So......I wanna find a shipwreck. Where to start?

[A#1]

I live about 7 miles from a great lake, Lake Michigan. I'm in the northwest part of the state. I know there's shipwrecks out there, and I wanna find one. Really just for fun, since I can't touch them by law anyhow.

I have a boat, some sonars, and although I've been delayed by life I hope to have the boat in the water in the early summer. I plan to go find a couple of the known ships just to learn the drill. It'll end up a light hearted multi-use boat for fishing, shipwrecks, hooka diving, and just general summertime fooling about.

What I've been looking for is kind of "shipwreck hunting 101" type intel, maybe some boat builds, and decent conversation leading up to my final assembly of things.

Anyone have any input, suggestions, or just anything I might want to think about?

 

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[Gare]

Just be careful up there . I used tol have a charter fishing business in Manistee . I have had 975 feet of water under my boat up there. i think that is some of the deepest part of Lake Michigan. WHAT port will you be near ?

 

[A#1]

Just be careful up there . I used tol have a charter fishing business in Manistee . I have had 975 feet of water under my boat up there. i think that is some of the deepest part of Lake Michigan. WHAT port will you be near ?

Well, it's a trailer boat, so my land locations put me about equidistant from Frankfort, Leland, and Charlevoix with Traverse City being the closest to home. Many amall ramps along the coast too.

 

[Mackaydon]

Will you be satisfied to find (deeper than hookah) wrecks on sonar or it is your intend to visit the wreck using hookah?
Don.......

 

[A#1]

Will you be satisfied to find (deeper than hookah) wrecks on sonar or it is your intend to visit the wreck using hookah?
Don.......

I assume most anything I may find will be sonar only, maybe lowering a camera of some sort that I haven't acquired yet.

The hooka would be for other things like prospecting, rockhunting, and detecting, though I want to visit one of the shallow known wrecks just for fun.......and who knows where that will lead.

 

[Salvor6]

You start with research. There are many books on shipwrecks in Lake Michigan. Go to the library and look them up. Do a google search for books on shipwrecks. Check Amazon for shipwreck books.

 

[releventchair]

Follow Salvor's suggestion and research wrecks.
Note them all in an area you are interested in searching. While many shallow ones were salvaged , you may find a trend as to where they wrecked more often. Or the reason multiples happened in the same locale.

Do research the Griffon. For local history's sake.
Yes there are claims of it being found , but don't let that stop you from considering it's fate.

You might experiment with sidescan sonar.
And regardless of type sonar , use one with a good bottom line imaging. Or ability to enhance bottom line.

Lumber era saw many river mouths on the West side as destinations for ships. From about Manistee South. Some rivers connected to bigger lakes had traffic too.

Be safe. The weather bangs gears fast on Lake Mi..
The wind effect in a channel can be different than in the open too.

 

[A#1]

Yeh....I started the research part about the same time I posted this thread. Give or take some light fooling about over the past few years that helped push me into starting on the boat.

The sonars are side scanning. Not the $100k pro type though, but decent Humminbirds anyhow. Maybe not ideal, but I'm making a multihobby boat, not a professional search and salvage ship.

 

[Gare]

JUST BE EXTREMELY careful OUT on the BIG LAKE it seldom gives people a SECOND CHANCE !!!

 

[A#1]

JUST BE EXTREMELY careful OUT on the BIG LAKE it seldom gives people a SECOND CHANCE !!!

Honestly, I don't plan to venture much outside of Grant Traverse bay for this first summer. Maybe skirt the shoreline up a few miles to Charlevoix. I figure it's gonna take a while just to learn the new equipment, no need to push it. Patientce is valuable.

 

[Mackaydon]

You might find this chart interesting.
Don....

Lake Michigan Shipwrecks Map Since 1600 AD Wall Art Poster Nautical Naval Decor | eBay

This is a reproduction of the original map. -Is this available in a larger/smaller size.

www.ebay.com

 

[ivan salis]

old newspapers and insurance records are good starting points --sadly due to maritime laws in the lakes most everything is a np go --- only look can not touch which sux

 

[Gare]

Honestly, I don't plan to venture much outside of Grant Traverse bay for this first summer. Maybe skirt the shoreline up a few miles to Charlevoix. I figure it's gonna take a while just to learn the new equipment, no need to push it. Patience is valuable.

Let me tell you of one of my HORRIBLE experiences as a chart boat ca[tain. For a couple weeks i had my boat slipped up in Onekama Mi for after dinner cruises for there guests, I was having motor trouble with one of my motors,would not idle I had 2 Chrysler 318's Had to get the carb worked on . The lake was FLAT CALM It was about a 10 mile run up to Arcaida and they told me they could fix it if i got it there. It should have been a 30 to 40 minute run. About Storm warnings came up. In short order I had 60 to 80 MPH winds. SIX to EIGHT ft waves. People were screaming and crying over channel 16 marine radio for help. I still one call from a 44 ft sailboat that said they was sinking. The coast Guard did all they could. I take my hat off to them and thank them ALL THE time for the things they do) I came in the pier heads slanted as the winds were blowing me almost sideways, I had a 36 ft Boat with a 14 ft fly bridge . When i came in the pier heads a guy in a small (Maybe 18ft )boat was headed out to go back to his port. I warned him TO NOT go but he went anyways. They found his boat smashed up on the beach the next day.i do not know what happened to him . I think 7 people were reported dead from that storm.
Listening top people scream and cry on CHANNEL 16 made me WISH i could help But NO one could help them all. That was THE MOST UPSETTING think i can remember in my whole life !!


A#1 DO NOT TRUST THE BIG LAKES AND OPEN WATER !!! PLEASE STAY SAFE !!

 

[A#1]

You might experiment with sidescan sonar.
And regardless of type sonar , use one with a good bottom line imaging. Or ability to enhance bottom line.

I'm kinda at a loss for "bottom line imaging"

What exactly is it?

Perhaps a brand specific naming that I haven't found? There used to be a Bottom Line fishfinder brand.

 

[A#1]

After a bit of kicking around, I think I'll be wanting to make a towfish.

Part of why I was looking for some discussion is honestly so I can get together a shopping list of the bigger ticket items ASAP. I plan to quit my job this year, and I want as much of that squared away as possible, even if its just the pricey parts, like another transducer and networking parts.

 

[releventchair]

I'm kinda at a loss for "bottom line imaging"

What exactly is it?

Perhaps a brand specific naming that I haven't found? There used to be a Bottom Line fishfinder brand.

Not a brand.
Clarity of bottom structure.
Being able to see subtle changes , vs the equipment giving you a generic "picture" of the bottom.
Seeing a short tree stump is common. Seeing what is on or partially in the bottom is not always assured. An example can be that I've not spotted any lost mushroom or other type anchors lost in a soft bottom.
That could mean missing a subtle hint of a wreck with only a small portion peeking out/uppermost.

Grey /gray line is one mention by a brand. (I use bottom line to mean what you see as bottom on a graph or chart. Grey line is the same term , pretty much).
Being adjustable enough on soft bottoms to make out fish that would be missed elsewise.
At least that's my interpretation...

 

[A#1]

I think i follow ya.

I haven't gotten to actually run the Humminbirds much other than demo mode, and a short make-shift trial run last summer in my much smaller lake.

I know it's gonna take me a while to learn it's tweaks and I've got a long way to go, these are some manufacturer images of their side and down imaging. While it may not be perfect in the big dawgs eyes, it's about the best I ever gonna get.

 

[ivan salis]

in the waters a good start