with explosives. It would be inspected for safety before being opened to the public for diving, according to the report.
A handful of divers have died in scuba accidents at or around the Yukon site, and several others have had to be rescued.
