Cracker
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"Cracker" (unknown)
LOCATION: Eastern Lake Erie off Dunkirk, NY, USA
DIVE CHARTER: Osprey Dive Charters. Barcelona, NY
LIES: Upright on mud bottom. 
CONDITION: Intact.
DEPTH: 175'-185' [53-56m]
TYPE: Three-masted Scow
CARGO: ?
DIMENSIONS (estimated): ~120' [37m] Length x ~20' [6m] beam .
NOTES:
· Site's namesake derived from the snack being ingested at the moment of her discovery. · Moderate zebra mussel infestation. · Estimate the heavily silted deck sits ~5'-10' [3-5m] above the bottom. · At the stern, the large cabin remains in place, less a few planks from the walls. A portion of the stove pipe protrudes at forward end of the roof next to a presumed companion light. The companionway is located aft, on port side. Just forward the cabin, a pump is mounted to the deck.  Some broken planking and exposed deck beams are visible here as well. On the stern deck, just aft the cabin, stands a framework that could have held a wheel. Further aft, the top (cylindrical) section of the rudder protrudes the deck, less a tiller arm. Peering over the rail reveals a small section of rudder stock that remains above the bottom and is steered hard to port.  · Moving forward, three hatches are visible, all less covers and silted to approximately deck level.  The forward hold is draped in a fishing net. A portion of a mast, extends from the bottom and rest on the port rail. · At the bow, the windlass is intact with pawl, samson post, and what I would loosely term an "extra set of heads/spindles" located above the main barrel (See Photo 7744). A net has snagged on the port side of the windlass and is draped over the bow. The bowsprit has broken free and lies out in front of the ship, impaled into the bottom. Remaining head has an outward scroll. Projecting from the bottom, directly in front of the bow is an iron anchor stock with chain still attached.  I imagine plenty more detail lies under all of that silt.... 

A Very Rough Sketch of the Site by Jack Papes

7732_Cabin 7733_Cabin 7734_Cabin 7736_Stern 7739_Stern
7732_Cabin.jpg



7733_Cabin.jpg



7734_Cabin.jpg



7736_Stern.jpg



7739_Stern.jpg



7740_Starboard 7741_Cabin 7742-7754_Cabin 7744_Windlass 7751_Windlass
7740_Starboard.jpg



7741_Cabin.jpg



7754_Cabin.jpg



7744_Windlass.jpg



7751_Windlass.jpg



87746_Bow 87748_Carving      
7746_Bow.jpg



7748_Scroll.jpg



 
This page was last updated 11/19/2008 .
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Jack Papes. All Rights Reserved.