Sunken History—A Diver's Journal
The Schooner Checotah
by Capt. Garry Biniecki

The Checotah was built in 1870 as the three-masted schooner, George D. Russell. She spent 36 years of hard service on the lakes before finally coming to grief in October, 1906. It was unusual for a schooner on the Great Lakes to last over 15 years, as they would likely succumb to fire, collision or stranding. This was not her first brush with disaster, having been sunk, raised and then later stranded before finally meeting her end in a Lake Huron gale.

The first sinking claimed the lives of three crew members, a stewardess, Mrs. Robinson of Cleveland, Ohio, sailors Oliver O'Hara of Dexter, New Jersey, and Joseph Clausson of Pottsville, Pennsylvania, when she was rammed by the propeller Northerner in the Saint Mary's River on September 9, 1882. She sat upright on the bottom in seven fathoms of water until the fall of 1889 when Captain Jex of Toledo, Ohio, lightened her and towed her to Port Huron for repairs.

In 1890 she sailed again with the unfortunate Algonquin Indian name Checotah, meaning 'weak fish'. She ran aground in May of 1899 on Thunder Bay Island near Alpena. Tugs pulled her off the next day. At some point between 1890 and 1905 she had her center mast removed to facilitate handling deck cargo. She then served uneventfully as a tow barge until her final loss in 1906.

On October 30, 1906, the Checotah was the second of three consorts towed behind the steamer Tempest, down bound along the Lake Huron shore carrying 850,000 board feet of lumber. As a gale grew in intensity, she started taking on water, and it soon became apparent that she was doomed. The crew of the Tempest simply cut her adrift and sailed away, leaving the Checotah's crew of six to fend for themselves. The crew took to an open yawl. They spent about an hour on the storm-tossed lake before being picked up by the steamer W.A. Paine.

Contemporary newspaper articles spoke of failed attempts to locate the derelict. One report of floating spars ended speculation she might still be afloat and a hazard to navigation. Most of the cargo of white pine lumber floated free and was recovered. The crew was paid off, and the Checotah became a footnote in maritime history.

THE SEARCH

On June 28, 1988, Tim Juhl of Carsonville, Jim and Pat Stayer of Lexington, Paul Rich of Sandusky, and myself, headed out northeast from Port Sanilac Harbor to a search area Tim and I determined would be the starting point. We lowered the tow fish and cable attached to the side scanning sonar over the side and started our first pass up the search area. In less than 15 minutes, Jim noticed something starting to print on the upper corner of the screen. Several passes around the target convinced us we had a real possibility of discovering the shipwreck. However, deteriorating weather prevented us from diving the site that day. A full week passed before we made it back out. During that time we lost no small amount of sleep, wondering what awaited us on the bottom of Lake Huron.

THE DISCOVERY

July 5, 1988, was one of those rare days when Lake Huron was on her best behavior. Paul could not make it out that day. Pat, Jim, Tim and I motored out to the site. After snagging in, Tim and I suited up quickly, dove into the water and started down the line. I felt my pulse quicken as we descended deeper and deeper, eyes straining for the first glimpse of the bottom. And, there . . . planks, chain, pulleys . . . a shipwreck!

The few minutes we were allowed to spend at over 100' depth went by very quickly and gave us a tantalizing look at the bow of the wooden schooner. Because of the poor visibility, each diver saw only bits and pieces of what lay there, resulting in many spirited discussions topside as we struggled to put things in their proper perspective. I recall one particular dive where Tim and I became separated and were just a few feet apart. We could hear each other breathing through our regulators, but were unable to locate each other until we ascended.

During the course of our research, members of the dive team put in over 120 dives on the Checotah, exploring, measuring and photographing, all the time being careful not to disturb anything. Pat Stayer used her artistic talents to make a detailed drawing of the way the ship laid on the bottom. We not only improved our research skills, but learned a lot about the construction and operation of old wooden sailing vessels in the process. What we found was a tired old vessel, worn, but with a certain dignity. She carried no riches, only the scattered remnants of a bygone age, left to intrigue the few of us who visited her grave. It fascinates me to think of all of the human history that passed while she slept peacefully for decades in the depths of Lake Huron.

The bow is most intact, exhibiting a steam boiler and winch, windlass, capstan, tow posts, mooring bitts and two wooden stock anchors. Chain, steel cable, halyard blocks and other implements are scattered haphazardly about. The deck has been lifted free of the center section of the ship with her gunwales left laying flat on the lake bottom. The damaged stern yielded two of the greatest finds of the expedition. Partially buried in the silt was a beautifully intact ship's wheel, with the steering gear still attached. A few feet beyond the wheel, we found a compass in excellent condition.

After applying for a Salvage Permit, the compass was recovered and restored by Tim Juhl, including the 80 proof whiskey inside it. It is now displayed at the Port Sanilac Historical Museum for all to enjoy. Unfortunately, we all knew that it would not have lasted long once the coordinates of the wreck were released. As much as I support leaving our shipwreck heritage undisturbed, one has only to look at the Regina or the tug Sport to see how quickly loose, and not so loose, items disappear into the goodie bags of unscrupulous divers. We all have to do our part in continuing to educate the diving community in understanding that everyone has a stake in preserving our shipwreck heritage.

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