Wreck Summary
| Type |
Shipwreck |
| Build |
Steel |
| Location |
Brockville or Rockport, Ontario
|
| Depth |
240 feet |
| Length |
640 feet |
| Built |
1965 |
| Sank |
1974 |
| Access |
Boat |
| Experience Level |
Technical |
| Orientation |
Upright listing to starboard, down a slope
|
The Jodrey is THE technical-level wreck in Southern Ontario. It attracts divers from all over, and for good reason: there are few places in the world where you can dive a modern freighter over 600′ long. To put that length into perspective, it is over two and a half times longer than the Keystorm, Rockport’s other great freighter dive.
Similar to the Keystorm it lies down a steep slope, starting at 140′ and going down to 235′ at the break where it starts to get shallower. Due to the depth and darkness it’s a hard wreck to get a read on, allowing you to only see as much of her as your light can illuminate (unless the visibility is particularly good).
The pilothouse on this style of freighter is towards the bow which means some of the most interesting parts of the wreck are also the shallowest part of the forward section. Going deeper you will find the iron ore loading mechanism and cargo holds. As if the wreck and location did not present enough challenges, divers have strewn it with lines, perhaps in an effort to aid their navigation (which does not seem necessary at all). Great care should be taken to avoid these lines, and if the line seems to move by its own accord, it might be one of the resident eels.
The only lines that are actually useful are the two that run from the shore to the stern of the wreck. It is possible to get dropped in downstream of the Coast Guard station and find the lines which start at 30′ and end at the port rail just forward of the stern at 130′. Following the lines can be a bit of a challenge as the current can be ripping, forcing you to go hand over hand for some of the trip to the wreck which takes between seven to ten minutes depending on the flow. Or, you can swim down the wreck, letting the current carry you to the stern, and then exit via a stern line. For some divers the stern is more interesting than the bow, and I would have to agree. The prop, rudder, anchor, funnel, radio tower, and rear cabins make for some interesting pokin’ around with plenty of damage evident.
For those who are really up for a challenge when diving the bow try to find the chain locker and take a look inside there, tight squeeze but a pretty darn interesting place.
