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Updated November 3, 2024

Lake Erie Mooring Status 2024

All Buoys removed for winter season.

May 10, 2024. The 2024 dive season is off to a good start. - Trent & Kim Zawaly invited Matt Mandzuik, Jordan Eastman, Jamie Duemo and Ian Marshall (surface support) for a test ride on thier new boat out to the Tiller to deploy the buoy. Depth Sounder definatly works as the shot line was dropped on the deck between the two holds. All bottom tackle and down line were de-slimmed, cleaned and found to be in good shape and the site is now open for the season.

May 18, 2024. Trent Zawaly took Jamie Duemo, Hugo Marques and Ian Marshall (surface support) to the Niagara, George Finnie, Carlingford and Stonewreck out of Port Maitland. Four buoys were installed and all lines cleaned and inspected. All were in good shape with the exception of the bottom tag line on the Stonewreck. Reported to be missing last fall, it was found not missing but buried in the bottom. When the divers raised it, it was found to be in bad shape and in need of replacing. As the divers after four dives were low on time and air, the tag line was left for another day.

May 19,2024. Trent, this time out of Port Colborne took Lucas Duemo, Jordan Eastman, Chris Foisey and Ian Marshall (surface support) clean and inspect the lines and install the buoys on the Raleigh and CB Benson. Again, everything was left on good shape. The day ended with a trip back to the Stonewreck to replace the bad bottom tag line left from the day before. All seven of the projects Buoys are now deployed.

October16, 2024. We received a call on Oct. 16th that there was a mooring buoy found ashore near Angola,NY, Ian called local shop Lake Erie Dive Center to see to see if they would be able to retrieve the mooring, they were and took it back to their yard. Ian passed this info along to Trent and he made arrangements to retrieve.

Oct. 20th, Trent and family made the trip to retrieve. No issues at the border, as the guard said “he never heard that one before” and “I’ll take your word for it”.  Found to be buoy #4 which was placed at the CB Benson this season, all top chain/hardware and tag line were intact, as well as 69’ of down line until the section where the line had separated.Will return to inspect and removewhats leftto prep for the spring.

On Oct. 24 Trent with the help of Chris Corfield, Jordan Eastman, and Jamie Duemo, took advantage of some exceptional weather in the afternoon/evening to remove and inspect some of the moorings. The Benson was dove to inspect and the rest of the line removed that had snapped, the lower chain has a mid link shackle that is almost worn through and will need to be replaced. The Carlingford was removed and dove to inspect, to find the jug was missing holding the chain off of the bottom, inspecting the down line led to finding it was severely frayed and strands spun straight about 10' above bottom attachment, will need to be replaced. The Stonewreck was removed, not dove but the thimble at the top attachment to the chain was missing and the rope wore due to contact with the shackle. Raleigh was removed, dove to untwist the line wrapped up around the jug to free enough slack to get mooring on boat, inspected to bottom all was good.

On Oct. 27th, Trent while out to the Finnie and Niagara with Kimmie and crew, Was able to Dive the Finnie to inspect, found the bottom jug missing and down line had a couple good rub marks in it. On way to Niagara for second dive, an uneasy sight, the Niagara Mooring was missing. We went back to Finnie for second dive and Trent made the decision to pull the mooring during the dive while they were out. Chris Foisey was able to place Trent's Lift bag on the chain for temporary, as the chain is around the Windlass and would like to keep the chain off of the wreck as much as possible. We will make plans to dive the Niagara to inspect what could have potentially happened and to prepare for Spring. NAVWarns have been cancelled, Niagara reported missing and Off Station.

November 2nd. Missing Niagara buoys tecovered. Tiller buoy removed for winter.

 

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.