Legacy Notes & Full Historical Record

This section preserves the original unedited Shotline content for this wreck so that no historical detail is lost as we transition to the new logbook format.

Shotline Diving Wreck Profile

• Name, Former Names: Henry C. Daryaw (renamed in 1935; formerly Oakbay, originally Mainier) (ottawadivers.wordpress.com)
• Registration Number: No official Great Lakes/U.S. registry number, likely Canadian registry due to Kingston connection; specific number unverified in primary sources.
• Date Built and Launched: 1919, at G.D. Quevilly shipyard, Grand-Quevilly, France (divebrockville.com)
• Measurements: 219 ft × 35 ft × 13 ft (66.8 m × 10.7 m × 4.0 m); 1,265 GRT (divebrockville.com)
• Date Lost: November 21, 1941 (en.wikipedia.org)
• Place Lost: On a shoal between American and Canadian Channels, near Cole Shoal, approximately 6 mi west of Brockville, Ontario, in the St. Lawrence River (shipwreckworld.com)

Vessel Type

Steel-hulled package and bulk freighter, later retrofitted with deck crane; used to transport coal and general cargo.

Description

Constructed as Mainier in 1919, she was converted in Montreal in 1923 to carry a mix of packaged goods and bulk cargoes. In 1935, equipped with a heavy-lift crane, and renamed Henry C. Daryaw in honour of Kingston mariner Henry Daryaw (warrenlophotography.com, ottawadivers.wordpress.com). A reverse-beamed freighter-design, powered by twin screws and moderate draft, she was well-suited for Seaway routes.

History

Operated chiefly on the St. Lawrence River and Great Lakes, hauling coal, grain, packaged goods, steel, and hardware. On November 21, 1941, she departed Sodus Bay, NY laden with coal bound for Dalhousie, NB via the Seaway. In dense fog near Cole Shoal, her navigator missed the submerged hazards. The bow struck a shoal at speed, breaching the hull. She capsized and sank rapidly, rolling upside-down in approximately 90 ft (27 m) of water . Eighteen of nineteen crew made it to shore in lifeboats; only the ship’s mechanic was lost (tilife.org).

Final Disposition

The wreck lies inverted with stern and twin props upward, along the channel wall. Her orientation stabilizes amidst moderate-current conditions (~2–3 knots). Cargo and salvage efforts were abandoned; the site was later buoyed and charted.

Located By & Date Found

Divers documented the wreck post-1941. Save Ontario Shipwrecks registered it in 2018 at coordinates N44° 31′ 33″ W75° 45′ 46″, approximately 0.25 mi from shore (saveourshipwrecks.ca).

Shore Dive Information

• Shore Access Location: Launch from Brockville, ON (Marina or fixed charters through Dive Brockville Adventure Centre)
• Entry Type: Boat entry only
• Depth Range: 27–30 m (90–100 ft) at wreck site
• Current & Conditions: Moderate to strong currents (2–3 knots); currents calm near bottom wall
• Points of Interest: Twin propellers, intact stern gear, gash on starboard bow, holds, rudders
• Skill Level: Advanced – requires drift dive experience and current awareness
• Safety & Emergency Info:
  • Nearest hyperbaric chamber: 1.5 km at Brockville Memorial Hospital
  • Dive boat 911 number: use Brockville Marina, 1 Caswell Drive
  • Emergency numbers: Canada 911; U.S. 911
• Local Regulations: Wreck is protected; no removal of artifacts; adhere to buoyed dive corridor
• Best Time to Dive: June–October; avoid peak current periods
• Driving Directions: From Hwy 401, exit at Brockville, follow ramp to Brockville Marina (GPS: 44.6009° N, ‑75.6834° W)
  • Google Maps link: search “Brockville Marina”
• Additional Resources: Dive charters via Dive Brockville; SOS site buoy info

Notmars & Advisories

• The wreck is marked with a red buoy as part of a heritage conservation initiative (divebrockville.com, wrecksandreefs.com).
• Rock shoals and dredged channel present risks; boaters are advised of submerged stern.

Resources & Links

• Save Ontario Shipwrecks – Henry C. Daryaw south site (saveourshipwrecks.ca)
• Shipwreck World – Wreck map & coordinates (shipwreckworld.com)
• Wikipedia – Basic historical summary
• Dive Brockville Adventure Centre – Dive site listing (divebrockville.com)
• Wrecks & Reefs – Structural description and diver guidance (wrecksandreefs.com)
• Ottawa Divers Blog – Diver trip report (ottawadivers.wordpress.com)
• Cole Shoal Lighthouse history – Wreck and navigational context (tilife.org)

Essay: A Legacy Sunken in Fog – The Henry C. Daryaw

Built at Grand‑Quevilly, France in 1919, this former Mainier started life as a steel bulk carrier of coal and ore. Serving the burgeoning inter-war economy, she crossed the North Atlantic until being refitted in Montreal, transitioning into a versatile freighter. Her 1935 refit with deck crane suited her well for Seaway service—a modernization reflecting evolving trade demands.

Renamed Henry C. Daryaw, she honored Brockville’s own Kingston-based mariner, signaling her new Canadian identity. For six years, she plied routes from Lake Ontario to the Maritime Provinces.

On November 21, 1941, visibility dropped to near-zero in a thick pre-winter fog—not uncommon around Cole Shoal. The vessel struck submerged rock at high speed. Survivors report the bow gutting and a rapid capsize. Positioned with stern and props upright on the channel’s shelf, the wreck remains an imposing underwater landmark.

Eighteen of nineteen crew survived—exceptional given the sudden capsizing and frigid conditions—yet the ships’ mechanic perished onboard. She now rests inverted in 90 ft (27 m), with currents steady at 2–3 knots near the wreck.

Today, she is among the most accessible and captivating wrecks in the Thousand Islands – within 400 m of shore and reachable by Brockville charter. Yet the dive requires caution: strong currents, restricted visibility, and debris danger demand advanced training.

The site is buoys-marked, regulated by Save Ontario Shipwrecks, and featured in diver community reports—highlighted for its props, intact holds, and sand-silt juxtaposed with strong current.

Her journey—from French freighter to Canadian coal shipwreck—mirrors Great Lakes evolution: trade growth, wartime economy, and modernization, tragically ending in a navigation error. The preserved wreck offers an underwater classroom: maritime engineering, human survival, and navigational hazards converging into a powerful story of industrial heritage and safety lessons.

Photogallery 2025 Corey Phillips

henry-c-daryaw-oakbay-mainier 1941-11-21 07:52:00