Straits of Mackinac · United States · Wreck · Freshwater
Minneapolis
Upright 1873 steamer beside the Mackinac Bridge's south tower
Area photo: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service - Midwest Region · Public domain
The Minneapolis is a wooden steamer built in 1873 that was cut by ice and sank on April 4th, 1894. She sits upright and mostly intact in 38 m (125 ft), just 150 m (500 ft) south-west of the main south tower of the Mackinac Bridge, where the narrowest part of the Straits often runs a strong current.
Where it is and how deep
45.8085° N, 84.7317° WPublished position for this site.
The dive
The preserve keeps a seasonal mooring on the wreck, at the narrowest part of the Straits, where the current is frequently strong and sometimes confusing, and in this shipping channel every ascent goes up the buoy line. The top of the wreck is at about 30 m (100 ft), and the hull sits upright on the bottom at 38 m (125 ft), facing south-west and mostly intact.
The engine and boilers are still in place, and the forward decks remain but are slipping downward. The bow is open. At the stern the rail is intact but the lower stern is open, exposing the propeller, with the rudder on the bottom alongside it. The forward end sits on a mast heel, the rest of the mast reaching out to starboard. Schools of fish frequent the wreck.
The wreck
- Vessel
- Minneapolis
- Type
- Wooden bulk freighter, steam propeller
- Built
- 1873
- Sunk
- 1894
- Cause
- Cut by ice
- Lies
- Upright and mostly intact, facing south-west, in 38 m (125 ft)
The Minneapolis was a wood steamer built in Marine City, Michigan, in 1873, originally as a passenger ship but later converted to carry bulk cargo. Ice cut her hull in the Straits and she was lost on April 4th, 1894, a day after the William H. Barnum went down in the same ice on April 3, 1894.
Marine life and season
- Freshwater fish
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Off-season | Off-season | Off-season | Off-season | Good | Prime | Prime | Prime | Prime | Off-season | Off-season | Off-season |
Season follows Straits of Mackinac: Charters run from mid-May and the season is June through September, with most preserve moorings in from late May to mid-September; early dives bring spawning whitefish and perch.
Know before you go
- A frequently strong and sometimes confusing current runs at this narrowest part of the Straits; the site is for advanced divers.
- Depths of 30 to 38 m (100 to 125 ft) in cold water call for advanced training and careful planning.
Dive videos
Wreck of the Minneapolis September 16th, 2018 · Stefan McDaniel on YouTube
Questions divers ask
Why is the Minneapolis wreck an advanced dive?+
It lies in 30 to 38 m (100 to 125 ft) at the narrowest part of the Straits, where the current is frequently strong and sometimes confusing, so the site is for advanced divers.
Sources
- Minneapolis — Straits of Mackinac Shipwreck Preserve
- Mackinac Straits 2 Tank Diving — Nautical North Family Adventures
- William H. Barnum — Straits of Mackinac Shipwreck Preserve
- St. Ignace SCUBA — St. Ignace Scuba
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