Day 9: Ocean Wave
(August 08, 2004)
This morning we met with Kimm, Paul, and Rob of the Great Lakes Shipwreck Research Foundation in Sturgeon Bay. Traveling nearly 20 miles by boat, we arrived at the site of the newly discovered Ocean Wave. The wreck was discovered after commercial fishermen raised the ship's mast in their nets. Lying in 110 feet of water, the wreck is somewhat broken and scattered along the bottom. What makes the site especially unique is that it is a scow schooner - a box-like vessel that had a square bow and stern. There are very few examples of scow schooners in Wisconsin waters, so when one is discovered, it is big news.
We decended to the bottom to find over 100 feet of visibility, some of the clearest waters to be found in Lake Michigan. Over three dives we collected underwater video and photographs, and examined the intact cabin as well as the intact bowsprit that extends forward of the bow. The vessel's bow is mostly intact and provides an excellent example of the box-like construction of the scow schooners.
Ocean Wave's bow
The stern cabin is especially unique, as the cabins on most shipwrecks did not survive the vessel's wrecking. Several planks are missing, giving the appearance of many windows around the cabin. Unfortunately, there was also much evidence of digging around the site, where unethical divers were looking for buried artifacts to take home as souvenirs.
The stern cabin
Paul, Rob, Kimm, and Keith
All photos courtesy Tamara Thomsen
