GBA 2022 - Summer Update

The worst maritime disaster ever on Georgian Bay, the Asia sank on September 14, 1882.

It was 6 a.m. when the Waubuno passed the lighthouse at Christian Island. Apart from two lumbermen hearing the ship’s whistle at noon, she was never seen or heard from again.

Christian Island and the adjacent Hope Island is a favourite destination for curious divers given the proximity to several old shipwrecks there. Lost in 1867, the Marquette had been damaged in a storm and dropped anchor east of Hope Island to make repairs. A sudden wind shift finished off the job the storm had begun, sending the boat to the bottom. Marquette is currently the most intact of the area’s wrecks, and because it is sheltered from the winds it can be accessed on most days of the season. The Mapledawn went down northwest of Christian Island in a snowstorm in 1924. Due to reduced visibility from the storm, the ship ventured too close to shore and hit submerged rocks. A section of the stern and a portion of a propeller shaft ripped off, flooding the engine room. Helpless without power or steerage and pushed by wind and waves, she ran aground. Two men made it to shore, hiked across the island for help and all the crew were saved. If you are a shipwreck enthusiast, you might like a snorkelling outing to Carling Rock where the wreck of the Atlantic is located. Near the Mink Islands the remains of the Seattle can be found. Both are in shallow water and can be seen from the surface. A diver actively searching for wrecks must have a licence and can’t take pictures or go near a wreck if one is located. A find must be reported to the Canadian Coast Guard’s Receiver of Wreck. Some wrecks are protected as cultural or heritage resources, other wrecks are located in parks and conservation areas. No one may disturb the following types of wrecks without special permission:

The ships that sank over the course of hundreds of years of travel and commerce along the lakes look much like they did the day they went down. While salty waters can decay sunken ship parts and corrode metal, freshwater acts as the perfect preservative. The very water that brought countless ships to ruin in our Great Lakes serve to protect them. Over time they are forgotten but they sit at extreme depths, preserved for eternity.

≥Wrecks of historical or archeological value

≥Wrecks in marine-protected areas

≥ Military wrecks

www.georgianbay.ca

GBA UPDATE Summer 2022

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