Wreck Summary
| Type |
Shipwreck |
| Build |
Steel hull with wooden deck |
| Location |
Brockville or Rockport, Ontario
|
| Depth |
88 feet |
| Length |
133 feet |
| Built |
1871 |
| Sank |
1897 |
| Access |
Boat |
| Experience Level |
Advanced |
| Orientation |
Upright
|
Situated just a couple hundred yards from the dock in Rockport, this wreck was (re)found in 1995.
Still the source of much debate, some no longer believe it is really the Kinghorn and the leading contender for the true identity is the "dith Surwell. Well, at least it was until someone suggested the Surwell (or Cirtwell) was a fishing tug that has yet to be found, and that this particular wreck is the Sophia (which actually lies not far away). Due to the sources who say it is the Kinghorn (namely wreck guru Rick Neilson), my money is on the Kinghorn.
Sitting upright in 88′ this is an aging steel hull with no superstructure. It has several openings on the upper deck (one reportedly from an anchor dropped a little too close to the target) so there is a good deal of light penetration into the hold which can be explored easily provided you have good finning technique (if you don’t you will be in the middle of a silt storm and other divers may finally have a use for the dive knives they have been carrying around for years). The upper deck is collapsing at a steady rate, and any penetration should be done with great caution if at all.
Close to the down-line is a "Canadian" toilet, still in relatively good shape (this item which was clearly not original, has since been removed). Plates and cups are scattered around the upper deck and inside the hold on the stove, many having reportedly been "returned" (read: planted) here (so if you take one thinking you have a genuine artifact, you are most likely sadly mistaken but other divers will take the opportunity to laugh at you, and then turn you over to the local constabularies since removing items from Ontario wrecks is illegal).
Don’t miss the ship’s wheel lying on its side on top of the stern, then find and the windlass, bilge pump, stove and rudder assembly which make for a decent amount to see. The wheel is now devoid of all its wood, but a sizeable portion of the steering gear is still attached and reaches nearly to the bottom of the hull. A small stove what was once on the deck, then in the hold, now appears to be missing entirely.
