EAST
COAST
DIVE
TOUR
2006
Advanced Canadian
Wreck Diving Weekend
1,000 Islands, Brockville
Kingston, Eastern Lake Ontario
Friday, October 6th through through Monday, October 9th
Print as
Articles on 1,000 Islands
Wreck Diving
Join us in
the "Fresh Water Wreck Diving Capital of the World"
The St. Lawrence River and Great Lakes are truly a wreck divers paradise. While several
destinations battle to claim the "Wreck Diving Capital of the World" title,
these areas back it up with an estimated 1,100 shipwrecks and only 400 of
them
identified. The freshwater beautifully preserves even the
most fragile of wooden wrecks, some over 100 years old! And due to the proliferation of Zebra mussels, visibility this time of year can reach
60+
feet! Plus, the favorable exchange rate to Canadian Dollars makes this
a very reasonable trip.
Wonderful
wreck wonderland - including the Best of Both Waters!
Based on the popularity of our Advanced Trip to the St. Lawrence River
last fall, we have decided to run an extended weekend trip (Friday
through Monday) which will include wreck diving off Kingston, Lake
Ontario as well. On Friday and Saturday we will be diving up to 4
different wrecks in the St. Lawrence River and on Sunday and Monday, we
will be diving up to 4 different wrecks in Lake Ontario. These wrecks range from newly-discovered wrecks, to
some from the 1800’s. During this trip, we’ll be diving wrecks of this incredible area with depths reaching up to 120
feet.
Some of the possible sites in the St. Lawrence River include:
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A. E. Vickery
This 136' long, triple-masted schooner went down in 1889 on a
rocky shoal and has a maximum depth of 120' deep. There is a
windlass on the upper deck, along with what looks like a section of mast
and several openings to the hold which can make for a fun swim through.
Two of her masts lie on the bottom just forward of the stern on the
starboard side, and her entire rudder appears intact.
See more spectacular photos of the
A.E.Vickery.
Henry C. Daryaw
The Henry C. Daryaw is a 219' x 35' steel freighter built in France
in 1919. While crossing a shoal around Crossover Isl. on Nov. 21, 1941
she tore a large gash in her starboard side where sank intact but
upside-down in 90 feet of water. Excellent wreck with very
interesting areas to explore. A drift dive can then be executed
upon ascent after the dive.
See more spectacular photos of the
Henry C. Daryaw.
America
The American is a 297 ton steam screw drill barge that sank on July
29, 1932 while dynamiting the bottom of the St. Lawrence Seaway to make
it safer for ships to navigate. She sits upside down at 70' depth off of
Dark Island in the shipping channel. The highlights of this wreck
include a smaller barge that is resting on the bottom next to the stern;
twin props and an explorable area inside that is most interesting.
See more spectacular photos of the
America here and
here.
Eastcliffe Hall
This 343’ long steel four-hold freighter was carrying a cargo of pig
iron when she hit a shoal and sank in 65’ of water in 1970. Due to the
shallow depth, explosives were used to reduce the height of the
superstructure to prevent it from becoming a navigation hazard, but
luckily most of the structure fell inside the wreck and is still there
to be examined, including the now upside-down bridge.
See more spectacular photos of the
Eastcliffe Hall.
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Diver near the bow
of the A.E. Vickory
Henry C. Daryaw
Drawing of America
by Adam Henley
Eastcliffe Hall |
Some of the possible sites off Kingston, Ontario include:
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Comet
On silt bottom, depth 85', deck at 80', length 174'. A wooden side-wheeler,
built in 1848. She sank after a collision with the schooner Exchange in
May, 1861. One of few wrecked steamers where you can still see the engine
and view massive paddle wheels standing 22' above the deck.
See more spectacular photos of the
Comet
here and
here.
George A. Marsh
On silt bottom, depth 85', deck at 80', length 135'. Built in 1882.
The three master schooner was carrying a cargo of coal for the Rockwood
Hospital in Kingston. She foundered in a gale August, 1917 with the tragic
loss of 12 lives. A favorite for photography with bowsprit, ships wheel
and numerous artifacts.
See more spectacular photos of the
George A. Marsh here
and
here.
City of Sheboygan
A three-masted schooner, built in 1871. Loaded with feldspar, she sank
during a storm in September, 1915 with the loss of five crew. Upright wreck
with large intact hull from bow to rudder for swim-throughs. Booms and a mast lie above the
wreck and are impressive when viewed from the deck.
See more spectacular photos of the
City of Sheboygan here
and
here.
Munson
A steam powered dredge and barge that sank in April, 1890 to a depth
of 110 ft. Largest dredge of its day and only wreck of its kind. Still intact
from spud posts, machinery and steam shovel.
See more spectacular photos of the
Munson here
and
here.
George T. Davie
On mud/silt bottom sitting at a slight list, this 177’
composite barge maxes out at 100'. She capsized in April 1945 and was
undisturbed until her rediscovery in 1983. Moored in 2000, she’s almost
completely intact with lots of structure to see.
See more spectacular photos of the
George
T. Davie here
and
here.
|
Paddle wheel of Comet
dwarfing diver lower left
Diver above the bowspirit
of the George A. Marsh
Looking towards the bow
of
the City of Sheboygan
Drawing of Munson
by Adam Henley
George T. Davie
|
Accommodations
We’ll
be spending Friday through Sunday nights at the Comfort Inn located
right off of Route 401. The Inn features continental breakfast, in room
coffee and a complimentary newspaper. The Comfort Inn is only 10 minutes
from the dive center.
Other activities…
Downtown Kingston is a bustle with activity. Lot's of great places to
eat and relax after a great day of diving. For those who wish to make a mini-vacation
of the trip, Kingston offers many other attractions besides diving, including
several Museums, Fort Henry, Hockey Hall of Fame, Murney Tower, The Agnes
Etherington Art Centre, the MacLachlan Woodworking Museum and much more.
You may have heard other divers rave about our previous trips to the Great
Lakes; now it's time to experience it for yourself!
Estimated Base Cost:
$480.00 in Canadian Dollars
Includes 4 days of 2-tank wreck charters, 6 Nitrox fills,
3 nights accommodations including taxes (based on double occupancy).
Travel expenses (Fuel and Tolls), food,
charter tips and deco bottle fills are not included in the above
estimate.
For 2006, this trip will be a-la-carte, meaning each diver will be
responsible for paying for their own charters and hotel
rooms.
If you are interested in joining us on this trip,
please email Jim Vafeas at jimv@tdconline.com to sign up or with any questions as soon as
possible - spots are going fast!
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ADDITIONAL
THE DETAILS...
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Trip Dates: |
Friday, October 6th through
Monday, October 9th
|
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Travel Time: |
6˝ - 7 hours. |
|
Water Type: |
Freshwater - St. Lawrence River and
Lake Ontario |
|
Experience Level: |
Advanced
with
Wreck Diving
Specialty,
Deep Diving,
Nitrox and
Night Diving
certifications. |
|
Attractions: |
Historical, pristine, fresh-water wrecks.
|
|
What we'll be doing: |
4 days of up to 2-tank wreck dives. |
|
Depths: |
Up to 120 feet.
All dives considered advanced. |
|
Meeting Time and Place: |
To Be Determined
|
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Special notes: |
Since we'll be crossing the border,
a VALID Passport is recommended, but an ORIGINAL birth certificate, accompanied
with a VALID photo ID (drivers license) will also be accepted for all
U.S. Citizens. Non-U.S. Citizens may also require a VISA. Information
on obtaining a passport can be found at
http://travel.state.gov/passport/passport_1738.html.
Please contact Jim with any other questions.
Drysuits, large capacity cylinders and pony bottles (or doubles) and
Nitrox certification required. All Divers will be screened for qualifications
before being allowed to sign up for trip.
|
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Important: |
Trip requires a
minimum of 8 divers with verbal commitments by
Tuesday, September 5th to avoid cancellation. Trip limited to
20 divers. |
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Articles on 1,000
Islands Wreck diving:
Kingston, Ontario Trip Report
Great write-up by Tiedemann's Diving Center member
Craig Morris recapping our East Coast Dive
Tour 2003 trip to Kingston, Ontario Canada.
1,000
Islands Trip
Article by Tiedemann's Diving Center member Tom Healy recapping our East Coast Dive
Tour 2000 trip to Kingston and Brockville, Ontario Canada.
Freshwater
Wreck Adventures in the St. Lawrence's Thousand Islands
Skin Diver article By Famed Northeast Photographer Pete Nawrocky
Shipwreck City
Welcome to Kingston, Home to some of North America's Finest Wreck Diving
Sport Diver article by Pierce Hoover