YMS Minesweeper Deck Plans
Thursday, June 4, 2009 at 01:23PM Located in Lake Washington are three YMS minesweepers. Two of these vessels are very much intact. Our team has been using the below deck plans to explore these three vessels over the last several years. These deck plans are for YMS series 135-409.
Please note that these plans should be used only for general reference. The vessels in Lake Washington have been modified following their military use and do not fully match the structural diagrams. Additionally, the two groups conducting penetration dives on the newest minesweeper both experienced partial structural collapse. The latest collapse was quite serious and could easily have been life threatening. Both dives required a zero visibility exit from the vessel.
Penetration dives on the Lake Washington Minesweepers should not be undertaken.
The below files are high resolution PDF files:
Reader Comments (1)
My dad was a "plankholder" on YMS-250, out of New Orleans, circa 1943. I've done archival research to show his grandchildren some inkling of what his service was like. Your plans are for the first class of YMS-1 (Twin stacks) , not YMS-135 subclass. This latter subclass was identical [to YMS-1] but had only one stack rather than two, and consisted of YMSs 135–445, 480, and 481. YMS-446 subclass was also identical but had no stacks, and consisted of YMSs 446–479. So, if your wrecks turn out to be 1-stackers, they are in the YMS-135 class (unless they were retrofitted after the war to have 2 stacks -- not likely with salvaged boats...). That said, the scanned plans have been added to our family archive, as the nearest-and-best plans available. Thanks for your efforts!