07/29/2026
“Carlingford — Final Wreck Spotlight Before We Sail”
Our final wreck spotlight before the charter weekend is the Carlingford, scheduled for August 2 along with the Brunswick. Built in 1869 at Port Huron, Michigan, the Carlingford was a three-masted schooner carrying wheat from Duluth to Buffalo when her final voyage came to an end. On the night of November 12, 1881, light snow had cleared enough for the crew to see the lights of Dunkirk, and Buffalo was only about an hour away. At the same time, the steamer Brunswick was approaching, and the Carlingford’s maneuver carried her across the steamer’s bow. The Brunswick rammed the Carlingford on the port bow, opening a huge hole that allowed water to pour into the schooner. In the confusion after midnight, the crew scrambled for the yawl boat, but one crewmember was lost when the Carlingford plunged bow-first into roughly 95–100 feet of water.
Today the Carlingford is considered a beautifully preserved schooner wreck, sitting upright with her masts down and the gaping collision damage still visible on the port bow. Much of her deck gear remains in place, including windlass, capstan, rigging winch, fife rails, and belaying pins, making her a remarkable study in Great Lakes schooner construction. Her cabins are gone, but the structure and layout still give divers a clear sense of how she looked when she went down. With proper training and equipment, this is one of the most rewarding wrecks of the weekend for disciplined deep divers. Divers can use
https://3dshipwrecks.org/lake-erie-shipwrecks/ to review the Carlingford 3D model as a planning tool before the trip.
This is the final call to get aboard for our August 1–2 shipwreck charter weekend. Call Davey Bones Scuba Center at 330-701-4649 to sign up or get additional information. Event Link: https://www.facebook.com/events/2034141483928238?acontext=%7B%22event_action_history%22%3A[%7B%22mechanism%22%3A%22surface%22%2C%22surface%22%3A%22groups_highlight_units%22%7D]%2C%22ref_notif_type%22%3Anull%7D
A great resource for Lake Erie shipwreck history is Lake Erie Shipwrecks (http://www.eriewrecks.com/eriewrecks/). You can purchase their books through the link or Amazon. Thanks to Mike and Georgann Watcher for permission to use some of their images.
Osprey Charters shipwreck info: https://ospreydive.com/carlingford/
