Shotline Diving

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Great Lakes Research Archive

Shotline Wreck Record

Gunilda

Explore the stunning wreck of the Gunilda, a steel-hulled steam yacht, resting in 260 feet of Lake Superior’s depths.

GPS: 48.784167, -87.422222

Shotline Diving Wreck Profile

  • Name: Gunilda
  • Type: Steel-hulled steam yacht
  • Year Built: 1897
  • Builder: Ramage & Ferguson, Leith, Scotland
  • Dimensions: 195 × 24.7 × 14.2 ft (59.4 × 7.5 × 4.3 m)
  • Registered Tonnage: 385 gt / 158 nt
  • Depth at Wreck Site: 79 m / 260 ft
  • Location: McGarvey Shoal, near Rossport, Ontario
  • Coordinates: 48° 47.20′ N, 87° 25.21′ W
  • Original Owners: William Harkness, Cleveland, Ohio

Wreck Location Map

Vessel Type

The Gunilda is classified as a steel-hulled steam yacht, designed for luxury and comfort on the water.

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.

Significant 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.

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.

Current Condition & Accessibility

The wreck is upright and remarkably preserved, with many original features intact. However, divers should be aware of the extreme depth and cold water conditions.

Members Page

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.