Comet Ep.12 Steam Wheeler Vessel

Описание: Comet - Kingston Ontario
Coordinates:
Lat: 44° 8' 19.14" N Long: -76° 35' 2.5188" W
Depth: 90 ft
Lined/Moored

This ship was a side wheel steamer. The side wheels are still what attracts people to the shipwreck to this day. This is another wreck which requires a charter operator to get to.
There is a mooring block and line on the wreck which is maintained by P.O.W. Kingston.
The ship was launched at Portsmouth harbour, Kingston ON, in 1848 and measured 174 ft long.
At the time of its launch the steam engines were capable of 45 hp.
In April 1850 the boiler of the ship exploded, killing eight and sinking in Oswego.
The ship was raised and rebuilt in Montreal. Comet had many other bad luck events until her final resting place in the depths of Lake Ontario.
Leaving Kingston harbour on May 14th 1861, Comet collided with the American Schooner “Exchange”. The two vessels tried to stay close to help each other, but the stormy winds prevailed, and both were separated. Comet sailed toward Simcoe Island where the passengers and crew abandoned ship and Comet slipped below the surface to sit upright in 90 ft of water.
In 1967 2 local divers were able to locate the remains of the Comet. It is now moored with a float provided by P.O.W. Kingston for divers to enjoy.
One of the nice things about a wreck with a mooring line on it, is that you just need to follow the line down once the boat ties off.
At the bottom of the mooring is a block with a tag line to the wreck. The big side wheels measure about 25 ft tall and sit up right.
Going down the line, the first thing you see is one of the wheels. The ship does sit upright in silt which is being covered more and more every year.
Much of the superstructure has now collapsed and you can only dive around the outside or over top the wreck. It still makes for an impressive dive to see the large upright side wheels.
This is a boat dive so comfort in going down a mooring line is recommended. It can be surprising going down the line and having the environment getting darker, cooler, and looking over your shoulder to see one of the massive side wheels.
The sidewheels are a great thing to take pictures of but there is a lot of silt around, so try not to silt out the area so other divers can enjoy it. It is truly a unique wreck.