Initial Survey Report: Unknown Barge

Site: ~6 miles off Cedar Point, Sandusky, Ohio (Lake Erie)
Dates of Dive: July 26–27, 2008
Survey Team: Jack Papes (lead report author), Mike Chrisopulos, Glenn Fisher, Ed Noga (Maritime Archaeological Survey Team)

Site Conditions

• Environmental: Sunny topside (≈ 85 °F, light breeze S–SW), 1–3 ft seas.
• Water & Visibility: Surface 75 °F; thermocline at 40 ft (~65 °F below); Visibility ~20 ft above, <5 ft below.
• Currents: ~½ knot westward on the bottom.

Vessel & Wreck Characteristics

• Orientation & Attitude: Vessel lies inverted (bottom facing upward), bow at approx. 320° heading, listing ~10–18° to starboard. Trench in hard clay suggests scouring by current.
• Dimensions:
  • Beam: 35 ft 4 in
  • Length: Approx. 73 ft (site partially obscured at bow due to trench)
  • Draft: >4 ft
• Structure: Inverted Hull framing visible—planking mostly intact. No visible salvage or dive marks.

Assessment & Identification Criteria

Vessel Type Hypothesis

• Wooden working Barge—not a Schooner or powered vessel. The inverted position, clay trench, and lack of fittings suggest a utility Barge, possibly for cargo or service near Sandusky.

Structural Clues

• Straight-sided Hull frames, wide beam-to-length ratio, and shallow Draft consistent with a Barge built for nearshore freight or service operations.

Cargo & Salvage Indicators

• No artifacts, machinery, or merchandise visible. Probably stripped or bare Hull.

Archival Gaps & Suggested Search Areas

Despite detailed field data, relevant information about this Barge is scarce. Key missing data:

• Official vessel name, owner, build date or registry
• Event or loss records tied to Cedar Point/Sandusky Barge operations

Recommended Archival Research:

• Sandusky newspapers (1900–1950):
  • Sandusky Register, Toledo Blade, Cleveland Plain Dealer may contain incident reports or notices referencing barges lost, Abandoned, or beached off Cedar Point.
• Harbor and port logs:
  • Sandusky Harbor Authority and US Army Corps of Engineers records might contain documentation of Barge maintenance, scrapping, or sinking.
• Great Lakes vessel registries:
  • Search for wooden Barge vessels ~70–80 ft registered in Sandusky or Cleveland ports.
• Underwater cultural resource surveys:
  • NOAA or Ohio Sea Grant may hold bathymetric data near Cedar Point for wreck mapping.
• CLUE archives:
  • Full sonar mosaics from 2008 may reveal unobserved structural portions beyond the inverted site.

Summary Table

Conclusions

This wreck likely represents a small wooden Barge, possibly used for cargo or construction support near Sandusky/Cedar Point. Its inverted position and lack of machinery suggest either sinking in place or abandonment. Without discoverable registry or incident-specific records, identification relies on deeper archival research, particularly in local fire, maritime, and port records from the late 19th to early 20th centuries.