Day 3: Ottawa and Fedora
(July 31, 2004)
Saturday brought better weather conditions: partly cloudy skies and warmer temperatures. We planned to venture to the Pretoria today, but windy weather and electrical problems aboard the R/VDawn Treader resulted in the crew surveying wrecks in closer, more sheltered waters.
These bricks protected the wooden hull from the boiler's heat
We launched from Red Cliff harbor and headed 3 miles north between the mainland and Basswood Island, setting anchor near the
Ottawa. Lying in 16 feet of water, the wrecksite is easily identifiable from the surface (see the
Ottawa site plan). Tami captured still photographs with her underwater camera while Keith and Paul completed the the video survey. Due to the shallow nature of the wreck and the excellent visibility, much of the video survey was conducted from the surface.
H.D. CoffinberryImmediately to the north of the Ottawa lies the remains of the H. D. Coffinberry. Much of the Coffinberry lies above the waterline, making it easily explored by nondivers. On the return trip to Red Cliff we stopped to examine the wreck of the Fedora. The Fedora is easily located as some of the frames remain above the water line, and the wreck's outline is easily detected in Lake Superior's clear, cold waters (Fedora site plan). The shallow waters make the wreck easily accessible to swimmers, snorkelers, and kayakers.
Kayaker exploring the
Fedora
The
Fedora's bow
Although the wrecksites were previously surveyed and mapped, the surveys were conducted over ten years ago. By resurveying the sites, we can determine what, if any, changes have taken place on the sites in the last decade. We can use this information to help determine any steps necessary to help preserve the wrecks.
