Brockville · Canada · Wreck · Freshwater
Keystorm
A 78 m steamer on her side, bow at 6 m and stern at 35 m
Area photo: Tutku Çetinel · CC BY 3.0
A steel freighter that grounded on Outer Scow Island Shoal in fog in October 1912 and rolled onto her starboard side, where she still lies in one piece. The hull spans most of the depth range on this stretch of river: the bow sits at 6 m and the stern at 35 m, so the same wreck gives either a long shallow swim over the forward end or a deep run along the stern.
Also known as SS Keystorm.
Where it is and how deep
44.4297° N, 75.8232° WApproximate position — the dashed circle shows where the site lies; your operator's briefing has the mooring.
The dive
The wreck lies on her starboard side, and where you start decides what the dive is. The bow is in 6 m, shallow enough to work for most of a tank without going deep, and the forward end held the captain's cabin and part of the crew's quarters. From there the hull falls away aft along the slope of the shoal she crossed, one continuous structure rather than a scattered debris field.
Following the hull down takes you past the after house, which contained the galley, dining room and quarters for the chief oiler, the second engineer and the firemen, and on to the stern at 35 m. Lengths of salvage cable are still wrapped double around the hull at intervals, left from the attempts to raise her before she was written off. Her coal cargo was taken out in 1919, so the holds are empty and the shape of the ship reads clearly.
The wreck
- Vessel
- SS Keystorm
- Type
- Steel freighter
- Length
- 78 m (256 ft)
- Built
- 1908
- Sunk
- 1912
- Cause
- Grounded on Outer Scow Island Shoal in heavy fog
- Lies
- On her starboard side on the slope of the shoal, bow at 6 m and stern at 35 m
Keystorm was carrying 2,230 tons of bituminous coal for Ashtabula, Ohio when she crossed Outer Scow Island Shoal in heavy fog on 12 October 1912, 45 minutes past Alexandria Bay. The pumps were started at once, but five hours later she sank stern first, rolling over as she went. The captain and first mate were found guilty of negligence, and the loss was called the most significant accident in the area in fifty years. She was deemed unsalvageable, sold in 1917 and her cargo lifted in 1919; the wreck was later rediscovered by accident by divers who had been given directions to the Daryaw.
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 | Fair | Good | Prime | Prime | Prime | Good | Off-season | Off-season |
Season follows Brockville: May–Oct is the season, with the clearest water in late autumn; the river ices over and charters stop entirely in winter.
Know before you go
- The hull runs from 6 m to 35 m in one unbroken slope, so it is easy to follow it deeper than planned; agree a maximum depth and a turn pressure before you drop.
- Salvage cable is still wrapped around the hull in places, an entanglement risk for anyone working in close to the plating.
Dive videos
Diving the Wreck of the Keystorm in the Upper St Lawrence River · Scuba Geek Canada on YouTube
Questions divers ask
How deep is the Keystorm?+
The bow lies in 6 m and the stern in 35 m, with the hull sloping between the two on her starboard side. The profile depends entirely on which end of the wreck you plan to dive, and the shallow forward end can be worked on its own.
Do I need a passport to dive the Keystorm?+
Yes. The site is on the United States side of the river, and Brockville operators need a minimum of 30 hours' notice to run the charter there.
Sources
- Keystorm — Dive Brockville — Dive Brockville Adventure Centre
- SS Keystorm — Wikipedia
- Diving in the United States — Thousand Islands — Wikivoyage
In The Logbook
- Deep wreck diving: where recreational stopsWrecks · 8 min read
- Freshwater diving: lakes, springs and quarriesFreshwater · 15 min read
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