Lake Michigan: Material Services Barge & Louisville
Double Action Dive Charters
September 15th, 2024
Captain: Keith Divemaster: Gary Hicks
Boat: SeaQuest II
After getting blown off of the lake during the wreck course in June, we were able to reschedule, and after a day at Haigh Quarry made it finally made it out on the lake. Originally planning on doing two dives on the Inland Steel Barge we skipped out on those based on the captain’s advice and opted to dive the Material Services Barge and Louisville. With minimal waves and clear skies, we left the dock eager and excited.
Material Services Barge
33’ for 45 minutes 70°
A shallow wreck resting in roughly 40’ of water that sank on July 29th, 1936 it sits upright with eight hulls that allow plenty of swim throughs. MSB is a 240-foot long barge with a unique build that allows it pass under the bridges without need to raise them. It mostly carried sand and gravel that was used to build the surrounding interstates. The ship sank close to shore after taking on water in a storm. 15 of the 22 crew members drowned in the waves, with the survivors managing to swim to the breakers. On the stern the propellers still remain usually with freshwater sponges growing on the underside of the wreck.
Louisville
54’ for 39 minutes 68°
One of the older shallow wrecks in the lake that still remain fairly intact. It is a pre-Civil War era wreck with one of the first propeller driven ships to sail anywhere in world. It was originally launched in 1853, and was used as a liner for Northern Transportation. During a voyage from Michigan to Chicago in 1857, the Louisville caught fire and sank. Fortunately, there was only one death, a firefighter who drowned when his lifeboat capsized. She currently sits upright with a large broiler sits in the middle of the wreck that was used to power the propeller. On the stern of the ship remains of the steel beams of the vertical piston engine. The bow still have the remains of the anchor chain. On our dive we found a potentially recently uncovered wheel from a cart that has been previously unseen.
