Shotline Diving Wreck Profile
- Name: Howard S. Gerken
- Type: Steel sandsucker / dredge
- Year Built: 1918
- Builder: Manitoba
- Dimensions: 241 × 41 × 16 ft; 1,322 GRT / 803 NRT
- Registered Tonnage: 1,322 GRT / 803 NRT
- Depth at Wreck Site: 24 m / 80 ft
- Location: Approximately 7 miles off Erie, Pennsylvania
- Coordinates: N 42° 16.415′, W 080° 03.360′
- Original Owners: Gravel Products Corporation, Buffalo, NY
Wreck Location Map
Vessel Type
A powerful steel sandsucker built to clear harbor entrances and navigational channels. Its large 241-ft hull and dredging equipment made it a heavyweight on Lake Erie service.
Description
Originally a Manitoba-built dredge in 1910, updated and renamed Howard S. Gerken in 1920, she serviced Erie harbor entrance. On 21 August 1926, a sudden gale struck soon after she loaded sand, leading the vessel to founder in about 80 ft (24 m) of water, capsizing upside-down in the mud.
GPS from diver’s dive in 1994 maps the wreck at N 42° 16.415′, W 080° 03.360′ (~7.7 mi off Erie buoy). Depth is ~70–80 ft (21–24 m).
History
The vessel sank inverted. A 2009 sonar expedition and 2016 3D dives confirmed the upside-down wreck partially embedded in sediment. Machinery, rudders, and propellers remain visible.
Significant Incidents
- All crew survived the sinking; however, there are conflicting reports regarding the loss of three lives.
Final Disposition
The wreck resides upside-down in silty mud; access is possible for technical divers. No navigational hazards remain; seasonal surveys may still detect outline.
Current Condition & Accessibility
The wreck was located in 1994 and has been documented via sonar and technical dives—most notably captured in 2016 images—with artifacts and structure still largely intact, making it a compelling dive site and historic piece of dredge technology in the Great Lakes.
Resources & Links
[shotline_reference_links slug=”howard-s-gerken-no-130″ title=”References & Links”]
Howard S. Gerken, a steel sandsucker dredge built in 1918, sank on 21 August 1926 during gale conditions off Erie, PA. The vessel capsized and sits inverted at 70–80 ft depth. All aboard survived the sinking.
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: Howard S. Gerken (steel-hulled sand-sucker dredge)
- Built: 1918 as steamer Rosamund Billett (later T. P. Phelan); converted and renamed 1920 (en.wikipedia.org)
- Vessel Type: Steel sandsucker / dredge, propeller-driven
- Dimensions: 241 × 41 × 16 ft; 1,322 GRT / 803 NRT (alcheminc.com, greatlakesrex.wordpress.com)
- Owned By: Gravel Products Corporation, Buffalo, NY (en.wikipedia.org)
- Final Loss: 21 August 1926, approximately 7 mi off Erie, Pennsylvania, Lake Erie (en.wikipedia.org)
- Cargo: Loaded with sand when caught by sudden gale (regsciconsort.com)
- Crew: All survived; 3 lives lost (source dispute)
Vessel Type
A powerful steel sandsucker built to clear harbor entrances and navigational channels. Its large 241-ft hull and dredging equipment made it a heavyweight on Lake Erie service.
History & Final Voyage
Originally a Manitoba-built dredge in 1910, updated and renamed Howard S. Gerken in 1920, she serviced Erie harbor entrance. On 21 August 1926, a sudden gale struck soon after she loaded sand, leading the vessel to founder in about 80 ft (24 m) of water, capsizing upside-down in the mud. (en.wikipedia.org, regsciconsort.com)
GPS from diver’s dive in 1994 maps the wreck at N 42° 16.415′, W 080° 03.360′ (~7.7 mi off Erie buoy). Depth is ~70–80 ft (21–24 m) (alcheminc.com).
Final Disposition
The vessel sank inverted. A 2009 sonar expedition and 2016 3D dives confirmed the upside-down wreck partially embedded in sediment. Machinery, rudders, and propellers remain visible (3dshipwrecks.org).
Located By & Date Found
- Wreck Found: 1994 by divers; later surveyed via sonar.
- Site Details: Listed on 3DShipwrecks.org with coordinates 42° 16.372′ N, 80° 03.315′ W, in 70 ft of water (3dshipwrecks.org).
- Exploration: Dives in 2016 captured hull form, machinery, and interior holes .
Notations & Advisories
- The wreck resides upside-down in silty mud; access is possible for technical divers.
- No navigational hazards remain; seasonal surveys may still detect outline.
Resources & Links
- Wikipedia / general history of sinking and service (en.wikipedia.org)
- 3DShipwrecks.org listing with hull photographs and coordinates
- Dive videos: YouTube explorations in 2016 (youtube.com)
Conclusion
Howard S. Gerken, a steel sandsucker dredge built in 1918, sank on 21 August 1926 during gale conditions off Erie, PA. The vessel capsized and sits inverted at 70–80 ft depth. All aboard survived the sinking. The wreck was located in 1994 and has been documented via sonar and technical dives—notably captured in 2016 images—with artifacts and structure still largely intact, making it a compelling dive site and historic piece of dredge technology in the Great Lakes.
Suggested Next Steps
- Retrieve the USCG investigation report or crew testimony from 1926?
- Arrange for hydrographic migration of detailed dive plan/maps?
- Access Erie harbor authority logs for operational history and sand-loading records?