Southern Georgian Bay

[simcoediver]

Is any one out there aware of any other wrecks or interesting dive sites in the Collingwood,,Christian and Hope Island area that are NOT listed in Chris Kohls book? It just seems that with the shipbuilding history of Collingwood there should be more wrecks in this area...Or perhaps they have not been found yet?

 

[d33ps1x]

It'd be nice. I lived there for 12 years. My parents still do. Let me know if you come up with some sitesother than Mary Ward shoals

 

[Tom R]

I know that there is a couple of Airplanes a quarter of mile of shore in Wasago beach, don't know where percisely. If you find them let me know I have some friends that are very interested in finding one.

 

[d33ps1x]

Is that where I left my plane!...

Cool if only the vis was more than 6 inches in Wasaga then it might be an easy task.

Although a quarter mile off shore in Wasaga is only 10 feet of water. Should be an easy find.

 

[Groundhog246]

Except for some areas, such as around Hope Island and off Wasaga beach, most of Southern Georgian Bay is DEEP, much deeper than us recreational type divers should venture. The channel between Christian Island and Beckwith exceeds 300 feet. So except for those few that sank close to the islands or shoal areas, any others will probably remain lost.

 

[d33ps1x]

Nottawasaga bay (the shoal area around Craigleith) is max around 24 feet. Probably not much good in there.

Last summer we swam out at my parents place in Craigleith for well over a kilometer and never did get beyond 11 feet.

 

[simcoediver]

You are right Groundhog 246,,Thats where all the shipwrecks are that we dont know about,,too deep to find. It would be nice though to have another ships graveyard other than Kingston and Toby.

 

[d33ps1x]

Anyone spend much time looking? I would think since so many ships would have gone down because of hitting the shoals that they would be close by.

 

[Tom R]

You are right Groundhog 246,,Thats where all the shipwrecks are that we dont know about,,too deep to find. It would be nice though to have another ships graveyard other than Kingston and Toby.

There's a couple more, one in Hamilton and Toronto, all in the 400 - 500 foot range

Tom

 

[Groundhog246]

You are right Groundhog 246,,Thats where all the shipwrecks are that we dont know about,,too deep to find. It would be nice though to have another ships graveyard other than Kingston and Toby.

Hope Island is about it. Generally you get "graveyards" in shallow areas next to deep water with larger volume ship traffic. In Toby it was traffic up the Lake and going around the Bruce Peninsula into Georgian Bay. For Hope/Christian Island area it was traffic into Penetanguishene and Midland. Had to go North of the islands as there are shallow areas between them and the mainland. (We can scoot through in our sailboat, but the channel at the SW corner of Christian was about 18 feet last time we were there, not enough for a freighter).
Kingston has even more wrecks, as all Seaway traffic must pass through a relatively narrow area causing collisions with other vessels as well as submerged obstructions.

The area from Craigleith (The Mary Ward Shoals) over to Collingwood is quite shallow, even the channel isn't all that deep. Once you get nearer Thornbury, it's not very far out to reach the 150 foot contour and it keeps dropping. I've not heard of any ships sinking arriving or leaving Collingwood, except the Mary Ward (doesn't mean it didn't happen). Only the foolhardy would attempt that channel in a storm, most would opt for Meaford or Owen Sound to wait out a blow.

I heard last summer that someone diving had found a large older ships anchor, similar to the anchor in Toby somewhere just off Meaford. I have not yet managed to catch up with the person (runs a fishing charter in the area) who is supposed to have dove/found it.