identified a number of factors which may have contributed to the grounding. The crew of Mesquite had never tended this buoy before and thus was not familiar with the area. It was a dark, overcast night, eliminating any visual references. GPS was unavailable, LORAN was inaccurate, radar was insufficiently precise, other navigational aids in the area were unlit, and the chart of the area had an inappropriate scale. In short, it was difficult to tell precisely where the ship was in relation to the shoal. The bright lights on the buoy deck hurt the crew's night vision. There was no lookout posted on the flying bridge who might have seen or heard waves breaking on the shoal. The officer of the deck failed to confirm the ship's location before getting underway and the captain failed to review the officer's work. Additional issues were identified as potentially preventing the ship from promptly refloating after the grounding. The ship was not aggressively lightened. Fifty tons of fresh water were not pumped overboard. She retained her anchors and chain as well as the 7 tons of buoys she had recovered. Only a limited attempt was made to back off the shoal and the bow thruster was not used. Some of the crew exhibited signs of panic. Salvage and sinking The Coast Guard believed that storms and ice would break-up the stranded Mesquite, transforming her into an environmental and navigational hazard. It determined to remove her during the summer of 1990 while the ship was mostly intact. There were three options considered for the hulk after it was removed from the shoal. First, it could be scrapped. Second, it could be repaired and returned to service, but at an estimated cost of $44 million, this option was quickly discarded. Third, it could be scuttled not far from the grounding and become a recreational diving attraction. There were several issues with the diving proposal, all of which revolved around liability. There were concerns that fuel, oil, or other toxic substances would leak from the wreck. There were concerns that lawsuits might result from divers injured on the wreck. The Keweenaw Bay Indian Community was concerned that the wreck would interfere with fish spawning. The Coast Guard was not willing to shoulder this liability, as recreational diving sites are not part of its mission. Secretary of Transportation Samuel Skinner, who supervised the Coast Guard, offered to