Lead Image

Identification Card (Site Style)

Name: Gunilda
Type: Steel-hulled steam yacht
Builder: Ramage & Ferguson, Leith, Scotland
Designer: Cox & King
Year Built: 1897
Owner: William Harkness, Cleveland, Ohio
Dimensions: 195 × 24.7 × 14.2 ft (59.4 × 7.5 × 4.3 m)
Tonnage: 385 gt / 158 nt
Engine: Triple-expansion steam engine (15″, 24″, 39″)
Propulsion: Single screw
Location: McGarvey Shoal, near Rossport, Ontario, Lake Superior
Coordinates: 48° 47.20′ N, 87° 25.21′ W
Depth: ~260 ft (79 m)
Casualties: None at sinking; later diver fatalities (1975, 1989)

Description

The Gunilda was a steel-hulled steam yacht that embodied late Victorian luxury and technological refinement. Built in Scotland by Ramage & Ferguson, she featured lavish interiors, refined accommodations, and a triple-expansion steam engine for efficient and reliable cruising. Harkness intended her as a floating palace for touring the Great Lakes and beyond.

History

Commissioned in 1897, Gunilda was brought to the Great Lakes in 1910 for private pleasure use. On August 11, 1911, she struck a submerged rock pinnacle at McGarvey Shoal near Rossport, Ontario. Initial salvage attempts were poorly planned; during towing preparations the vessel capsized and slipped into 260 feet of water. She was uninsured, making her $200,000+ loss a direct financial blow to her owner.

Final Disposition

Gunilda settled upright on the lakebed. The cold, deep waters of Lake Superior preserved her steel Hull, leaving one of the most intact wrecks of her era. Luxurious fittings, portholes, and machinery remain in place, frozen in time.

Dive Site Details

  • Depth: 260 ft (79 m)
  • Access: Charter required; located off Rossport, Ontario
  • Conditions: Cold water, limited windows of Visibility, strong potential for thermoclines
  • Hazards: Depth, narcosis, decompression obligations
  • Skill Level: Technical divers only
  • Points of Interest: Upright steel Hull, engine, luxury fittings preserved in situ

Tragedies & Diver Incidents

The wreck’s allure has claimed multiple divers:

  • 1975: A diver died while exploring the wreck, overwhelmed by depth and decompression requirements.
  • 1989: A second diver perished under similar circumstances. Both incidents highlight the risks inherent in deep Great Lakes wreck diving.
  • 2017– Scott Stitt perishes while exploring the wreck

Significance

The Gunilda is widely regarded as the “most beautiful shipwreck in the Great Lakes,” combining opulent design with pristine preservation. She remains a time capsule of Edwardian luxury and steam yacht design, studied by maritime historians and technical divers alike.

Resources & Links

NOAA/WHS Shipwreck Record Card

Wreck Name: Gunilda
Type: Steel-hulled steam yacht
Built: 1897, Ramage & Ferguson, Leith, Scotland
Cause of Loss: Grounding & failed salvage, McGarvey Shoal
Coordinates: 48° 47.20′ N, 87° 25.21′ W
Depth: 260 ft (79 m)
Condition: Upright, remarkably preserved
Casualties: None at sinking; diver fatalities in 1975 & 1989
Hazards: Extreme depth, cold water, decompression risk
Discovery: Known since sinking, rediscovered by divers in 1967
Permits Required: Ontario Heritage Act applies