Isle Royale · United States · Wreck · Freshwater
SS George M. Cox
Twisted steel plating, machinery and the propeller strewn across the bottom
The George M. Cox was a passenger steamer that ran aground at Rock of Ages Lighthouse in fog on her maiden voyage for a new owner. Her wreckage now lies scattered between 12 and 30 m (40 and 100 ft), a field of twisted steel plating, exposed machinery and the propeller.
Also known as George M. Cox, Cox.
Where it is and how deep
47.8577° N, 89.3231° WPublished position for this site.
The dive
The Cox is a scattered site rather than a standing hull. The dive works through wreckage spread between 12 and 30 m (40 and 100 ft), where twisted steel plating, exposed machinery and the ship's propeller are the main features. She sank near the wrecks of the Cumberland and the Henry Chisholm.
The wreck
- Vessel
- George M. Cox
- Type
- Passenger steamer
- Length
- 79 m (259 ft)
- Built
- 1901
- Sunk
- 1933
- Cause
- Ran aground at Rock of Ages Lighthouse in fog on her maiden voyage for a new owner
- Lies
- Scattered between 12 and 30 m near Rock of Ages Lighthouse
Built in 1901 as the passenger steamer Puritan, the ship was bought in the 1930s by George Cox, an entrepreneur from New Orleans, refitted and renamed George M. Cox in 1933. On her first cruise, with special guests aboard, she struck the shoals near the Rock of Ages Light in fog on 27 May 1933. The 127 passengers and crew were rescued and spent the night in the crowded lighthouse and on the surrounding rocks, and the ship stayed on the rocks until an October storm broke her up.
Marine life and season
The sources we used don't single out particular species here.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Off-season | Off-season | Off-season | Off-season | Good | Prime | Prime | Prime | Good | Good | Off-season | Off-season |
Season follows Isle Royale: The park is shut from November 1 to April 15; dive charters run in summer.
Photos from SS George M. Cox
National Park Service · Public domain
Dive videos
George Cox Shipwreck Dive 2014 Isle Royale, Michigan · John Oliver on YouTube
Sources
- Isle Royale National Park – Michigan Underwater Preserves — Michigan Underwater Preserves Council
- Scuba Diving – Isle Royale National Park — National Park Service
- SS George M. Cox — Wikipedia
Photo credits
- One scuba diver in green water above two large round rust-brown pieces of wreckage. by National Park Service, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
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