Day 8: Door County
(August 07, 2004)
Keith and Tami headed to Door County to check out the site for next month's survey at Jacksonport as well as the newly discovered wreck of the Ocean Wave. Before heading to Jacksonport, we first launched from Baileys Harbor to dive the Frank O'Connor. The Frank O'Connor burned to the waterline before she sank, providing one of the Great Lakes' best examples of a triple-expansion steam engine complete with boilers, shaft, and propeller. Conditions topside were excellent with glass-smooth water, and the bottom conditions were equally as good, with 60 feet of visibility. The steam engine was quite obscured by large schools of baitfish, with large lake trout circling around, and occasionally eating the smaller fish. Despite the fish, we were still able to examine the immense steam propulsion machinery, steam winches, and steel strapping used to prevent hogging and sagging on the large wooden vessel.
Fish surround the immense engine
Following the Frank O'Connor we headed to Jacksonport to examine the Reynold's Pier site off Lakeshore Park. Remains of the pier are still visible just under the surface of the water, as well as the remains of the Perry Hannah and the Cecelia just to the south of the pier.
Pier remains
Large sections of the vessels remain, including a centerboard, centerboard trunk, keelson, mast step, and large sections of the vessels' sides. Stay tuned to see how underwater archaeologists document the site in September.
A centerboard lies on the lake bottom
All photos courtesy Tamara Thomsen
