CSTR Unveils USS Kawishiwi Project Logo
CSTR's first major sinking project, the USS Kawishiwi, now has its own special logo design, commemorating its upcoming journey from a Navy vessel to an artificial reef.
"The Kawishiwi is an exciting project for CSTR," said Joel Geldin, CSTR's Chairman and CEO. "We are working with government agencies, contractors and environmental organizations to sink the Kawishiwi one and one-half miles southwest of Dana Point Harbor. There, it will become an artificial reef, attracting new ocean life and bringing economic benefits to the community."
The new Kawishiwi logo is an adaptation of CSTR's own logo design, with unique additions, including a profile of the ship. The concept was developed by Vern Bouwman, a former Kawishiwi crewmember and a member of CSTR. The Kawishiwi is a decommissioned Navy fast fleet oiler which served in Vietnam. Former crewmembers of the ship were among the people who commented on and helped compile the final logo design.
Creating a logo design for the Kawishiwi is a tradition CSTR plans to continue with each one of its ship sinking projects. "The project teams and hundreds of volunteers who make these sinkings possible deserve to have their projects recognized individually," said Geldin.
The logo design has been beautifully embroidered onto apparel which are available online at the CSTR store (http://store.californiashipstoreefs.org). The polo shirts and hats made their debut last month at the reunion of Kawishiwi veterans in Bremerton, Washington.
The Kawishiwi sinking is projected for 2013. The sink site has been identified and initial survey dives have been completed. CSTR gained support from the California Department of Fish and Game, which contacted the appropriate federal agency, the Maritime Administration (MARAD), asking them to review the project's suitability. MARAD has determined the ship is available and suitable for sinking.
