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Don't be the Average Tourist
Most people come to Mackinac to eat fudge. We have a better idea. Come explore the schooners, steamers and freighters that have met their doom in the narrow passage that separates the upper and lower peninsulas.
Tragedy Galore:
This area has a well-deserved reputation of being dangerous to navigate. The region is populated with small islands, rocky shoals, and shallow 'speed bumps'. Add to this dangerous mix, are quick-forming storms and frequent blankets of fog. More than a few ship careers and sailor lives have been lost in this five-mile long stretch of water.
What We Love About Mackinac:
Visibility is usually exceptional, often exceeding 60ft. Water temperatures are comfortable and many people dive it in a wetsuit. Finally, most of the ships are in great condition, especially the Signature Wrecks. Many are intact with artifacts still in place.
Enjoy the Water not Your Car Seat:
Mackinaw City is a 4-hour drive from Battle Creek. In the Shipwreck-Weekend world, this is a comfortable drive distance.
Most people come to Mackinac to eat fudge. We have a better idea. Come explore the schooners, steamers and freighters that have met their doom in the narrow passage that separates the upper and lower peninsulas.
Tragedy Galore:
This area has a well-deserved reputation of being dangerous to navigate. The region is populated with small islands, rocky shoals, and shallow 'speed bumps'. Add to this dangerous mix, are quick-forming storms and frequent blankets of fog. More than a few ship careers and sailor lives have been lost in this five-mile long stretch of water.
What We Love About Mackinac:
Visibility is usually exceptional, often exceeding 60ft. Water temperatures are comfortable and many people dive it in a wetsuit. Finally, most of the ships are in great condition, especially the Signature Wrecks. Many are intact with artifacts still in place.
Enjoy the Water not Your Car Seat:
Mackinaw City is a 4-hour drive from Battle Creek. In the Shipwreck-Weekend world, this is a comfortable drive distance.
Here are a few of the Signatures wrecks in the area:
- Sandusky: The brig, Sandusky, is exactly what you imagine an 18th century shipwreck to look like. She sits upright and intact with a scroll figurehead, bowsprit with chains, windlass and anchors. She is the oldest and most visited wreck in the area.
- Eber Ward: This is a store favorite. The wooden steamer, Eber Ward, is 213ft long and visibility is often excellent so you can see much of the ship. Ice was the culprit to her sinking and she sits upright and is penetrable. Three anchors and a large steam engine is just a fraction of what you'll see.
- Cedarville: One of the coolest things about being on a dive boat by the Mackinac Bridge is watching the massive freighters cruise by. You feel small and insignificant next to these behemoths. The other cool thing about being in Mackinac is diving on such a freighter! The steel freighter, Cedarville lies in 40-106ft of water. She is 588ft long so it’s impossible to see the whole wreck in one dive. The Cedarville, collided with a Norwegian freighter in 1965 with ten lives lost. She lies on her side and is mostly intact.
- William Young: This schooner-barge wasn't discovered until 2002. She sank over a 100 years earlier while in tow and now sits beautifully intact except for the bow area. It is a SASS favorite and shouldn't be missed.
- William H Barnum.: Ice sank this ship....in April, which seems to be a common theme of many of these wrecks. The Barnum lies in 58-75ft of water. She is upright and mostly intact with an interesting boiler, steam engine, and windlass.
- Maitland: In 1871, the Maitland was in tow when she collided with a steamer, Golden Harvest and the schooner Mears. No one lost their lives but there is a load or corn in the cargo that’s waterlogged. She sits upright in 84ft of water and has lots of stuff to see.
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Package Includes:
Space Available: 6 Cost: Diver $469 Non-diver $159 Payment: For weekend trips, a $100 nonrefundable deposit is necessary to guarantee space in the boat. Final payment is due 30 days prior to departure. These trips are non-refundable unless the space can be refilled. If space is refilled, 50% of the trip total cost is refundable. Weather Policy: As we often say, ‘those ships are on the bottom for a reason’. The Great Lakes can be rough and your safety is our utmost concern. Sometimes it is necessary to cancel charters without much notice due to water conditions. These cancellations are usually refunded or a credit is given for a future trip, depending on the charter boat we use. The boat captains try to be very fair about refunds and/or rebooking. Thermo Protection: Most people use 7mm wetsuits and hoods, boots, gloves. A drysuit is wonderful but not necessary to explore our Great Lake shipwrecks. The exception is for technical dives when drysuits are a must. Dry suit classes and rentals are available thru SASS. Water temperatures range from the low 40’s to the high 60’s. |
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