OHIO DIVERS
Contributor
A group of us will be heading up to alpena in late june. Just looking for suggestions on which wrecks to dive.
Thunder bay alpena, michigan wrecks
- Thread starter OHIO DIVERS
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There are lots of awesome wrecks up there what is your depth limit?
Parsons
Contributor
The Lucinda Van Valkenburg is a 138' schooner in 70' of water. Its a lesser known wreck but it seems to stick in my mind. Good for a 6 pack or less dive boat.
DP
DP
OP
OHIO DIVERS
Contributor
On this trip our limit will be 130 ft
jimthediver
Contributor
I ran my boat out of Alpena for 15 years. That was a long time ago, but I'm sure they are all still there. Our number 1 favorite was the Monrovia a salty that was sunk in a collision in the 50's. It sits upright and intact in 150 ft of water. Top of main superstructure is 80' Main deck is 110' from front of the main superstructure forward. Its 100' from rear of the main superstructure to the stern. It's tore up at the hold between the main superstructure and the engine room superstructure. That's where she took the collision. Also there's damage that was done there by blasting to clear the wreckage so the steel she was carrying could be salvaged. She's fully intact from there back. The boiler and engine rooms are really cool but its around 135' in the bottom level. She is a fantastic dive. Only problem is she is 25 miles out from Alpena, 13.5 miles due east of Thunder Bay Island light house. Whoever you are diving with may not want to make the long run out there.
Closer in there is the Grecian, another nice dive, she's only three miles out of the mouth of the Bay. She's in 105' ft of water, 80' on the deck. All the structure above deck was wood and is gone. The bow and stern are intact, the center section collapsed. The engine room is about 95' its interesting but it gets tight in places. The steerage gear in the stern is interesting also. Inside the mouth of the harbor in about 80' is the Montana an old wooden steamer that burnt and sank. Interesting artifacts and the steam engine towers up about 30' off the bottom, an impressive sight on a good visibility day. The Van Valkenburg, an old, fairly intact schooner is also inside the mouth of the Bay in about 70' of water. If the weather is bad and you are a little hard up there is the Monohansett in 25' of water near Thunderbay Island. There are some other good dives like the Viator and Pewabic but they are out in 180-190' ft of water. There are a number of good wrecks in the area, like the Norman (a sister ship to the Grecian!) found since I quit diving up there but they are a long run North of the Bay and are in very deep water. By now they may have also found some more good dives in shallower water, you will have to ask the locals about that. Have fun!
Closer in there is the Grecian, another nice dive, she's only three miles out of the mouth of the Bay. She's in 105' ft of water, 80' on the deck. All the structure above deck was wood and is gone. The bow and stern are intact, the center section collapsed. The engine room is about 95' its interesting but it gets tight in places. The steerage gear in the stern is interesting also. Inside the mouth of the harbor in about 80' is the Montana an old wooden steamer that burnt and sank. Interesting artifacts and the steam engine towers up about 30' off the bottom, an impressive sight on a good visibility day. The Van Valkenburg, an old, fairly intact schooner is also inside the mouth of the Bay in about 70' of water. If the weather is bad and you are a little hard up there is the Monohansett in 25' of water near Thunderbay Island. There are some other good dives like the Viator and Pewabic but they are out in 180-190' ft of water. There are a number of good wrecks in the area, like the Norman (a sister ship to the Grecian!) found since I quit diving up there but they are a long run North of the Bay and are in very deep water. By now they may have also found some more good dives in shallower water, you will have to ask the locals about that. Have fun!
OP
OHIO DIVERS
Contributor
Jimthediver----thanks for the good feedback. Do you know anything about the e. B. Allen?
jimthediver
Contributor
Hi OHIO DIVERS
Your question about the E.B. Allen got me to thinking so I went down to the basement and rooted around until I found my old charts. I had the Allen and Van Valkenburg mixed up (for a long time there was controversy over which was which). The description of the wreck I gave above actually applies to both wrecks only I was off on the position. The Allen is about 3 miles out of the mouth of the Bay, in 100 ft of water (a little NE of the Grecian). The Van Valkenburg is father North about three miles out from Thunder Bay Island, in about 70 ft of water. Not too far from the Van Valkenburg, in about 100 ft of water , is the W.P. Thew, an old wooden steamer. She is nothing special, but worth a splash. Anyone running charters up there probably knows how to find any of these wrecks.
Your question about the E.B. Allen got me to thinking so I went down to the basement and rooted around until I found my old charts. I had the Allen and Van Valkenburg mixed up (for a long time there was controversy over which was which). The description of the wreck I gave above actually applies to both wrecks only I was off on the position. The Allen is about 3 miles out of the mouth of the Bay, in 100 ft of water (a little NE of the Grecian). The Van Valkenburg is father North about three miles out from Thunder Bay Island, in about 70 ft of water. Not too far from the Van Valkenburg, in about 100 ft of water , is the W.P. Thew, an old wooden steamer. She is nothing special, but worth a splash. Anyone running charters up there probably knows how to find any of these wrecks.
AK47Diver
Registered
I'd second the recommendations for the Grecian and the Montana. Absolutely awesome wrecks. The Grecian had an interesting propellor design with removable blades and some spare blades are still there and can be viewed in the immense cargo hold that's now a swim through. Grecian is a definite don't miss dive if you're in Alpena.
The engine on the Montana is awesome - the firebox doors can be opened and there's a huge wrench near the engine.
I've got a few pics from my dives there last July on my blog.
The engine on the Montana is awesome - the firebox doors can be opened and there's a huge wrench near the engine.
I've got a few pics from my dives there last July on my blog.
jimthediver
Contributor
Hi AK47Diver!
I enjoyed the report on your blog. It brought back good memories of many great seasons of diving out of Alpena. Some day you have to get out to the Monrovia, it is a truly awesome dive! have fun!
jimthediver
I enjoyed the report on your blog. It brought back good memories of many great seasons of diving out of Alpena. Some day you have to get out to the Monrovia, it is a truly awesome dive! have fun!
jimthediver
OP
OHIO DIVERS
Contributor
We are planning to dive the following wrecks grecain, e. B. Allen, w.p.thew, monohasett, montan and oscar t. Flint next weekend. Any feedback on these wrecks will be helpful.
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