Watery Graveyard

The Great Lakes have swallowed up over 10,000 ships since the first trading ship was lost in 1679. Storm waves on the lakes are sharper than the roll and swell of ocean waves, and a ship may not recover before being struck by another wave. Lake ships must stay on course in the teeth of a gale to avoid the dangerous shoals that lie submerged outside shipping lanes. The narrow Straits of Mackinac have claimed many ships with swift currents and deadly waves. The Straits were made a State Bottomland Preserve in 1983 to protect wrecks as a historical resource and a recreational paradise for divers. The Cedarville is the latest shipwreck in the Preserve and a popular attraction for divers. She sank, losing 10 lives, after colliding with a Norwegian freighter during a dense fog in 1965. Nearly 600 feet long, she lies on her side in 100 feet of water with her hull rising to within 35 feet of the surface.

Michigan · United States