Tobermory · Canada · Wreck · Freshwater · Artificial reef
Caroline Rose
A 1940 Lunenburg schooner scuttled for divers at 17 m
Area photo: Laslovarga · CC BY-SA 4.0
The Caroline Rose is a 39.6 m wooden fishing schooner, one of the Lunenburg boats built alongside the Blue Nose in 1940, and she was put on the bottom deliberately: the Tobermory Marine Association scuttled her in August 1990 for divers. She lies at 17 m off the mouth of Driftwood Cove, starboard side gone and top deck collapsed, with the port side and its railing still standing.
Where it is and how deep
45.2422° N, 81.5762° WPublished position for this site.
Site maps published elsewhere
The dive
The boat puts you on a wreck that is open rather than enclosed, which is what makes this a good site for divers still building confidence on wooden hulls. The starboard side is gone and the top deck has collapsed, so most of the structure is simply visible from above — you swim the length of her at 17 m and look down into the vessel instead of going into it.
The port side is the intact half, standing with its railing still in place, and it gives you a line to follow from one end to the other. Bass and salmon work the timbers. At 17 m the depth is no constraint on the dive, so the time goes on looking rather than on watching a computer, and the operator rates the site for intermediate and beginner divers alike.
The wreck
- Vessel
- Caroline Rose
- Type
- Two-masted wooden fishing schooner
- Length
- 39.6 m (130 ft)
- Built
- 1940
- Sunk
- 1990
- Cause
- Deliberately scuttled by the Tobermory Marine Association for recreational diving
- Lies
- At 17 m with the starboard side gone and top deck collapsed; port side and railing intact
The Caroline Rose was built in Lunenburg in 1940, one of the fishing schooners turned out there alongside the Blue Nose. She did not end her working life in a storm: rather than sinking accidentally, she was deliberately scuttled by the Tobermory Marine Association in late August 1990 for recreational diving. The park's shipwreck list dates the sinking only to the 1990s.
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 | Fair | Good | Good | Good | Good | Fair | Off-season | Off-season |
Season follows Tobermory: Public charters run May to October; the water is coldest in February and March and warmest in August.
Know before you go
- Conditions can change quickly with wind direction, so confirm with the charter that the site is running before planning a day around it.
- The collapsed top deck and the open starboard side create overhead sections; stay outside them unless you are trained for wreck penetration.
Dive videos
Diving the Caroline Rose | Tobermory, ON, Canada · The Mindful Diver on YouTube
Freediving the Caroline Rose Shipwreck | 18m/60ft on One Breath | Tobermory, Ontario · Androopr Freediving on YouTube
Questions divers ask
How deep is the Caroline Rose?+
She lies at 17 m — shallow enough for a confident Open Water diver in a drysuit, and open enough that you can see most of the structure without going inside the hull.
Is the Caroline Rose good for a first wreck dive?+
The operator rates her for intermediate to beginner divers. At 17 m, with the starboard side gone and the top deck collapsed, most of the structure can be seen from outside the hull, so there is nothing here that needs penetration.
Sources
- Caroline Rose dive site — Dive Life Tobermory
- Tobermory Dive Sites — Dive Life Tobermory
- Fathom Five National Marine Park — Wikipedia
In The Logbook
- Ships sunk on purpose, and where to dive themWrecks · 14 min read
- Freshwater diving: lakes, springs and quarriesFreshwater · 15 min read
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