Sunken History—A Diver’s Journal
Development of the Underwater Preserves
by Captain Deb Biniecki

For as long as ships have gone missing in the Great Lakes, adventurers have been trying to locate them. In the early days of shipwreck exploration, the purpose of their often dangerous efforts was for commercial gain. The vessel owners or insurance underwriters were anxious to find the wreck and salvage the cargo and anything of value or even raise and repair the sunken vessel if possible. Shipwrecks were commonplace, not the awe inspiring relics we view them as today.

In the aftermath of the Great Strom of 1913, diver William Baker went over the side of the tug Sport to determine the name of a sinking ship, which turned out to be the Price. During the next several decades there is paucity of references to diving activities other than those briefly referring to ship salvaging operations. In the 1950s the development of the self-contained underwater diving apparatus made diving more accessible as it offered freedom from being tethered to surface supplied air and heavy hard hat.

Records indicate that local divers first began discovering and exploring the shipwrecks off the lower Lake Huron shores in 1957. Fishermen have been invaluable to wreck hunters as they tend to snag their nets into obstructions rising up off the bottom. A commercial fisherman, Leonard Dutcher, was fishing north of Port Sanilac when his nets became entangled. He enlisted the assistance of his diver friend Garth Meyer. He dove the obstruction and found a relatively intact sailing vessel. He continued to dive the wreck for several years looking for clues to positively identify the vessel. Based on size and cargo, the wreck was eventually identified as the Col. A. B. Williams, which sunk in 1864. The steering gear, ship’s wheel and anchors were removed. An anchor was later donated to the Village of Port Sanilac by Leonard Dutcher and is currently on display in front of the Sanilac Historical Museum.

As the decades passed, explorers used more sophisticated means of searching the waters for wrecks. Early wreck hunters dragged cables across the bottom hoping to snag into a wreck. By the 1960s, wrecks were being found by use of the magnetometer. John Steele located the Northstar in the 1960s. Mike Kohut, owner of Rec Diving, found the F.B. Gardner in 1973. Bud Uren of Rochester located the remains of the Genoa in the early 1980s. By the end of the 1980s, the Shipwreck Exploration Group founded by Jim and Pat Stayer, Tim Juhl and Garry Biniecki added several more finds to the list of known wrecks. At the tip of the Thumb, Dave Trotter, dean of shipwreck hunters, has been discovering wrecks with his Klein side scanning sonar for over two decades.

As times changed, so did attitudes. Preserving the historical integrity of the shipwrecks began to outweigh the commercial value of artifacts. There was a growing realization that prized artifacts, when brought to the surface seem meaningless and out of place. These items quickly disintegrate once removed from the protection of the fresh water and soon find their way into landfills. However, when viewed as part of the culture of the shipwreck, an item such as a shovel holds interest and significance. Underwater a diver can almost imagine the fireman using the same shovel endlessly pitching coal into a hungry boiler.

It was the controversy regarding the salvage of the shipwreck Regina, which disappeared in the Great Storm of 1913, that prompted the development of the Sanilac Shores Underwater Preserve. Deputies Garry Biniecki and John Severance of the Sanilac Sheriff’s Office heard a local fisherman talk of an obstruction about four miles off shore between Lexington and Port Sanilac. They enlisted the assistance of Wayne Brusate of Marysville who had a Westmar side scan. The trio, expecting to find the tug Mary Alice B, which had gone missing in the area, was even more excited to find the Regina.

Shortly after its discovery the Regina was once again caught in another storm. The Regina was the most historically significant wreck ever to be found in this area. Fully intact, loaded with cargo and equipment and perfectly preserved after many years in her watery grave, she was a veritable time capsule of early 20th century maritime history. Divergent intentions soon emerged within the group. Biniecki and Severance wanted to document the wreck and then donate the ship’s bell, clock, whistle and wheel to the museum and leave the wreck intact, while Brusate intended to salvage the wreck for commercial purposes. The matter was eventually settled by the state of Michigan.

In April of 1987 an emergency preserve was established one mile around the Regina protecting the wreck from further destruction, but not before much of the cargo was removed and the insides of the ship fairly stripped. What does remain however, is still representative of some of the best wreck diving in Michigan. In July of 1988 the boundaries of the new preserve were established and increased to include 163 square miles of bottom land to become the Sanilac Shores Underwater Preserve. The newly established preserve covered an area approximately 14 miles north of Port Sanilac to one mile south of Lexington. The preserve boundaries were determined by the state to include the known wrecks in the area within recreational diving depths.

The purpose of these preserves is to promote maritime history while keeping the wrecks safe from plundering. It is a felony to remove any item in, on or attached to a shipwreck within the preserves. Those caught removing souvenirs from the wrecks face stiff penalties including having their boat, vehicle and equipment confiscated and may face up to two years imprisonment. Michigan has 11 underwater preserves covering a total of 2,300 square miles of bottom land. The preserve concept has been successful in promoting diving and conservation. The pristine wrecks entice several thousand divers each year to the Thumb and Sanilac Shores Underwater Preserves, leaving bubbles and taking only pictures.

If you would like to contact Capt. Deb with any ideas, feedback, or information regarding shipwreck stories, please contact her through Huron Explorations at 810-648-4638 or e-mail at captdeb@avci.net. SCUBA diving charters can also be arranged through the above contact information.