FRED MERCUR WRECK
This wreck is an excellent Open-Water-level dive. Lots of fish swim around you, particularly bass, and eels hide along a clay ridge near the wreck. It’s the perfect spot for identifying parts of a ship, following its propulsion components, and noting the details of wooden ship construction. With its position in the water and its depth changes, it’s also ideal for practicing navigation and buoyancy skills.
History
Built in 1882, the 240' long x 35' wide Fred Mercur was a wooden, propeller-powered steam freighter. Enroute to Montreal in 1925, it caught fire and sank near Cornwall. The entire crew was saved, apparently by a nearby villager using only a canoe.beginners to advanced divers.
Today
The wreck lies on a slope near Stanley Island where the bow almost skims the surface and the stern sits at about 45 feet. Mild current at the surface rapidly diminishes as you descend.
A large part of the ship is detached and lies about 30 feet from the propeller. Its intact hull still contains coal, though its stern has been damaged by an errant vessel dropping an anchor on it in 1984.