# 230 year old shipwreck found off the coast... **URL:** \ **Category:** NYSpeed Off Topic\ **Created:** [June 19, 2008, 8:50am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/230-year-old-shipwreck-found-off-the-coast/50256 "2008-06-19T08:50:58Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Fry](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/fry/32/7284_2.png) [@Fry](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Fry)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2008, 8:50am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/230-year-old-shipwreck-found-off-the-coast/50256/1 "2008-06-19T08:50:58Z")
…of Rochester. Pretty neat that there’s shit like this right in our own backyards. > ![http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2008/06/photogalleries/shipwreck-photos/images/primary/1_HMSONTARIO_461.jpg](http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2008/06/photogalleries/shipwreck-photos/images/primary/1_HMSONTARIO_461.jpg) > **June 17, 2008** —The prow of the 1780 [British](http://www3.nationalgeographic.com/places/countries/country_unitedkingdom.html) warship H.M.S. _Ontario_ is shown 500 feet (150 meters) below Lake Ontario near Rochester, [New York](http://www3.nationalgeographic.com/places/states/state_newyork_state.html), upon the ship’s discovery in early June. > > Called a “holy grail” of Great Lakes wreck hunters, the 80-foot (24-meter) brig-sloop sank in a sudden gale during the U.S. Revolutionary War on October 31, 1780. > > At times a sail would have been attached to the large forward pole, or bowsprit, at right. Just below, the ship’s ornate, handcarved bow stem is a testament to the “personal pride” shipbuilders took in their vessels, said Dan Scoville, who found the _Ontario_ along with fellow shipwreck enthusiast Jim Kennard. > > “That’s back when they cared about how a ship looked,” Scoville said. > ![http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2008/06/photogalleries/shipwreck-photos/images/primary/2_HMSONTARIO_461.jpg](http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2008/06/photogalleries/shipwreck-photos/images/primary/2_HMSONTARIO_461.jpg) > At the back end of the 1780 British warship _Ontario,_ the Union Jack would have flown from the flagpole (top left). Just below, some of the six windows of captain’s quarters retain their panes, according to the wreck’s discoverers. > > Found in June 2008, the ship had sunk during a sudden storm while carrying about 120 people from Fort Niagara to Rochester, New York. > ![http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2008/06/photogalleries/shipwreck-photos/images/primary/3_HMSONTARIO_461.jpg](http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2008/06/photogalleries/shipwreck-photos/images/primary/3_HMSONTARIO_461.jpg) > > Near the top of one of the _Ontario’_s two 80-foot (25-meter) masts, the crow’s nest served as a lookout station and, during battles, a perch for musket-bearing snipers. > > Built in New York State in 1780, the British warship foundered during an autumn nor’easter in October of that same year. Winds may have exceeded 60 miles (97 kilometers) an hour, said Jim Kennard, who helped find the wreck in June 2008. > ![http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2008/06/photogalleries/shipwreck-photos/images/primary/4_HMSONTARIO_461.jpg](http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2008/06/photogalleries/shipwreck-photos/images/primary/4_HMSONTARIO_461.jpg) > Encrusted with quagga mussels, a cannon protrudes from the front of the 22-gun British warship _Ontario,_ found in Lake Ontario in June 2008. > > The 1780 vessel is the oldest wreck and the only intact British war vessel found in Lake Ontario. > > Jim Kennard and Dan Scoville, who discovered the ship, attribute the _Ontario’_s remarkable preservation to the lake’s cold waters and the absence of oxygen at the ship’s 500-foot-deep (152-meter-deep) resting place. > ![http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2008/06/photogalleries/shipwreck-photos/images/primary/5_HMSONTARIO_461.jpg](http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2008/06/photogalleries/shipwreck-photos/images/primary/5_HMSONTARIO_461.jpg) > A drawing from a 1997 history of the _Ontario_ gives a sense of the 80-foot (24-meter) ship’s short-lived grandeur. > > The account’s author, Canadian Arthur Britton Smith, called the June 2008 discovery of the 228-year-old ship an “archaeological miracle,” according to the Associated Press. “To have a revolutionary war vessel that’s practically intact is unbelievable.” > > _Ontario_ discoverer Jim Kennard said the ship is the property of Great Britain and will remain undisturbed unless U.K. officials decide to excavate it. ---
**Author:** ![justa4door](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/justa4door/32/7259_2.png) [@justa4door](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/justa4door)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2008, 9:01am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/230-year-old-shipwreck-found-off-the-coast/50256/2 "2008-06-19T09:01:19Z")
with the “fresh” water i keeps it intact over the saltwater of the ocean… pretty cool … is there anymore pic or anything about this… also i wonder if there will be a show about it ---
**Author:** ![Paulo](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/paulo/32/7328_2.png) [@Paulo](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Paulo)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2008, 9:07am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/230-year-old-shipwreck-found-off-the-coast/50256/3 "2008-06-19T09:07:52Z")
That’s incredible. We spend billions upon billions of dollars to fight wars, but don’t even know whats in our own fucking lakes. ---
**Author:** ![Doc20th](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/7bcc69/32.png) [@Doc20th](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Doc20th)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2008, 9:08am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/230-year-old-shipwreck-found-off-the-coast/50256/4 "2008-06-19T09:08:48Z")
Very cool. I remember a Nat. Geographic from years ago that had a story about some ships from this era they discovered in the Great lakes. ---
**Author:** ![Eazy716](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/eazy716/32/7443_2.png) [@Eazy716](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Eazy716)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2008, 9:11am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/230-year-old-shipwreck-found-off-the-coast/50256/5 "2008-06-19T09:11:37Z")
wow, thats bad ass. to think its been sitting there all this time and no one knew it. and still in tact. very cool :tup: ---
**Author:** ![boxxa](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/boxxa/32/5045_2.png) [@boxxa](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/boxxa)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2008, 9:12am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/230-year-old-shipwreck-found-off-the-coast/50256/6 "2008-06-19T09:12:52Z")
my old girlfriend had a map at their cottage with a lot of discovered ships in the great lakes. i never realized how many ships sank in those lakes. i wonder how close it was to the shore and many people passed over that ship a day and didn’t even realize it. ---
**Author:** ![Geoff](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/geoff/32/6104_2.png) [@Geoff](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Geoff)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2008, 9:13am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/230-year-old-shipwreck-found-off-the-coast/50256/7 "2008-06-19T09:13:12Z")
fill it with ping pong balls and bring it up ---
**Author:** ![BREETIME](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/breetime/32/5214_2.png) [@BREETIME](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/BREETIME)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2008, 9:13am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/230-year-old-shipwreck-found-off-the-coast/50256/8 "2008-06-19T09:13:45Z")
hahahahha,my girlfriend asked if we could go see it.i asked her if shes had any sub600 foot scuba diving experience and…yep…shes only been snorkeling. ---
**Author:** ![Shockwave179](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/shockwave179/32/7496_2.png) [@Shockwave179](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Shockwave179)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2008, 9:17am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/230-year-old-shipwreck-found-off-the-coast/50256/9 "2008-06-19T09:17:40Z")
That’s pretty cool, I was always fascinated by shipwrecks when I was a kid. ---
**Author:** ![justa4door](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/justa4door/32/7259_2.png) [@justa4door](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/justa4door)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2008, 9:20am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/230-year-old-shipwreck-found-off-the-coast/50256/10 "2008-06-19T09:20:12Z")
> [@BREETIME](#): > > hahahahha,my girlfriend asked if we could go see it.i asked her if shes had any sub600 foot scuba diving experience and…yep…shes only been snorkeling. tell her to go check it out. and let you know what it was like when she gets back ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Stevil](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/da6949/32.png) [@Dr.Stevil](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Dr.Stevil)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2008, 9:21am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/230-year-old-shipwreck-found-off-the-coast/50256/11 "2008-06-19T09:21:33Z")
thats wild :tup: ---
**Author:** ![Nikuk](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/nikuk/32/7254_2.png) [@Nikuk](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Nikuk)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2008, 9:30am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/230-year-old-shipwreck-found-off-the-coast/50256/12 "2008-06-19T09:30:28Z")
there are a BUNCH of ships in the lakes from back when there was heavy volume commerical shipping. ---
**Author:** ![Superium](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/superium/32/7405_2.png) [@Superium](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Superium)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2008, 9:33am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/230-year-old-shipwreck-found-off-the-coast/50256/13 "2008-06-19T09:33:48Z")
Im more suprised that the lake is 500ft. deep. I figured 200ish at best. ---
**Author:** ![boxxa](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/boxxa/32/5045_2.png) [@boxxa](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/boxxa)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2008, 9:35am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/230-year-old-shipwreck-found-off-the-coast/50256/14 "2008-06-19T09:35:49Z")
> [@BREETIME](#): > > hahahahha,my girlfriend asked if we could go see it.i asked her if shes had any sub600 foot scuba diving experience and…yep…shes only been snorkeling. Take her out on the boat and throw her in the lake and tell her to call you when she finds it. ---
**Author:** ![justa4door](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/justa4door/32/7259_2.png) [@justa4door](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/justa4door)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2008, 9:36am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/230-year-old-shipwreck-found-off-the-coast/50256/15 "2008-06-19T09:36:32Z")
lol more info here…[http://www.fortmilltimes.com/119/story/194888.html](http://www.fortmilltimes.com/119/story/194888.html) ---
**Author:** ![drvnkd](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/drvnkd/32/109615_2.png) [@drvnkd](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/drvnkd)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2008, 10:09am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/230-year-old-shipwreck-found-off-the-coast/50256/16 "2008-06-19T10:09:01Z")
there was a show on discovery, or national geographic about great lakes ship wrecks. There are thousands of them. And they are in great shape because of the cold fresh water. ---
**Author:** ![Paulo](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/paulo/32/7328_2.png) [@Paulo](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Paulo)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2008, 10:11am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/230-year-old-shipwreck-found-off-the-coast/50256/17 "2008-06-19T10:11:45Z")
> [@Superium](#): > > Im more suprised that the lake is 500ft. deep. I figured 200ish at best. Aren’t Lake erie and Ontario about 700ft deep? Edit, Erie def is not… but ontario gets to 800ish. [http://epa.gov/glnpo/factsheet.html](http://epa.gov/glnpo/factsheet.html) ---
**Author:** ![JayS](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/jays/32/15375_2.png) [@JayS](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/JayS)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2008, 10:15am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/230-year-old-shipwreck-found-off-the-coast/50256/18 "2008-06-19T10:15:03Z")
[quote=“drvnkd,post:16,topic:50256"”] there was a show on discovery, or national geographic about great lakes ship wrecks. There are thousands of them. And they are in great shape because of the cold fresh water. [/quote] It was Discovery that ran one just recently. I was a bit disappointed in that one because it was too much about diving and not enough about the shipwrecks. Someone did a real good great lakes shipwreck documentary a couple years ago that was on one of those channels. A lot of people don’t realize how serious a bodies of water the great lakes are during a storm. People think of shipwrecks in the ocean because of storms but the lakes can get real nasty too. Hell, just a few years ago the Coast Guard lost a boat and several men on Ontario during a storm. ---
**Author:** ![Twizted](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/twizted/32/7206_2.png) [@Twizted](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Twizted)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2008, 10:16am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/230-year-old-shipwreck-found-off-the-coast/50256/19 "2008-06-19T10:16:18Z")
bad ass ---
**Author:** ![POOPRA](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/poopra/32/7188_2.png) [@POOPRA](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/POOPRA)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2008, 10:22am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/230-year-old-shipwreck-found-off-the-coast/50256/20 "2008-06-19T10:22:03Z")
Yar they found me booty [Next page](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/230-year-old-shipwreck-found-off-the-coast/50256.md?page=2)