Southern Lake Michigan Dive Sites.

• Shipwrecks around Chicago and Waukegan that I have dove.

• Material Service Barge .... 95th Street

  MSB: The most popular shipwreck? The Material Service Barge (called this because it was leased by Material Services Company). sank in 1936 with most hands on board. It lies under the Buoy Marker WR10, in approximately 30 feet of water, 1/2 mile from shore. It sank with no damage - current damage is due to salvage efforts and the Army Corps getting dynamite happy.

  A self propelled barge, it is solid steel and in great shape. The cargo holds are open and a great dive. One tank lasts quite a while. You'll pass one thermocline at approx. 22 feet. Temperature drops about 12 degrees. I have seen visibility on this wreck as good as 30 feet and as poor as 0 inches! Depends on the weather during the past few days. Over 240 feet long, she is off the North end of the Calumet harbor breakwall. Approx. loran 33426 x 50200.

  Material Service Barge (MSB) Marked by Can Buoy #10, 1/2 mile from Calumet harbor. 33426.3 50201.4

• Lady Elgin ............... Waukegan

  Lady Elgin: Discovered just a few years back, this was the "Titanic" of the Great Lakes. Over 300 people lost their lives when the Lady Elgin burned and sank. Discovered by local wreck hunter Harry Zych, the Lady Elgin case has been in court since the discovery was made public. The state wants it. Harry wants it. Divers want it. Harry wanted salvage rights. The insurance companies wanted rights. On and on it went. Finally a non-profit company will take control of the wreck. The location is still guarded, but some local operators will take you to her. It lies somewhere off Waukegan, IL. Note: Legally, you can get in serious trouble diving this wreck.

• Song Bird ............... Waukegan

• Shipwrecks around Milwaukee that I have dove.

• Wisconsin Car Ferry ....... Milwaukee
• Prince Wilhem ............. Milwaukee

  Prins Willem V Just over 3 3/4 miles off Milwaukee. 32979.7 49287.0

Shipwrecks in Racine County (in order southward from the Racine-Milwaukee County line):

• Thomas H. Smith - Tug boat collided with the Arthur Orr 5 miles east of Wind Point in 1883. Boilers exploded, sank in 45 minutes.
• Kate Kelly - Three-mast schooner with a cargo of railroad ties stranded on reef 2 miles northeast of Wind Point and drifted half-mile south in 1895. Seven died.
• Lear 23A - Small company plane owned by Mack Truck Co. disappeared from radar when 4 miles off Racine airport in 1969. Seven crew and passengers died.
• Unknown merchant - 50-foot motosailor, the first iron ship on the Great Lakes, burned and sank on Racine reef in 1875.
• Eva Fuller - Schooner stranded on Racine reef in 1893, cargo lumber.
• Elizabeth Jones - Three-mast schooner stranded on Racine reef in 1893.
• Lem Ellsworth - Three-mast wooden schooner stranded off shore about 4 miles north of Racine Harbor in 1894, sank quickly with a cargo of cut stone and has never been found. Entire crew died, number unknown.
• North Shore - Diesel prop bound for Milwaukee, waterlogged and lost off Racine in 1930; wreckage sighted 3 miles northeast of Racine.
• Lac La Belle - Passenger steamer sank several miles off Racine, left Milwaukee and sprang a leak in 1872. Cargo of grain and rolling freight. 9 lives lost, ship never found.
• Hosinco - Gas yacht sank after hitting snag in 1928.
• L.R. Doty - Prop carrying corn bound to Georgian Bay from Chicago, disappeared midlake, wreckage found 25 miles off shore in 1898.

Shaggy's Southern Lake Michigan Shipwrecks Loran for shipwrecks in Southern Lake Michigan.

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