Maitland
| Depth: | 70′ to 85′ |
|---|---|
| Dimensions: | 133′ x 25′ x 13′ |
| Cargo: | 18,000 bushels corn loaded in Chicago for Buffalo |
| Cause of Sinking: | Collision w/ schooners Golden Harvest and Mears |
| Built: | 1861, Goderich Ontario by Henry Marlton |
| Date Lost: | June 11, 1871 |
| Construction: | wood schooner, 1 deck, square stern, plain stem |
| Propulsion: | Sail, 3-masts, rigged as a bark |
| Skill Level: | Intermediate to Advanced |
| Location: |
Hull: N45° 48.249′ W084° 52.555′Mooring: N45° 48.244′ W084° 52.579′ |
History
Present Condition
The Maitland lies upright and intact in 85′ depth. Her deck sports a large windlass, and the hatch openings lead to a heavily-silted interior. The anchors are missing but the chains still dangle from the hawse-pipes. The deck-house roof lies upside down off her starboard side. The rudder remains hard to port, and the collision damage area is now falling inwards. What was once a clear V-shaped impact point is now collapsed into the hull, as thoughtless divers forced the broken timbers aside to make a swim-through. The collapsed hull section allowed a deck cross-beam to fall, and the deck is now beginning to collapse. Please do not force your way through any openings, these wrecks are fragile!
Mooring Buoy Status
The lighted buoy has been reinstalled May 11, 2024. This buoy was damaged in 2023 by a boat moving too close to the buoy, destroying the light and doing other damage. Please keep back from the buoys themselves, just pick up the tagline from farther away.
This helix mooring is located just off the port bow of the wreck, and a small line leads to the rail for when visibility is reduced. The mooring is available from late May to mid-September, the moorings make for easier wreck location, safer diving and protect shipwrecks from damage from anchors and hooks.
