Shotline Diving Wreck Profile
- Name: Hamonic
- Type: Steel passenger steamer
- Year Built: 1909
- Builder: Collingwood Shipbuilding
- Dimensions: 350 ft x 50 ft x 24 ft (107 m x 15.2 m x 7.3 m)
- Registered Tonnage: 5,265 gross tons, 3,295 net tons
- Location: CSL dock at Point Edward, near Sarnia, Ontario
- Official Number: C122553
- Original Owners: Canada Steamship Lines
Wreck Location Map
Vessel Type
Vessel Type
The Hamonic was a luxury steel-hulled passenger steamer.
Description
Description
The Hamonic was a luxury steel-hulled passenger steamer, part of the Canada Steamship Lines (CSL) Great Lakes fleet. Built in 1909 by Collingwood Shipbuilding, she was one of the renowned “Northern Navigation Company” cruise ships, offering scenic voyages on the Great Lakes.
At 350 feet (107 metres) long, the Hamonic was an imposing and elegant vessel, designed to provide comfortable and stylish travel for passengers enjoying excursions between Toronto, Sarnia, and other destinations along the Great Lakes. She was known for her first-class accommodations, including grand lounges, dining halls, and private cabins.
History
History
For 36 years, the Hamonic served as one of the most popular cruise ships in the CSL fleet. Alongside her sister ships, she carried thousands of passengers each season, offering relaxing summer voyages and vacation cruises along the Great Lakes and Georgian Bay.
Significant Incidents
Significant Incidents
- On July 17, 1945, while docked at the Canada Steamship Lines (CSL) terminal in Point Edward, near Sarnia, the Hamonic was set ablaze by a fire originating from the dock.
- Captain Frederick Burke made a desperate effort to save the ship by cutting the mooring lines and moving the vessel away from the dock.
- Despite these efforts, the ship was completely destroyed.
- No lives were lost during the incident.
- Passengers and crew were rescued using a dockside crane.
- The intense flames made it impossible to control the fire, and the Hamonic was reduced to a burning hulk within hours.
Final Disposition
Final Disposition
Following the fire, the remains of the Hamonic were deemed unsalvageable. Her wreckage was sold for scrap and dismantled in Windsor, Ontario.
The loss of the Hamonic marked the end of an era for Great Lakes passenger cruising, as the demand for steamship travel declined in the post-war years.
Current Condition & Accessibility
Current Condition & Accessibility
Nil return
Resources & Links
[shotline_reference_links slug=”hamonic-c-122553″ title=”References & Links”]
Conclusion
The Hamonic was one of the most elegant and well-known passenger ships of her time. Her sudden and dramatic loss in 1945 ended her nearly four decades of service, but her legacy as a grand Great Lakes cruise ship remains. Today, she is remembered as a symbol of an era when travel by steamship was a luxurious and sought-after experience.
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