New Dive Site? Seneca

[flyboy65]

As you may have read, the tug Seneca is grounded off the coast of Michigan, due to a nasty storm a couple of weeks ago.

A great account here:



The quick wrath of Lake Superior never ceases to amaze me!

The tug is owned by Zenith Tug Co., out of Duluth, and according to the local chapter of the Great Lakes Shipwreck Preservation Society, may be towed back to the Duluth area, stored, cleaned and sunk at an undetermined dive site!

Hope to hear more in the near future, since this has to be moved on pretty quick with winter setting in, and also for fear of leaking fluids where she sits now...even though the fuel and oil have been drained.

[LKunze]

That would be cool to make a new north shore dive site.  Maybe somewhere near the Madeira since that is a nice shore access.

[flyboy65]

According to a buddy of mine, who is a member of GLSPS, that was one location they were talking about.  Another spot would be just off Knife Island, near where the Niagra lies.  But, one would need a boat to dive there. 

I would really be nice to have it close to Duluth, but the lake is so shallow...it's hard to get out to 60' of water from most shore access points.  Plus, with all of the river outlets close to here, viz can be rather fickle.

Hey!  Let's drop it in Ore-B-Gone!

[rcojr]

I was at the GLSPS meeting Thurs. night . The latest news is.
1. The US Coast Guard has continued their Federalization of the Seneca. They intend to lift to tug with a crane and pump it out and tow it back to the Soo.
2. Once the tug is at the Soo, Franz will have the opportunity to reclaim the tug.
3. The US Government will be looking to recover the cost of the salvage operation.(250,000 to 300,000)
4. Greg McMaster of Whitefish Bay is working with Tom Farnquist of the Whitefish Bay Shipwreck Museum to acquire the tug. They are working to create a Bill in the Michigan Senate to pay for it.
Those kind of numbers are beyond the GLSPS's ability to pay.
There are some other tugs coming up in the future and we will be meeting with Franz sometime in 2007 to discuss the possibilities 

[flyboy65]

I just heard the same news.  Would've been great having a new local dive site.  Guess ya gotta move fast on these deals!

[rcojr]

That is why these are so hard.
You almost have to have that kind of money laying around.

[Kirk]

New shipwrecks used to be so much easier.  Stormy night...  hit a rock....  tragic loss of life...  instant shipwreck....  Every time I see one of those big ships in Duluth Harbour I think to myself....  if only they would let me drive their ship.....  I'd find a nice place to park it....  - Kirk

[DiverQueen]

Every now and then Discovery channel re-plays the preparation and sinking of the Oriskany....It's nice to know they work hard to remove all the oils and harmful contaminants before making artificial reefs of these old ships.

[MAXFACTOR]

Kirk,..... I must tell you this....  as I was reading your post, I laughed so loud that my kids were asking me whats so funny....thanks for the laugh, but you are also very philosophical too!

There is something to that though.  My hats off to the captain for making the right decision.  Who know's with SUPERIOR.  THe weather can change in the middle of the summer's afternoon on that lake... and you can have high seas.

Those captains are incredible.

maxfactor

[racer17m]

I think the mining companies should donate some of their old equipment: old (HUGE) dump trucks, cranes, etc. and make an underwater mining operation for divers around silver bay or two harbors.