Thumb Area Bottomland Preserve

Information from Michigan Underwater Preserves

There are nineteen major shipwrecks in the 276 square miles of the Thumb Area Bottomland Preserve in lower Lake Huron. Although there were never any major communities in this region, ships traveling between Buffalo and western ports such as Duluth, Milwaukee and Chicago made this area a busy place where storms, accidents and fires claimed their share of vessels.

Divers can expect to find shipwrecks in a variety of conditions, from intact to very broken up. Visibility in this region is often excellent, with up to 50 feet not uncommon. This Preserve contains many shipwrecks that have yet to be located. When diving in this area, look for debris trails that could lead to important and exciting discoveries.

Known ships include the Philadelphia and Albany, which collided in a 1893 accident.

The Philadelphia rests upright on the bottom in 130 feet of water. This 236 foot steamer is mostly intact and divers may be surprised to find a cook stove still resting on the deck. The Albany, a 267 foot steel steamer southeast of the Philadelphia, was under tow after the collision when it sank in about 150 feet of water. Both vessels offer excellent diving, but because of the depth, divers should have adequate experience before visiting these sites. Visibility ranges from 5 to 15 feet.

Also found here are the Arctic, a steamer which sprang a leak and foundered with no lives lost. The engine is very distinctive. The Dunderburg, a schooner with a very unusual figurehead, was lost after a collision about four miles off of Harbor Beach.

Glenorchy was a 365' steel steamer which collided with the Leonard B. Miller. The wreck is located about ten miles east southeast of Harbor Beach.

Goliath was a package and bulk freight steamer which exploded on Lake Huron, taking 18 souls to the bottom. The ship caught fire and sparks reached the cargo of general freight and 200 kegs of blasting powder. The main features are a tall, upright engine, boiler, stove, and unusual early propellers.

John McGean was a large steel freighter which went missing with all hands in the Great Storm of November 9-11, 1913, and lies upside down. "Mystery Schooner" is also called the "Challenge," referring to the daunting task of identifying it. Waverly was a wooden steamer which sank with its coal cargo in a collision with the steamer Turret Court, on July 22, 1903 with no loss of life.

A popular site for divers of lesser experience is the Chickamauga, which foundered in 1919. A double-deck schooner, 322' long, it is found about 1/2 mile east of the Harbor Beach harbor, a relatively protected area, so heavy seas rarely interfere with dive plans.

The Thumb Area Bottomland Preserve has been the focus of remote sensing projects, which have led to new discoveries. Other dive sites include the Hunter Savidge, Glenorchy, Iron Chief, Daniel J. Morrell, Governor Smith, and Enterprise.

Besides shipwrecks, divers visiting this area will enjoy caves created by eroded limestone, located near the edge of the reef near Port Austin Lighthouse.

Grindstones, which were used in manufacturing, can be found off Grindstone City, where they were once manufactured.

This area has many boat launches and marinas capable of serving sport divers who bring their own boats.

THUMB AREA PRESERVE SHIPWRECK INFORMATION

The coordinates are presumed to be accurate but we place no guarantee.  Water depths may be off due to water level changes.  Always evaluate weather conditions and divers abilities before diving any wreck.  We are not recommending any of these dive destinations. We are only publishing information. Caution some wrecks may be out of the sport diving depth limit. Diving is a potentially dangerous activity. Neither Rec & Tec Dive Charters nor its contributors accept responsibility for diving related injuries incurred by those who view this site. The materials at this site are for informational purposes only and are not intended to substitute for dive training.  Site conditions change rapidly therefore wreck descriptions should not be relied upon before or during a dive.

Albany was a 267' steel bulk freight steamer. She sank first in the collision with the Philadelphia on November 7, 1893. She lies in slightly deeper water. She went down with 8 crewmembers. The wreck sits upright and intact.

Artic was a steamer. She sprang a leak and foundered with no lives lost. The engine is distinctive.

Charles A. King was a schooner. She foundered miles north of Harbor Beach. Her captain and crew were rescued by a passing steamer. The C. A. King is a two masted schooner, 140' long and was hauling coal at the time of her sinking. She sits upright on the lake bottom at 215'.

Chickamauga was a double-deck schooner that was 322' long.   It is now located about 1/2 mile E of the Harbor Beach harbor.

Dunderburg was a schooner that was lost after a collision about four miles off of Harbor Beach. 

Emma L Nielson was a 98' three masted schooner. She sank in a collision in fog with the 346' steel steamer, Wyandotte in June, 1883.

E.P Dorr was a 161' huge 300-ton, wooden tug. She collided with the steamer, Oliver Cromwell, in June, 1856.

Fred Lee was a 70' tug. She foundered with the entire crew of five on Friday the 13^th of November, 1936. The hull is intact with an anchor on the bow and a steel ship's wheel.

Glenorchy was a 365' steel steamer.  It collided with the Leonard B. Miller. The wreck is located about ten miles east south east of Harbor Beach. The wreck lies in about 120', upside down. For those trained, she is a nice wreck for penetrating.

Goliath was a package and bulk freight steamer. She exploded on Lake Huron taking 18 souls with her. The ship caught on fire, sparks reached her cargo of general freight and 200 kegs of blasting powder. Her main features are her tall, upright engine, boiler, stove, and unique early propellers.

Governor Smith was a 240' wooden freighter. She sank in a collision in thick fog with the larger freighter, Uranus, on August 19, 1906.

Hunter Savidge was a 117' two-masted, 152-ton schooner. She capsized on August 20, 1899, after being hit by a sudden white squall. Five lives were lost

Iron Chief was a 212' bulk freight steamer. She sprang a leak and foundered in heavy seas. Machinery is the site's highlight.

John McGean was a large steel freighter. She went missing with all hands in the Great Storm of November 9-11, 1913. She lies upside-down. It's a deep dive to see lots of steel hull.

Marquis was a three-masted schooner-barge. She was caught in a blizzard in 1892 and strained. Because it is so shallow, the wreck is badly broken up and scattered.

Minnedosa was a four-masted schooner. She was the largest sailing ship ever built on the Canadian side of the Great Lakes. She sank with all hands in a servere storm on October 20, 1905. The wreck was located in 1991 after a long search by Dave Trotter and his team. She sits upright in about 211', a beautiful wreck to see.

Morrell was 586' steel freighter. She broke in half in a furious storm on November 29, 1966 and from her crew of 29 men, there was a single survivor. The Morrell's stern half steamed off into the night for an incredible five miles after she broke in half. The stern lies slightly deeper than the bow.

Mystery Schooner is called by some divers, the "Challenge," referring to the daunting task of identifying her.

Philadelphia was a 236' iron hulled propeller. In November 1893 she collided with a steamer, Albany and sank with the loss of 16 lives. The wreck's noteworthy sights include the engine, two boilers, rudder, propeller, stern capstan, and a load of cast-iron stoves.

Waverly was a wooden steamer. She sank in a collision with the steamer "turret Court," on July 22, 1903. No lives were lost, but the ship, with her coal cargo, was a complete loss.