Dive instructors and advanced scuba students from the Florida Keys Community College are helping mitigate safety concerns aboard the Gen. Hoyt S. Vandenberg while the reef-to-be is docked at Truman Waterfront.

The students and instructors are joining the paid security staff that remains on board at all times to monitor the ship for flood or fire.

"We're all used to watching out for a buddy while diving, and this gives our students and instructors an insider's knowledge of the ship they eventually will be diving and leading others around," said Doug Rudolph, a college instructor and consultant with Artificial Reefs of the Keys, which spearheaded the reef project.

The volunteers work in six-hour watches, and accompany the security personnel on walk-throughs of the ship that include checking the bilge to ensure that it is not taking on water, and patrolling the areas that have been in contact with cutting torches to ensure that no stray sparks are posing a fire risk.

Crews are cutting more and more holes in the side of the ship on a daily basis. These holes will allow air to escape during the sinking, said project organizer Joe Weatherby. They are not diver-access holes, he emphasized, but are being cut to ensure a stable and straight sinking.

Also, the Russian writing on the port side of the ship, visible from Key West Harbor, is a relic from the ship's starring role in the film "Virus." Some people have wondered whether the foreign name indicated organizers had the wrong ship.

mbolen@keysnews.com