Diver Finds Previously Undiscovered Shipwrecks on Lake Michigan Floor: Watch

A diver has found a cluster of previously undiscovered shipwrecks in the waters of Lake Michigan under the Island of Skillagalee, a land mass about the size of two football fields with a lighthouse and little else.

Shipwreck diver Ross Richardson’s discovery includes what remains of a side-wheel steamer, believed to be the 226-foot-long wooden A.D. Patchin, which ran aground in September 1850, The Grand Rapids Press/MLive reports.

“I was looking for wrecks that haven’t been discovered and have a decent last known position,” said Richardson, a diver and author originally from Grand Rapids and currently living in the Benzie County village of Lake Ann.

“This is kind of the last place in Lake Michigan where there’s a concentration of wrecks that are undiscovered, but somewhat attainable,” he said.

Skillagalee was a treacherous spot for ships before the days of advanced navigation, because they became ensnared in the reefs of shallow gravel shoals, located about four feet under the surface.

Once aground, valuables were removed from the hips and the hulls were left exposed to the harsh waves, wind and ice, and eventually slipped beneath the water and fell to the lake’s floor.

Here’s what Richardson wrote about his find on YouTube: “Wreck Site A consists of the bow section of a large ship, built from enormous white oak timbers, lying on its port side. 110 feet long and 23 feet from the keel to the top of the stem post. The wreck is in 35 feet of water and appears to be the the bow of sidewheel steamer A.D. Patchin. The wreckage appears to be even longer, but much of it is buried in sand and gravel. No artifacts are present at the site, confirming the Patchin was heavily salvaged soon after she wrecked.”

Click the YouTube links below for more on what the diver found, including his notes:

Wreck Site B: “Wreck site B covers the largest area of all the wreck sites and has the most artifacts present. The site consists of three major pieces of hull wreckage and the area is strewn with artifacts such as mast hoops, chain and shackles. The largest section is the keel of the ship which includes the bow area. This section measures 78 feet long and is 20 feet wide. A 57 foot section of the side of the ship lies at a 90 degree angle to the keel wreckage, with hanging knees present. It measures 9 feet high, but is lying flat. A third section of wreckage lies about 100 feet away and appears to be the stern section of this sailing vessel, measuring 46 feet in length and 12 feet wide. The wreckage is consistent with the brig Julia Dean.

“The Julia Dean was a 150 foot brig which stranded at Skillagalee on October 6, 1855. The Captain of the Julia Dean claimed that he was lured onto the reef with a false light by Mormon pirates from Beaver Island. This claim was vigorously denied by the Mormons.”

Wreck Site C: “Wreck site C was an interesting site consisting of the keel of sailing vessel, measuring 63 feet in length with a beam of 22 feet. A couple artifacts were present at this site, which is in 30 feet of water.”

Wreck Site D: “Wreck site D is a 95 foot long, 12 foot high side of a ship’s hull. There’s possibly an internal hogging brace present, which indicates the vessel was well over 100 feet in length. Hanging knees adorn the wreck and is a dead giveaway for those with an experienced eye that this is a hull side. This wreck site is in 30 feet of water.”

Wreck Site E: “Wreck site E appears to be the side of a very old sailing vessel. At a depth of 20 feet, it’s the shallowest of the wreck sites. This site demonstrates one of the difficulties encountered while shipwreck hunting, as the sonar target is barely distinguishable from rocky bottom. Algae growth also obscures the wreck from vision and makes it hard to discern whether it is man-made, or not from a distance. The nails and spikes used in building this ship all appear to be hand forged. There are no artifacts present.”

Richardson’s previous discoveries included the “Westmoreland,” whose cargo included gold and whiskey.

In an unrelated story of famous Michigan shipwrecks, Monday is the 39th anniversary of the sinking of the Edmund Fitzgerald on Lake Superior. The entire crew of 29 was killed in the shipwreck, immortalized in a song by Canadian singer-songwriter Gordon Lightfoot. The Detroit Free Press has more.