Straits of Mackinac · United States · Wreck · Freshwater
William Young
Holds still full of coal on an upright schooner barge
Area photo: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service - Midwest Region · Public domain
The William Young is a wooden schooner built in 1863 and later cut down to a schooner barge, which flooded slowly through leaky seams and sank on October 5, 1891. She settled upright and remains largely intact at 32 to 38 m (105 to 125 ft), with her holds still full of coal.
Where it is and how deep
45.8130° N, 84.6987° WPublished position for this site.
The dive
The preserve mooring is normally tied to the mainmast traveler hardware on the centre-line of the ship, ahead of the third hatch, and boats must not hook the wreck. The wreck spans 32 to 38 m (105 to 125 ft). She sank slowly and settled upright, and she remains largely intact: the starboard bow is broken open, but the decks are intact and the cabin is missing.
Her holds are still full of coal, and nothing may be taken from the wreck, coal included. Off the stern lies a portion of wooden wreckage, reached by following a light line from the hull. The site sits in a high-traffic shipping area, so the ascent goes up the mooring line, and the mooring is subject to ship strikes and may be knocked off at any time.
The wreck
- Vessel
- William Young
- Type
- Wooden schooner cut down to a schooner barge
- Built
- 1863
- Sunk
- 1891
- Cause
- Slow flooding through leaky seams in heavy weather
- Lies
- Upright and largely intact at 32 to 38 m, holds still full of coal
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 | 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
- High-traffic shipping area: the mooring is subject to ship strikes and may be knocked off; boats must not hook the wreck.
- Depths of 32 to 38 m (105 to 125 ft) in cold water call for advanced training and careful planning.
Dive videos
MSD Dive The Straits of Mackinac - William Young · MNDiving on YouTube
Questions divers ask
How deep is the William Young wreck?+
The schooner barge spans 32 to 38 m (105 to 125 ft), sitting upright and largely intact, which makes it an advanced dive.
Sources
- William Young — Straits of Mackinac Shipwreck Preserve
- St. Ignace SCUBA — St. Ignace Scuba
More dive sites in Straits of Mackinac
Three moorings: bow, stern and amidships at the crack in the hull
Rare mushroom anchor at the bow of an upright 1888 freighter
Wreck
Upright 1873 steamer beside the Mackinac Bridge's south tower
Wreck
Replica scroll figurehead below the jib-boom of an 1848 brig
Wreck
Shallow Lake Huron schooner wreck whose name is still unconfirmed
Wreck
Bow still open for penetration on a mid-depth Lake Huron wreck
Similar dives elsewhere
The sanctuary's largest wreck, 162 m and inverted
A 78 m steamer on her side, bow at 6 m and stern at 35 m
.jpg){kind=link}
A 103 m train ferry that sank in 1929 with railroad cars aboard
An 1885 freighter at 44 m, modelled in 3D by NOAA