Charter in the South West Michigan Underwater Preserve

[JHAM]

Does anyone know of a good charter operator operating in the South West Michigan Underwater Preserve?

I am trying to arrange a trip for my SCUBA club for next summer. I would like to visit the SWMUP and need a charter operator to arrange with.

Any help is greatly appreciated.

 

[justvince]

Does anyone know of a good charter operator operating in the South West Michigan Underwater Preserve?

I am trying to arrange a trip for my SCUBA club for next summer. I would like to visit the SWMUP and need a charter operator to arrange with.

Any help is greatly appreciated.

Where and what is the SWMUP? Did you ever get an answer?

 

[diver_paula]

Where and what is the SWMUP? Did you ever get an answer?

Hi Vince.

I'll answer for Jim given we are in the same local club and have been working together to find a charter in the SWMUP. & given he left for a week in Cozumel early this morning you'd be waiting some time for an answer.

SWMUP is the 10th / newest of Michigan's underwater preserves - Southwest Michigan Underwater Preserve. It covers a portion of Lake Michigan in the Southwestern portion of the state of Michigan between the citites of Holland and New Buffalo. www.michiganshipwrecks.org/SWMUP.htm

To date we have not located a charter operator for the area. Any help would be greatly appreciated as we have already begun making reservations / deposits for the 2005 season charters.

Paula

 

[Oldpirate]

There is currently, as far as I know, no charter operator in the SWMUP. The wrecks within the preserve boundaries are broken up and fairly uninteresting. A charter operator out of South Haven closed up shop a few years ago.

Just north of the preserve boundaries lies the Ironsides in 120 feet off Grand Haven. This was a beautiful wreck in the late 80s and early 90s, but has begun to collapse. The engines and boilers are upright and intact, but the entire bow is missing. The stern has collapsed onto itself in recent years. She is at: 43 02 898 / 86 19 146 .

There are a number of new deep wrecks just outside the area for technical diving only. These include the H. C. Akeley at 42.39.525 / 86.31.700. WARNING: This is a techincal dive for the most experienced divers only. She lies in 275 feet of water and is upright and intact.

A new discovery will be announced by the members of Michigan Shipwreck Research Associates next spring. This wreck lies in over 200 feet of water of Holland and is being documented.

A local diveshop operator -- with no charter license -- has also discovered a schooner somewhere off Holland, but he's not sharing it with anyone.

MSRA is currently searching for the SS Michigan, Andaste, Alpena, Chicora, Hennepin and NW Airlines Flight 2501. You can read about all of them on our website.

Craig Rich
Director
Michigan Shipwreck Research Associates
www.michiganshipwrecks.org
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Hi Vince.

I'll answer for Jim given we are in the same local club and have been working together to find a charter in the SWMUP. & given he left for a week in Cozumel early this morning you'd be waiting some time for an answer.

SWMUP is the 10th / newest of Michigan's underwater preserves - Southwest Michigan Underwater Preserve. It covers a portion of Lake Michigan in the Southwestern portion of the state of Michigan between the citites of Holland and New Buffalo. www.michiganshipwrecks.org/SWMUP.htm

To date we have not located a charter operator for the area. Any help would be greatly appreciated as we have already begun making reservations / deposits for the 2005 season charters.

Paula

 

[diver_paula]

Craig,

Thank you so much for the information. Perhaps a few of us will check out the lumberpiles. To me a lumberpile is like a jigsaw puzzle and has helped me in learning how a ship goes together.

About the Ironsides - is it 120' to the sand or to the deck?

Paula

 

[Oldpirate]

The Ironsides lies flat on the bottom in 121 feet of water. The "deck" is at 110 feet in depth while the highest point -- the top of the cylinder heads -- is another 7 - 8 feet higher. Her superstructure and passenger decks are gone. The forward half of the vessel is split open and largely missing. The arches are intact, although both have fallen inward and one is cracked while the other has a small break in it. Storms in 1998, 2001 and later have really punushed this wreck. It's hard to imagine a surface storm doing damage 120' below the surface, but we have documented "storm event-related" damage.

I wrote up an "Ironsides" web page back in the mid 1990's and have updated it a few times, then moved it to the MSRA web page when we started that organization. It's at: http://www.michiganshipwrecks.org/ironside.htm

Enjoy!

Craig,

Thank you so much for the information. Perhaps a few of us will check out the lumberpiles. To me a lumberpile is like a jigsaw puzzle and has helped me in learning how a ship goes together.

About the Ironsides - is it 120' to the sand or to the deck?

Paula

 

[Oldpirate]

I can say now what I had to keep quiet a few months ago. Members of Michigan Shipwreck Research Associates discovered a new shipwreck off Holland in 2004. We had very high hopes that it might be the S. S. Michigan since the sidescan showed a very strong "metallic" image but, alas, the wreck turned out to be a scuttled barge.

The good news is that it is a wonderful technical diving training locatiion. It's just 10 miles out of Holland Harbor, in 240 feet of water, and is very clean. When we inspected it in September 2004 there were no lines, no monofilament and no obstructions. granted, it's a little boring, what with no penetration, but should prove a perfect site to train technical divers. Instructors who want more information may contact us. The Lat/Longs are: N 42° 46.802' / W 86° 24.025'. Thanks!