New 3D Model Added: SS Ironsides (Lake Michigan, 1873)
We’re thrilled to unveil the latest addition to our growing 3DShipwrecks.org catalog: the SS Ironsides, a Civil‑War era package freighter that met her tragic end off Grand Haven in September 1873.
Built in Cleveland in 1864 and measuring over 218 ft long, the Ironsides worked the Cleveland–Lake Superior trade before shifting to the Grand Haven–Milwaukee route. Despite her sturdy wood construction and twin‑propeller steam engines, she endured multiple collisions and mechanical breakdowns over her brief nine‑year service.
During a fierce storm at sea on September 14–15, 1873, Ironsides was unable to enter Grand Haven harbor. The vessel took on water, lifeboats capsized, and approximately 20 passengers and crew perished. Though some bodies were recovered, others were lost to the depths—an emotional mark on local maritime history.
Today, the wreck lies at about 120 ft of water within the West Michigan Underwater Preserve and is a well‑known site for advanced technical divers. Her intact boilers, engines, and collapsed hogging arches present a fascinating deep‑water dive and photogrammetric challenge.
In the 2025 dive season, Andrew Goodman captured 2,220 30‑megapixel underwater images to create a meticulously detailed 3D photogrammetry model. You can explore this photorealistic reconstruction in virtual space right now.
Explorer community, maritime scholars, and dive teams: dive into history and help us document all 1,200 Great Lakes wrecks in 3D. With Ironsides, we’ve reached 20% of that mission—and this is just the beginning.