aue-mike
Contributor
The Association of Underwater Explorers have identified a shipwreck resting in 220 feet of water off Islamorada as the steamer
Queen of Nassau, formerly the gunboat C.G.S. Canada. The Queen of Nassau sunk on July 2, 1926, while en route from Miami
to Tampa. At the time, she was owned by Barron Gift Collier, Sr., a prominent Florida businessman who was largely
responsible for the development of Southwest Florida.
Built in England in 1904, the Canada became the flagship of the Canadian Fisheries Protection Service. She was 200 feet long
and 25 feet wide, a miniature version of a naval cruiser. Stationed at Halifax, Nova Scotia, the primary responsibility of the
C.G.S. Canada was the protection of Canadian fishing interests in the northwest Atlantic, though she conducted numerous
other maritime duties. In 1911, she became the primary training ship for the newly-established Royal Canadian Navy (R.C.N.).
Many of the new officers trained on the Canada would go on to lead the R.C.N. in years to come. Eventually commissioned into
the R.C.N. in 1914, she served as a patrol vessel throughout World War I. Decommissioned in 1919, she returned to the
Fisheries Protection Service until her subsequent sale in 1924.
The Queen of Nassau was bought by Collier with the intention of employing her as an excursion steamer between Miami and
Nassau. However, the ship lacked sufficient passenger accommodations and soon lost favor with prospective customers. The
Queen of Nassau was anchored in Biscayne Bay and remained there for almost 18 months. It was reported that she was to be
sold to a Mexican company for use between New Orleans and Tampico. Representatives were to complete the transaction
upon her delivery to Tampa, where she would be placed in drydock and inspected. However, years of neglect had taken a toll
on the once-proud ship. The ship barely made headway and required constant repairs upon her departure from Miami on June
30, 1926. As she cruised slowly off Islamorada, she began flooding. Unable to keep up with the rising water, the ship was
eventually abandoned. The crew safely boarded a lifeboat and watched as the Queen of Nassaus bow rose high in the air, and
then slipped beneath the surface as she sunk stern-first in 220 feet of water.
Resting in the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary, the wreck is intact and in remarkable condition. While the site is a
fairly well-known local fishing spot, the wreck has been visited infrequently by divers in the past due to the depth of the water.
However, recent advances in diving technology and mixed gasses have allowed technical divers to safely explore and document
the historical vessel.
Pictures of the Queen of Nassau (ex-C.G.S. Canada) can be viewed at: http://www.mikey.net/aue/islawrk.htm
The Association of Underwater Explorers is a coalition of divers dedicated to the research, exploration, documentation, and
preservation of submerged cultural resources.
Queen of Nassau, formerly the gunboat C.G.S. Canada. The Queen of Nassau sunk on July 2, 1926, while en route from Miami
to Tampa. At the time, she was owned by Barron Gift Collier, Sr., a prominent Florida businessman who was largely
responsible for the development of Southwest Florida.
Built in England in 1904, the Canada became the flagship of the Canadian Fisheries Protection Service. She was 200 feet long
and 25 feet wide, a miniature version of a naval cruiser. Stationed at Halifax, Nova Scotia, the primary responsibility of the
C.G.S. Canada was the protection of Canadian fishing interests in the northwest Atlantic, though she conducted numerous
other maritime duties. In 1911, she became the primary training ship for the newly-established Royal Canadian Navy (R.C.N.).
Many of the new officers trained on the Canada would go on to lead the R.C.N. in years to come. Eventually commissioned into
the R.C.N. in 1914, she served as a patrol vessel throughout World War I. Decommissioned in 1919, she returned to the
Fisheries Protection Service until her subsequent sale in 1924.
The Queen of Nassau was bought by Collier with the intention of employing her as an excursion steamer between Miami and
Nassau. However, the ship lacked sufficient passenger accommodations and soon lost favor with prospective customers. The
Queen of Nassau was anchored in Biscayne Bay and remained there for almost 18 months. It was reported that she was to be
sold to a Mexican company for use between New Orleans and Tampico. Representatives were to complete the transaction
upon her delivery to Tampa, where she would be placed in drydock and inspected. However, years of neglect had taken a toll
on the once-proud ship. The ship barely made headway and required constant repairs upon her departure from Miami on June
30, 1926. As she cruised slowly off Islamorada, she began flooding. Unable to keep up with the rising water, the ship was
eventually abandoned. The crew safely boarded a lifeboat and watched as the Queen of Nassaus bow rose high in the air, and
then slipped beneath the surface as she sunk stern-first in 220 feet of water.
Resting in the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary, the wreck is intact and in remarkable condition. While the site is a
fairly well-known local fishing spot, the wreck has been visited infrequently by divers in the past due to the depth of the water.
However, recent advances in diving technology and mixed gasses have allowed technical divers to safely explore and document
the historical vessel.
Pictures of the Queen of Nassau (ex-C.G.S. Canada) can be viewed at: http://www.mikey.net/aue/islawrk.htm
The Association of Underwater Explorers is a coalition of divers dedicated to the research, exploration, documentation, and
preservation of submerged cultural resources.
