Thunder Bay · United States · Wreck
Grecian
Upright steel freighter with engine and boilers still in place
Photo: National Marine Sanctuaries · Public domain
A 90-metre steel bulk freighter that flooded and sank under tow in June 1906 and now sits upright nine miles from Alpena, stern deck at 23 metres and the bottom at 31. Bow and stern are intact while large portions of the midsection have collapsed, opening up the construction of an early steel ship. Propeller, engine, boilers and deck machinery are all in place.
Also known as SS Grecian.
Where it is and how deep
44.9683° N, 83.1999° WPublished position for this site.
The dive
The charter ties into the mooring at the stern, nine miles out from Alpena, and the descent runs down the line into water that gets colder and darker the whole way. The stern deck arrives at 23 metres, intact enough that the ship's lines are obvious straight away. Off the stern, on the bottom, lies a steel canalon — a lifting device abandoned during a salvage attempt in 1909 — and the propeller is still in place at the stern.
Working forward, the deck opens up. Large portions of the midsection have collapsed, and the gap gives a clean view down onto the engine, the boilers and the deck machinery, all of them still in place. This is early steel-ship construction laid open, and it is why most divers come. The bottom here is at 31 metres, so time runs out quickly at Lake Huron temperatures; decide the route before you drop rather than exploring on the fly.
The bow is intact as well and worth the swim if the gas budget allows, then it is back along the opposite rail to the mooring and up the line with a long stop in the shallows. Grecian is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and lies inside the sanctuary, so nothing moves and nothing is recovered — the dive is about reading a 90-metre hull rather than handling it.
The wreck
- Vessel
- Grecian
- Type
- Steel bulk freighter
- Length
- 90 m (295 ft)
- Built
- 1891
- Sunk
- 1906
- Cause
- Holed on a reef in northern Lake Huron, then flooded and sank while under tow to Detroit for repair
- Lies
- Upright with intact bow and stern; large portions of the midsection collapsed, bottom at 31 m
Grecian was launched in 1891 by Globe Iron Works at Cleveland, Ohio; its sister ship, Norman, wrecked in 1895. When Grecian struck a reef in northern Lake Huron its steel plating proved brittle, and with a hole in its bottom the nearly 91 m steamer (300 ft) was taken under tow for Detroit and repair. It flooded and sank near Thunder Bay on 15 June 1906. A salvage attempt in 1909 failed and left a steel canalon on the bottom off the stern. The wreck is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
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 | Fair | Off-season | Off-season |
Season follows Thunder Bay: The season runs late May to early October, with July and August warmest; the lake is unworkably cold and rough otherwise.
Know before you go
- The bottom is at 31 metres in cold fresh water, close to recreational no-decompression limits: run a plan and a timer rather than following the wreck forward until it feels late.
- The collapsed midsection is inviting but it is broken steel rather than a swim-through; look in from the deck instead of entering the hull.
Photos from Grecian
National Marine Sanctuaries · Public domain
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration · Public domain
Dive videos
Great Lakes Shipwreck Diving: Grecian, Lake Huron · Jeremy Bannister on YouTube
ROV Dive on the Grecian shipwreck · Tim Parsell on YouTube
Questions divers ask
How deep is the Grecian shipwreck?+
The stern deck sits at 23 metres and the wreck lies on the bottom at 31 metres, nine miles from Alpena. That puts it beyond entry-level limits: it is an Advanced-level dive, and cold fresh water makes conservative planning worthwhile.
What is there to see on the Grecian?+
The bow and stern are intact, and the collapsed midsection opens a view onto the propeller, engine, boilers and deck machinery, all still in place. A steel canalon from a 1909 salvage attempt lies on the bottom off the stern.
Sources
- Grecian Shipwreck — NOAA Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary
Photo credits
- A diver hovers over the bow of the sunken freighter Grecian in clear blue Lake Huron water by National Marine Sanctuaries, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
- Green-hued view of the Grecian's deck structure encrusted with algae on the lake floor by National Marine Sanctuaries, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
- Close view of the Grecian's engine and boilers exposed where the deckhouse has collapsed away by National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
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