
>bow of the Eber Ward that caused the ship to sink.
>The wrecks in the Great Lakes range from 1800s wooden schooners to modern steel freighters. Steamers, wooden freighters, sidewheel ferries and more are preserved in the cold, fresh water. Most of them are picture-perfect shipwrecks, and each has a story to tell. Some are stories of tragedy, some are stories of mystery and survival, but each of them makes wreck diving in this area special. I've dived recreational and technical wrecks in all five Great Lakes, and each area has something different to offer, but the Straits of Mackinac is one of the best places for recreational diving with a variety of wrecks.
>The state of Michigan approved the Straits of Mackinac Shipwreck Preserve in 1983 to protect underwater resources. Covering 148 square miles spanning Lake Huron and Lake Michigan, the well-maintained preserve currently has 12 buoyed shipwrecks, with many other marked sites closer to shore. Seasonal moorings make diving safer and protect the shipwrecks from boat anchor and hook damage, but rocky shoals and shallows make navigation dangerous, especially in stormy weather. The currents, wind and waves can build in this narrow area and cause ships to founder, with other wrecks occurring due to fog and ice.
>The first time I left the dock to dive I could sense how different this area was from other places in the Great Lakes. There are more boats, and it's not uncommon for a 900-foot freighter to pass closely. When underwater, be ready for the rumbling sounds as those freighters move in and out of each lake. Some sites are almost under the Mackinac Bridge, which connects Michigan's upper and lower peninsulas, and most of the wrecks are within 7 miles of the shore. In a single day I dived two completely different wrecks in two different lakes.
>The 604-foot steel freighter was built in 1927 for the Pittsburgh Steamship Company. On May 7, 1965, the ship departed in thick fog with a crew of 35 men on Lake Huron near Rogers City, Michigan, with a cargo of more than 14,000 tons of limestone. There was a miscommunication, and the Norwegian ship Topdalsfjord struck the port side midship of the Cedarville. The Cedarville was hit below the waterline and began to list to port. The captain ordered ballast water to be pumped into the starboard side of the ship to offset the list. He intended to run the ship aground to prevent it from sinking, but as the Cedarville moved toward land, water forced the bow under, and the entire ship rolled over. Ten of the 35 crewmen died, and the rest were rescued from the icy lake waters. The captain of the Cedarville survived and was later found at fault for the horrible accident.
![]() >and sank into 100 feet of water. |
>The wreck now rests on its starboard side with the bow almost overturned. Lines are on the bow and stern since the site is so large, and it's best to do several dives on the wreck to be able to see both areas. As you come down the line, the beige hull appears at 40 feet. The bow is confusing with the way it's almost turtled. The wheelhouse, which sits in shadow at 100 feet with the radio antenna sticking into the mud, is haunting when you think about the decisions made there that put this ship on the bottom. The self-unloading crane is striking, and tons of limestone has poured out of the cargo holds. On the stern you can peer into cabins that still have bunk beds, sinks and clothing, and some still have intact light bulbs. For divers trained in overhead diving, the entrance to the engine room is a decent size, and the triple-expansion steam engine, gauge panels and fuse boxes are so clean it looks like the ship sank yesterday.
>The wreck sits upright in Lake Michigan at 111 to 143 feet. Like the Cedarville, this is a large wreck with lines on both the bow and stern. The stern has an impressive propeller. Peering inside, you can see the engine and intact wood paneling. This wreck has excellent swim-throughs with beautiful blue light pouring into the cargo holds, where you can see self-unloading machinery and other artifacts. The bow is photogenic with several anchors, including a unique mushroom anchor on its port side. The gaping gash from the ice that sunk the ship is on the left side of the hull and is large enough for a diver to easily swim through. Inside the bow is a crew member's boot, an ominous reminder that men were working on this ship and scrambled to save their lives the day it went down.
>One of the oldest wrecks in the preserve, the Sandusky has a lot to offer. It sits upright with a slight list to its port side. The intact bowsprit is an impressive sight. It's not common to see figureheads on wrecks, but the Sandusky has an excellent replica of a scroll figurehead under the jibboom. You can see the original in the Straits of Mackinac Shipwreck Museum at the Old Mackinac Point Lighthouse. The wreck also has two bow anchors, a windlass and many other artifacts.
![]() >visiting the area. |
>When you descend to the wreck of this 225-foot ship, you'll first see the engine and boilers; the prop and rudder are lying in the sand near the stern. A few traffic cones have blown off the bridge and into the water as well. The Minneapolis can be prone to high current even on the bottom at 124 feet.
>My advice is to look for the wreck around 130 feet. If you can see it from the line, you won't have to go to the bottom. This wreck is off the beaten path, but it's worth the trip to dive an intact schooner barge at a good depth for technical diving. I was impressed with the state of preservation on this site and the size of the wreck. Seeing standing masts takes my breath away, especially knowing they've been like that for 127 years.
>Diving

>area and has incredible models of both intact and sunken ships.
>For hundreds of years ships have used the Great Lakes, and for hundreds of years ships have collided in the fog, burned in fires, been sunk by storms or ice, or just vanished. What's exciting about diving the lakes is that people discover new wrecks every year using the latest side-scan technology. With advances in dive technology we can see more of the wrecks during our dives.
>These wrecks ignite my imagination every time I see one sitting perfectly on the bottom, just how I had pictured a shipwreck in my mind when I was young.
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>© Alert Diver — Q2 2020