SAINTE MARIE U116574

The wood car ferry SAINTE MARIE was built in 1893 at Wyandotte, Michigan, by the Detroit Dry Dock Co. for the Mackinac Transportation Co. It had dimensions of 288 feet in length, 53 feet in beam, hull depth of 19.6 feet, and a gross tonnage of 1357 tons. The vessel operated as a passenger and rail car ferry between Mackinaw City and St. Ignace from 1893 until 1912, prior to the construction of the Mackinac Bridge in 1957.

After its retirement from service, the SAINTE MARIE was purchased by T. L. Durocher of DeTour, Michigan, and converted into a barge as part of his salvage, dock, and dredge business. It was eventually abandoned alongside his property in DeTour Village, where it remains to this day.

The wreck of SAINTE MARIE is a prominent feature of the DeTour shoreline, projecting several feet above the waterline and visible from the western shore of DeTour passage. Much of the wreck is above the surface, making it uninteresting to divers due to its deteriorating condition and potential hazards.

The wreck lies in 0 to 10 feet of water south of DeTour and approximately 700 feet north of Frying Pan Island. It is accessible from shore at a nearby park in DeTour, with Lat/Long Coordinates of Latitude: 45º 59.351’ North and Longitude: 83º 53.792’ West. The SAINTE MARIE was officially abandoned in 1928.