• ABOUT THE SPOT

Scuba Diving in Northwest wreck, Lake Huron, Michigan USA

Skill Level:
Intermediate to Advanced
Depth:
52ft /16m - 73ft /22m
Diving Season:
June to September
Lake Huron is the second-largest of the Great Lakes and the world's third-largest freshwater lake. It has also the largest shore line length of any of the Great Lakes. Lake Huron and Lake Michigan lie at the same level, but are separated by the narrow Straits of Mackinac. One of the shipwrecks, sheltered in the Straits of Mackinac is the Northwest.

The Northwest is a 223 ft/ 67.97 m wooden schooner, built in 1873. In April 1898, while being under tow by the propeller Aurora, she was stuck by submersed ice and started taking on water. Though the Aurora tried to tow her to shallow water, she was blocked by ice and slipped beneath the waves and ice. Her crew was taken on board of Aurora without any life loss.

She now sits in 73 ft/ 22.25 m depth of water and 6 mi/ 9.56 km west of the bridge in Lake Michigan. Today, she is scattered on the lake floor, but even in this condition, her deck and construction techniques can be seen along with her donkey steam engine, bilge pumps and windlass. The stern and rudder lie on the lake floor. Due to her condition and the mild current, she is considered to be an advanced dive!