Visit to the Cedar Island Wreck...

The opportunity arose today to make a late season expedition onto the Lake. Although the traffic to the wind farm project continues to be very busy, and the Wolfe Islander is in near constant motion, otherwise there's not much boating going on. That made conditions pretty good to visit one of the wrecks lying close to Cedar Island. These are infrequently dived on and it was my first visit to this particular one. I took the camera down in hopes of getting some record-quality shots, but the visibility of about 20 feet precluded that. Nevertheless, I got some decent pictures, one of which accompanies this entry. The wreck is not enormous - and it's hard to gauge what it might be. But, there are clues. It has the very blunt bow of a possible cargo barge - and a length, in all probability, to match. There is a rudder post present - and it's not large. The frames are not substantial - leading to a suspicion that the vessel was no warship. But, there are some vertical posts that defy attribution, unless, perhaps, they supported an upper deck...

Anyhoo... the answer lies with a more detailed examination another day. Today, the temperature was 57℉ (14℃).

Wilderness Battleship - Public Lecture - September 30th

Anyone interested in the naval history of Lake Ontario should pencil in September 30th at 7 pm to attend a public lecture in Kingston's Memorial Hall (inside City Hall). The lecture, celebrating the '25th Anniversary Archaeology Public Lecture' series will be given by Timothy J. Abel, Director of the Jefferson County Historical Society in Watertown , New York. The title 'Wildnerness Battleship' will tell the story of Lake Ontario's Forgotten Naval Shipyard.

Admission is FREE...

New shore dive for your delight...

Following up on an exploratory dive last week, local divers tonight placed a line from shore near Kingston General Hospital to a wreck that lies in 60 feet of water, just 20 minutes gentle swim away. The line starts around the 20 foot depth contour and is most easily located by entering the water somewhere near the middle of the car park close to Murney Tower and swimming eastwards along the 20 foot contour until you pick it up. It's bright yellow and leads almost directly south to the bow of the wreck.

The wreck is in very good condition; one of the more intact examples of what is certainly a sailing vessel and probably associated with use on the canal systems. It's almost a hundred feet long and about 24 feet wide. Care should be taken by visiting divers to avoid disturbing and damaging many upright features that have stood the test of time.

The wreck is well known already; it features on local charts, but it has not previously been of great interest, since it lies in the path of frequent boat traffic and didn't have any line to it from shore. For ease of reference, it may be useful (borrowing the example of the KPH wreck) to refer to it as the KGH wreck, unless and until someone can provide a precise identity.

Visibility tonight was about 40 feet on the wreck and the water temperature about 64F.

Lining up the Wreck...

Today's work was largely devoted to making the detailed measurements, in three dimensions, that will allow a model of the wreck to be created on computer. This can then be used to output drawings and diagrams highlighting construction features or providing an overview of the vessel. To augment the datum points established yesterday, each of the upright frames (ribs to the layman) on the Starboard side of the wreck was identified and labelled. Port side remains will be similarly labelled tomorrow. The labeling of the frames considerably helped the teams working to record the various measurements. The line drawing shown was drawn up from a photo mosaic generated on day one.

Survey Work Advances Apace...

After a good start yesterday, work to place the datum points and prepare for measurements continued today. By early afternoon 8 points had been set and their inter-relationships recorded. Tonight, these points will be entered into survey software and validated. This will prepare the way for recording of the many wreck elements tomorrow, enabling a 3-D picture of the wreck to be captured.

Survey work commences in Navy Bay...

Members of the Club began work today in support of the marine archaeological survey of a wreck in Navy Bay that will be the subject of a Masters Thesis for Nadine Kopp. Nadine is completing a course at the University of East Carolina that she hopes will secure her a marine archaeology position closer to her Canadian home. Video and still photography was taken to provide an initial record and a reference for future activity. An overall examination was also completed with the aim of determining the most appropriate positions for datum points and to confirm the extent and condition of the site.
A second dive allowed some 'gardening' to be done to clear weed and loose algae and rough sketches to be drawn up. Nadine's intention is to dive daily for the next week, completing her researches by next Sunday, when it is hoped that an electronic positioning survey can be undertaken that will definitively fix the wreck's position and tie it in to existing data on the shoreline. Follow this blog to hear how each day's work goes. For the record, the water today was 54°F (12°C) and visibility was about 20 feet.

SOS Launches Marine Heritage Database..

Word has been received from Save Ontario Shipwrecks that the main portion of their Marine Heritage Database, created in the mid 1990s, is now on line. It consists of about 28,000 records from 25 sources. You can access it through the SOS home page, 3rd button on the left named DATABASE. Originally, this DB was designed to run as a stand-alone resource on a PC as part of a museum exhibit. Photos where ported to the SOS website a few years ago and are under the PHOTO GALLERY.

It has been asked that you note that the database is cross reference only and intended to provide rapid access to the 25 sources. Any research credit should be referenced to the original source.

A direct link to the database is available here.

Bringing the Past to Life...

Last night's talk by Jonathan Moore, a marine archaeologist with Parks Canada, drew more than 20 people, who were fascinated for about 90 minutes by his remarkable knowledge of Kingston's maritime history, particularly the period surrounding the War of 1812. Jonathan concentrated attention on the area around Fort Henry and Point Frederick. Opening with a fascinating review of the work of Canada's underwater survey team, he stressed the importance of regarding sites of historical and archaeological significance as elements of an overall 'landscape'. Parks Canada was actively engaged in research and conservation work with many other departments, notably in Kingston with the St Lawrence Parks body and the Department of National Defence.

The liberally illustrated presentation featured images that many of us had never seen before and brought history to life quite vividly. During the talk, Jonathan encouraged us, as divers, to participate in the work of recording and preserving the sites that lie in local waters. This, he explained, can be done as simply as casting an eye, periodically, over key wrecks to record change. He also hoped that the Club would be prepared to undertake dives in support of Parks Canada research in the months and years ahead. There was immediate evidence of enthusiasm for this work. Opportunities will also arise this Summer to assist a researcher who is going to be investigating a wreck in Navy Bay.

Jonathan was good enough to bring along copies of the Report he published in 2006 on three War of 1812 wrecks. These were made available for sale at cost - $30. If any Club member who was unable to attend the presentation wishes to buy one, they should contact me.



On a lighter note, I am seriously considering having someone else select the dates for future presentations. This is the third time this Winter that one of our talks has coincided with the arrival of a major storm...!

NAS Course ends well..

Students on the weekend's Nautical Archaeology Course all completed the syllabus successfully. One or two, who encountered administrative challenges - or suffered equipment problems - will finalise written reports shortly to gain their certification. Erika (pictured), who instructed throughout the Course, managed not just to impart the required knowledge to the dozen students, but also to communicate the enthusiasm for the discipline that marks her own involvement. Her dedication to delivery of the key messages was exemplary.

Today's activities were entirely practical - in open water - using a real wreck site. Everyone completed at least two dives, cataloguing, referencing, sketching and triangulating key features. The in-water work was all recorded in detailed plans and field notes.

A selection of photographs taken over the weekend is accessible on the Club's Flickr site.

Archaeology Course in Kingston

Today saw the practical work begin on the Nautical Archaeology Society's Level One Course. The twelve students - mainly from the Club - began to build on information imparted yesterday evening and first thing this morning. Weather conditions couldn't have been better. The Sun shone on the survey area, raising spirits and temperatures.

The picture shows rehearsal of the survey techniques used to plot and record artifacts on a shipwreck - with some precision. With some tenuous skill acquired on dry land, the teams moved to the pool tonight.

Tomorrow, the students head for Portsmouth Harbour and the wreck fragments that lie close to the breakwater.

Everyone acknowledges, with considerable gratitude, the instruction provided by Erika Laanela, the Provincial Marine Archaeologist, who is directing the training.