"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....
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