1000 Islands Shipwreck Penetrations

[Trace Malinowski]

With the exception of the Roy A. Jodrey which is still in robust shape having only been on the bottom since 1974, I think the swan song for safe wreck penetration of the other wrecks will come sooner rather than later. Last week, I discovered the bathtub's upper legs have separated from the floor (or wall since she's on her starboard side) in the Keystorm. Interior bulkheads are thinning and that bathtub will most likely explode through the starboard side onto the bottom. The Lillie Parsons and the A.E. Vickery are looking pretty rough for 19th century wooden wrecks. Some of my friends think twice or don't think at all about swimming inside anymore. I've penetrated the America. The biggest concern is still the oil, but it's almost "professional wreck/cave divers only" up inside. The Daryaw seems to be in good shape as well as the Kinghorn. The Empress was covered in another thread.

If we are going to get the most use out of our world-class wrecks and enjoy them for as long as we can, our wreck diving needs to become as low-impact as we can make it. I almost want to make a sign with the "No" circle around NJ wreck training on the buoys. When I joined PSAI, I did so because their wreck and cave manuals were what I thought were the best in the industry at the time. Both disciplines also approached tdiving as a finesse rather than a grunge sport. I have lots of respect for diving legends such as John Chatterton, Gary Gentile, Evie Dudas, and Dan Berg who were true pioneers of northeast wreck diving. My library is filled with their wreck books. But, the unique and slow death of Great Lakes and 1000 Islands shipwrecks in freshwater, beckons us to dive more responsibly so that future generations can share in the joys those of us who love these waters know.

From September until the end of the season, I'll be running shipwreck penetration classes for those who want to learn to go gently into them. Students will be taught a cave diving approach focusing on diving to preserve. I encourage any wreck diving instructor (whether recreational non-penetration or technical penetration) who isn't or hasn't already been doing so, to increase the awareness of diving to preserve. Organizations such as Save Ontario Shipwrecks will also benefit from your support. SOS does a great job and the guys and gals who volunteer their time deserve our gratitude and support to help keep history alive through research, discovery, and preservation and help keep dive sites opened, buoyed, and lined for less human stress on the sites.

For recreational divers, you can truly benefit from buoyancy and propulsion workshops and classes with the right instructors. One day, our wrecks are all going to be more or less in piles, but one day doesn't have to be today. Let's be gentle in there.

 

[Marie13]

Dang. . Wish I could. Just not possible.

 

[rhwestfall]

Nice post Trace!

 

[RyanT]

Thanks Trace: I've been thinking about this lately. The golden age of wreck diving is over and I have mixed emotions about this. I was fortunate enough to be able to dive many pristine WWII airplane wrecks some 25 years ago; most are badly deteriorated now; those dives will always be some of my most important memories.

Modern advances in technology mean that we are seeing almost no new actual wrecks (as opposed to artificial reefs). From a human casualty and economic perspective this is a really good thing. From a wreck diver/historian perspective this is a bad thing. I'll always say, however, this is a net positive as I never want to see any maritime casualties human or economic. But it means our historical diving world is shrinking.

I wish that I could join you for these courses, its just not in the cards for me at the moment. Given my experiences on historic wrecks, I would encourage anyone who can do it, jump at this chance!

 

[Compressor]

Thank you Trace for reminding all that we need to cherish and value our underwater treasures. They cannot be replaced so we need to take care of them. Also appreciate the warning about not penetrating them without proper training.

 

[ajtoady]

Wish I had the time, would love to do this but work as always gets in the way. Maybe next year! Great Post by the way!!

 

[mddolson]

Nice post, keep up the good work Trace.

 

[Stoo]

Nice post Trace. Tobermory is my home base so our wrecks are older and smaller and penetration hasn't ever been much of a thing. I have commented recently that "our generation" has likely experienced the "best of times" for wreck diving and also wreck photography. As mentioned above, we aren't making "real" wrecks any more. In Tobermory, the Niagara was a welcome addition, and with the anticipation of the likely sinking of the Norisle next year, the area is secure as a great wreck-diving location. Between better gear which allows deeper, longer, safer dives, and much-improved water clarity, diving is "primo" these days.

My personal "touchstone" is the wreck of Arabia. I have been diving her for over 40 years. While she hasn't changed substantively, she is certainly sagging. The fore-deck is likely to collapse in the next few years and it's reasonable to assume that the entire hull may collapse sometime "soon". By "soon". I am thinking in "shipwreck years". I am 63 and hope to continue diving there for another decade at least. I think she'll outlast me, but perhaps not.

I have openly pondered whether taking steps to delay the inevitable is desirable. In 1981, a small group of us installed the steel rods through the hull of the Sweepstakes and these have unquestionably kept her intact. The Park did more work a decade or so ago, but the work we did was what really what made the difference. I approached the Park about doing something similar to the Arabia and was met with a flat "no". In part, (and I readily recognize this) the depth of Arabia makes any such work MUCH more complex than it was on the "Sweeps". However, the main complaint the Park had was simply that any sort of preservation work would violate Parks Canada's stated policy of not doing anything that would interfere with the natural state of these wrecks. In other words, let them fall apart. I think that this is a stupid policy and it serves no good purpose whatsoever.

More recently, I suggested that "we" could carefully lift the anchors off the deck of Arabia and place them on the bottom next to the hull. I don't know how much those anchors weigh, but at perhaps 5000 pounds each, the downward forces they exert on the hull must be significant. But again, my suggestion was met with a flat "no".

Each spring, I am often the first to dive Arabia and as I approach her, with fingers crossed, I am thrilled when I find her upright and looking sharp. As long as I dive, I hope to be able to enjoy this view.

 

[stuartv]

Maybe a small team with the right tools could start creating some new wrecks in the Saint Lawrence....?

LOL

I am REALLY looking forward to next week!

 

[Stoo]

Maybe a small team with the right tools could start creating some new wrecks in the Saint Lawrence....?

I like the way you think! I surfaced from a dive a few years ago, just as two tall ships were sailing past in Lake Huron. One was a four-masted brigantine and the other was a smaller barque. I had two immediate thoughts. First was "I was born 150 years too late" and second was, "How long would it take with a chordless drill and a 1/2" bit.... "