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Shipwrecks

Updated October 23, 2022

Lake Erie Mooring Status

The 2022 dive season is off to a good start. On May 8th & 9th Cris Corfield and my self along with divers Jordan Eastman, Trent Zawaly (NDA) and Matt Mandziuk (Dan's Dive Shop) were able to inspect, clean or replace lines and deploy all six of our Lake Erie Moorings using Rick Laymer's (River Dive Charters) boat.

On May 14th Rick Lymer (Rivers Dive Charters) again supplied his boat and Trent Zawaly and myself (NDA) along with Chris Foisey (Dan's Dive Shop) deployed the "Tiller Wreck" buoy complete with new line off Port Dalhousie.

October 10th Rick Lymer supplied his boat for an early morning run before a Dan's Dive Shop charter. Trent Zawaly and myself removed the Tiller Buoy for the winter season.

On October 23, Spencer Shoniker, Jordan Eastman and Matt Mandzuick joined Rick Lymer(River Dive Charters) to pull the last remaining buoys off Lake Eire. All seven of our Buoys are now o shore for the winter season.

For those interested, we maintain an email list to keep everyone updated on status and changes. If you would like to be added to the list, send a request to mooring@niagaradivers.com.

Ian Marshall
Chairman- Lake Erie (Eastern Basin) Mooring Project
ian@niagaradivers.com

 

Navigation Warnings (Notice to Mariners)

 

Please!!  If you notice a problem with any of the moorings listed above, please notify Niagara Divers' Association so we may update the list and perform any repairs.

 

As many of you may be aware, the Niagara Divers’ Association has been involved in mooring shipwrecks in Lake Erie’s Eastern Basin for several years. We have been installing concrete blocks, chain, line and floats on shipwrecks in both the US and Canadian waters. Although we had plans to manufacture approved buoys, we had held off due to lack of funds. At Shipwrecks/2002, Save Ontario Shipwrecks stated that they may be able to help in the near future. They later donated two buoys that year.

In the fall of 2002, SOS announced they had received a $21,000.00 Trillium Fund Grant to allow them to moor 50 shipwrecks in the province of Ontario. At the February 4, 2003 monthly NDA meeting, guest speaker Jim Friend of SOS announced that the NDA would be receiving five more buoys for Coast Guard approved sites in Lake Erie, bringing us up to a total of seven.  All seven buoys were installed in May/ June 2003.  Over the years we have had to replace all of these medium duty buoys, as they do not hold up well to the rigours of open lake waters. For the 2009 season we tested two  heavier duty "GDI 0.25 Buoys" which held up very well.  By the end of 2009 three more of the original style smaller buoys were in need of replacing and a decision was made to order five more of the new "GDI 0.25" style to be put out for the 2010 season. These new buoys all have internal radar reflectors and solar lights. The few medium duty buoys we have remaining will be kept to be used as spares. The buoys were received and put out during the 2010 season. In 2011 we had a group purchase with SOS of the larger 0.30 GDI buoy which is now installed on the Port Dlhousie "Tiller Wreck" and Lake Erie's "Niagara" wrecks.

Original SOS Medium Duty Buoy



small_buoy

GDI 0.25 Buoy

0.25 Buoy

GDI 0.30 Buoy

0.30 Buoy

It is the responsibility of the NDA to properly install in the spring, maintain and remove each fall.  We also notify the Coast Guard’s “Notice to Mariners” as to the status of the buoys.

The above chart shows the shipwrecks on which we have placed moorings. The targets represent shipwrecks with line and small floats. The small ships represent the Canadian Coast Guard approved sites with concrete block anchors and buoy moorings.