In May of 1996, a long term local effort finally was rewarded with the sinking of a ninety-foot long steel hulled tugboat.  The local reef committee, made up of interested charter fishermen and local dive operators, working with the Bay County Planning Department, had been targeting several local derelict tugboats for years.  At one time five different tugs sat in Watson Bayou near the former site of the Sherman towing company. Deteriorating more and more each year.  Coast Guard and DEP officials made routine visits to the site. Using boating improvement funds (dollars sent back to local counties from state boat registrations), Bay County purchased the tugboat and began the long process of making it environmentally ready to go underwater.  In many cases, it can be simple but, this time, it was not.  Inspections revealed asbestos that had to be removed and, of course, all fuel and oil contaminants had to go. After many setbacks, everything was finally in order and approved.  This wreck had turned into a real “project” but it did decide to cooperate on the last day and settled upright on the bottom in just under eighty feet of water.