Friday, August 31, 2012
Artist Chris Wojcik's sculpture shattered as support strap breaks during sinking process
- VOLUNTEERS IN THE NEWS
- Karen Wall
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Friday, August 31, 2012
The snap of a support strap was all it took to end Chris Wojcik's dream of placing a giant sculpture on the Axel Carlson Reef. The 47-foot sculpture of a horseshoe crab — representing more than a year's worth of work to construct it and raise funds — lies in pieces in 80 feet of water, according to Hugh Carberry, director of the state's Artificial Reef Program through the Division of Fish and Wildlife. "It was basically my worst nightmare coming true," Wojcik, of Point Borough, said Thursday evening, when he finally returned home after spending a few more hours at the reef site trying to assess the damage. The sculpture was welded onto a pair of 50-foot deck barges, and the 50-ton assembly towed out to the reef site Thursday morning. Once …
Thursday, August 30, 2012
Strap supporting concrete crab snaps; outcome uncertain
A 47-foot-long horseshoe crab replica is now sunk at an artificial reef off the coast of Mantoloking, but not as planned. After Point Borough sculptor Chris Wojcik invested more than a year of time building and readying a concrete crab replica for its place at the Axel Carlson reef, it was finally sunk today. But the sinking turned out to be far more dramatic than anyone expected or wanted. Two hours were spent methodically preparing for the sinking, with the crew of the ocean crane Columbia New York filling the twin, 50-foot barges that support the structure with water, then strapping it to a crane to ensure the crab, which is welded to the barges, remained upright when it reached the ocean floor. But just before noon, the strap …
Friday, August 17, 2012
Sculptor Christopher Wojcik hopes giant creation will have its home on the bottom soon
- THE NEIGHBORHOOD FILES
- Karen Wall
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Friday, August 17, 2012
Chris Wojcik’s dream may finally come to fruition later this month. After months spent planning and building his 47-foot replica of a horseshoe crab, Wojcik’s ultimate plan – to put the crab on the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean – is planned for the last week of August. Or should we say, planned again. The crab originally was scheduled to be sunk on July 25, but one of the summer’s many storms disrupted that and forced postponement. “I told my wife the other day I feel like I’m nine and a half months pregnant,” he said with a laugh on Thursday afternoon. “I just want to get it out.” A break in the weather that will allow for the sinking appears to be coming up Aug. 28, 29 and 30, he said. At that time, all the parties involved -- including …
Mark Story Jenks
3:20 pm on Sunday, September 2, 2012
And it wouldn't matter which end was up, after it landed on the sea floor. more ›