Scuba DIving the Wreck of the George A. Marsh Kingston Ontario, Canada

The George A Marsh.  Seldom will you ever find a more beautiful shipwreck than the George A. Marsh.  The Marsh was a 135’ three-masted schooner built in 1882 at a shipyard in Muskegon Michigan.

  Originally it was built as a Lumber carrier and took her name from a predominant Chicago lumberman.  She was sold in 1914 to a businessman from Belleville Ontario and was used primarily as a coal carrier until she met her end during a violent storm on Aug 8^th 1917 a few miles from Simcoe Island near Kingston Ontario.  GPS info: 44*07.690’/076*36.260. 

   She had set sail from Oswego NY with a cargo consisting of 500 tons of goal destined for a hospital in Kingston.  Though she had made the trip dozens of times in the past this voyage was a little different as the summer was at its peak and the weather was supposed to be favorable so Captain John Smith had allowed his crew to bring their families aboard for the trip.  The captain himself brought his own wife and 6 children along.

   In all there were 14 souls aboard that fateful day. As the newspapers reported later 12 souls, 7 of them under the age of 9 years would perish including Captain Smith, along with Mrs. Smith and their 6 children. 

She foundered in 85’ of water and the newspapers showed pictures the top portion of the masts still standing high above the surface until they were later blown off by the Army Corp of Engineers as they posed a threat to navigation.  Many a rumor surrounds this particular wreck, for example it is said that the remains of many of the victims were still in the wheelhouse until an overzealous engineer decided to lay a charge of dynamite that toppled the structure and emptied the remains across the deck and on the lakebed. 

It is said that novice divers had several times found bones and brought them to the surface only to be told that they were to remain on the wreck as it is considered a gravesite.  It is rumored that some divers finally relocated the remains not far from the wreck to prevent them from being disturbed.

  Another story suggests that Captain Smith actually survived the tragedy and in his grief at losing his family secretly moved to Oklahoma never to sail again. Only to reveal his tragic story in 1927 shortly before he died, again.  What would a shipwreck be without mystery? 

 My own experience trying to dive the George A. Marsh is a bit of a tale as well.  I had tried to dive this wreck at least 6 times before I actually got to see her for the first time.  

  On one trip we left Collins Bay under a bright cloudless sky for the almost 30 mile trip to the dive site only to find ourselves caught in a fog so thick we could not even see past the bow of our 32’ cruiser and we were forced to turn back. 

 On another attempt a faulty fuel gauge left us stranded in the middle of lake Ontario until we were towed into port by a fellow diver’s boat.  Again we tried and from the time we left our slip in Collins Bay with a modest 1-2 foot swell we were battling waves that were almost 7 feet and threw our sturdy boat around like a cork.  It was almost as though the wreck of the George A. Marsh was not going to let us visit. 

 Finally after 7 attempts over 3 years plagued by weather, seasickness, and mechanical issues we eventually got to the wreck and what a remarkable dive it was.  The ship is marked with a Buoy that rests in a large block just off her starboard side amidships.

Her 3 large masts lay across the deck where they have rested since they were blasted away. So many years ago.  The Bow is facing north and it is in incredible condition with the lines still running along the bowsprit almost as she is still ready to catch the wind a deliver her cargo loaded almost a century ago. 

 There are plenty of deadeyes to be found and several belaying pins still in place.  Also the remains of a lifeboat that indicates how quickly the ship went down Towards to stern you will find one of the best preserved ships wheels I have ever seen though it shows some signs of tampering.  It appears that at one point someone has fixed some chain to the wheel to prevent some thoughtless souvenir hunter from destroying a valuable piece of maritime heritage. 

 Also you will find the old cook stove complete with pots and pans laying ready to cook a meal that will never come.  If you swim off the transom and take a look at her stern you will see the sleek craftsmanship of an era in shipbuilding that is gone forever.   It appears that the cargo is still in tact so penetrating below decks is not possible.

Take a minute to look around at the large schools of fish that like to make this wreck home.  Also be aware this wreck is pretty silty so you want to practice your best buoyancy control.  Just a few bad kicks and you will reduce your visibility in no time. 

 Believe me this wreck is such a great dive that you want to enjoy it to its fullest.  There are several charter boats that make regular trips to the George A. Marsh and I would defiantly recommend that any dive trip to Kingston includes a couple dives on this wreck.  One of the greatest wrecks ever!

Scuba Diving the Wreck Wolfe Islander II Kingston Ontario, Canada

My ultimate dives, Where to begin.  I guess there is no better place to begin than the place I know best.  Kingston Ontario Canada.

Now many people who enjoy the sport of Scuba diving spend there bottom time in places like, Bonaire, Mexico, Rotan, and other exotic vacation spots that offer crystal clear warm water and lots of interesting critters to view and photograph. Kingston is not that type of place.  It is a medium sized city of Approximately 117,000 people located on the North East corner of Lake Ontario almost at the mouth of the St. Lawrence River.

  Kingston has long been a place of great significance in Great Lakes Maritime history.  Kingston’s harbor has been in use since the mid 1600’s.  It has been a major shipping port serving both Canadian and American cities along the shorelines of the Great lakes. 

 It was home to thousands of Loyalists who chose to head North during the American revolution leaving behind their homes, farms, business’, friends and in many cases even family members who did not share the same loyalty to Good King George.  It has been the site of numerous shipyards populating the waves with, schooners, paddle wheelers, passenger, and cargo vessels of every type.

  It was home to many soldiers stationed in its forts and it played a key role in the War of 1812 between the Americans and the British.  Fort Henry is still a major tourist attraction and offers Battle reenactments and a chance to better understand the life of the colonial solider.  Due to its long history of maritime activity it also provides easy access to countless shipwrecks spanning several centuries.

The Wreck that I would like to take you to first is the wreck that I experienced first.  The Wolfe Islander II. 

The Wolfe Islander II was a ferry built near Collingwood Ontario in 1946 originally it was Named the Ottawa Maybrook and was being built as part of an aid package for China.  At the end of World War II the aid package seems to have been cancelled and the Approx 160’ 16 car ferry was renamed the Wolfe Islander II and replaced the aging Wolfe Islander ferry that had been in service since 1904.  In 1976 the Wolfe Islander II was replaced by the larger 55 car Wolfe Islander III that still serves the residents of Wolfe Island today.  For roughly the next 10 years the Wolfe Islander II was used as the reserve ferry to the Wolfe III until on Sept 21^st 1985 she became the first intentionally sunk commercial ship in the great lakes.  She was scuttled about 3 miles east of Kingston in the waters near Dawson’s point in aprox. 85’ of water. 

 She sits upright and has had most of her hatches removed and some large cutouts created for both easy access and diver safety.  She is marked by two permanent buoys one near the bow and another located near the stern. GPS Info- LAT 44* 13’ 55” LON 076* 24’ 98”.  It is arguably one of the most dived wrecks in the Great lakes.  It is a suitable dive for all levels of diver and I usually make it the first wreck dive for my students. 

The superstructure is found at aprox. 42” and offers a new diver many things to see and explore.  The wheelhouse or bridge is a must to see with its wheel and throttle control. 

 Over there are stairs that lead down the superstructure and you will find a large safe that many divers like to peek in to see if anything of value might still be found inside and also some small cabins that can be entered.

  Over the stern rail you can go to a depth of about 83 feet to view the large propeller still mounted on the wreck.  As this depth exceeds the training for an open water diver it is best saved for advanced divers or maybe it can be seen under the supervision of your instructor.  Also for the more advanced diver with the right wreck training and equipment you can enter a large passenger seating area on the stern. 

 There is access on both the port and starboard sides it is a large and open space with a few gear lockers, likely for life preservers, located around the room.  You will also find the ships head complete with toilets just inside the port side access.  This has been the site of many fun photographs as you can imagine. 


There is also a set of stairs that will allow you to go even further into the wreck itself.  Again this area of the wreck should only be explored by divers with the right training and equipment as you can become lost or silted out.  One of my favorite things to do in this particular wreck is to move towards the back of the room and slowly ascend into a small air pocket.  Here at almost 60’ of depth you can actually talk to one another and it seems to be a very exciting part of the dive.  Remember to continue to breathe from your regulator as the air in this space is made of the air exhaled by other divers and aside from bad breath and lower O2 who knows what else may be contaminating the air found here. 

 There is a large open hatch that will give you access to the engine room where you can witness a maze of pipes and machinery that helped this once great vessel make the almost 5 mile trek between Kingston and the scenic Wolfe island. 


 Forward of the superstructure you will find the main deck where the cars would be parked during the voyage.  Now you can find only a couple bicycles and an old Motorcycle.  Again another perfect Photo op.  A bowling ball is also known to be located on this deck, or I have several times returned it to this deck from either the bottom of the lake from one of the holds that are also open from this level.

  On the forward deck you can visit the anchor winch with anchor chains extended to the bottom.  Many fish are to be found in and around this wreck as it has become home to many varieties of sea life. Also notable are the lifeboat davits that are found along the sides of the ship.  It is always fun to swim along the walkway weaving in and around the empty davits. This is a pretty large wreck and it is serviced by numerous Dive charter boats who in most cases offer a two tank charter for around $75.  I recommend at least 2 dives to see this wreck and explore all that it offers.

  I have probably been on more than 50 dives to this particular wreck and I always seem to see something that I have not seen on my previous dives.  Always remember which of the two lines you used to reach the wreck because it is pretty embarrassing to come up the wrong line and see your boat bobbing gently 150’ away from you at the surface with your dive buddies pointing and laughing at you from the deck.  Speaking from personal experience, or maybe even experiences (plural) it can happen   

 I never grow tired of this wreck and would have to place it close to the top of my most fun wrecks to dive the Kingston area.