Canada’s Ontario has some of the best wreck diving in the world, thanks to its position along the shores of the largest freshwater lakes on the planet, plus a combination of a history of violent storms and steady shipping traffic; here, you’ll find everything from modern freighters to schooners dating back to the 18th century. Lake Ontario, the smallest of the Great Lakes but the world’s 14th largest, holds a number of these wrecks, some of which are known, and some which have yet to be discovered. One of these wrecks, nicknamed the Tiller Wreck, is mysterious in origin and is one of the lake’s best dive sites. Let’s head down to about 113 feet for a closer look.
The Wreck: History and Specifications
Named for the presence of a tiller on the aft deck for steering rather than the more standard helm which normally controls the rudder, the Tiller Wreck is an early sailing vessel with a rounded bow. Experts place the ship’s origins in the early 1800’s, and no one can say for sure when she was sunk. Just 94 feet from stem to stern, and located just a few miles north of Port Dalhousie, the ship is sitting upright with a list to starboard.
If you approach from the bow, you’ll notice that the bowsprit was snapped off, presumably during whatever accident befell the ship to cause her sinking; other than this damage, it is possible to imagine her moving gracefully through the water; while her double masts have been broken off, she was certain to be a nimble vessel before she took her final voyage to the bottom of the lake.
Remarkably intact, thanks to the preservative effect of cold fresh water, the wreck was discovered in 1991 and was thought to be a missing ship called the Henry Clay for some time; however, this was later disproved, as the Henry Clay had been a steamship that caught fire in July of 1852 and this is clearly a sailing vessel. Experts estimate that the ship was lost sometime around 1900.
Incredibly, the Tiller wreck can be carefully penetrated via one of the many open cargo hatches that lie along the deck. Inside and out, the ship is covered in a heavy coat of silt; care must be taken since visibility can go from better than sixty feet to zero in the time it takes to make a careless finning movement. If you do penetrate the wreck, you won’t find much to look at inside other than some fascinating architecture; the hatches are large enough to make entry easy, and there is only a single large compartment in evidence making it more of a swimthrough than anything else. Even so, be sure you’re properly equipped and trained before making the decision to enter the wreck.
Outside, you’ll find the ship’s anchors, the rudder, a bilge pump, segments of railing, and some intriguing carved scrollwork.
Temperature, Visibility, and Other Considerations
This is a drysuit dive, no matter what time of year it is. Water temperatures rarely exceed 50 degrees Fahrenheit, and are often even colder, dropping into the 40’s and sometimes into the 30’s, even during the middle of summer. Often, there are noticeable thermoclines in the lake, particularly between early June and mid-October. Winds can cause abysmal surface conditions; more than one charter has turned around due to excess wave action topside. Visibility is variable, sometimes exceeding 60 feet, and sometimes only a few inches; however, these are extremes and most divers report visibility in the 40 to 50 foot range. At times, there is a current on the wreck site; at other times, conditions are calm.
As there is plenty to see and the site is deep enough for deco, mixed gas use is generally encouraged to allow for extended bottom time. Aquatic life at this desolate site is extremely sparse; as with many Great Lakes dive sites, the most noticeable inhabitants on the wreck are the Zebra Mussels.