Shotline Diving Wreck Profile
- Name: Krenzer Marine Tugboat Wreck (Unidentified Tug)
- Type: Tug
- Year Built:
- Builder:
- Dimensions: Unknown (likely < 100 ft / 30 m; dimensions not yet formally documented)
- Registered Tonnage:
- Depth at Wreck Site: 1 m / 3 ft
- Location: Krenzer Marine basin, inner Sodus Bay, Sodus Point, New York
- Coordinates: 43°16'05"N, 76°58'57"W (≈ 43.2681° N, -76.9825° W)
Wreck Location Map
Vessel Type
Type: Small wooden harbour tugboat (unidentified)
Lengths: Unknown (likely < 100 ft / 30 m; dimensions not yet formally documented)
Deaths: None known associated with current wreckage
Description
The Krenzer Marine Tugboat Wreck is one of three wooden hulls lying in the shallow basin of Krenzer Marine at Sodus Bay. In overhead imagery and side-scan mosaics it appears as the “top right” hull relative to Eugie, lying slightly to the north and east of the schooner and parallel to the marina shoreline.
Key observable features from sonar and video:
- Compact hull form consistent with a small harbour tug.
- Superstructure and machinery largely stripped.
- Hull settled upright or with slight heel, framing visible through sediment.
No registry entry or name has yet been firmly associated with this hull. It is therefore treated by Shotline Diving as “Krenzer Marine Tug – Unidentified” pending additional archival and structural analysis.
Given the position inside an operating marina with very shallow depth, this wreck is not used as a recreational dive site and is best observed via:
- Drone / aerial imagery,
- Pole-mounted cameras, or
- ROV/side-scan survey in cooperation with Krenzer Marine.
History
Based on context and Deep World’s assessment:
- Material: Wood
- Era: Probably pre-1900, prior to the widespread transition to steel hulls for small tugs in the region.
- Role: Local harbour / work tug, likely associated with industrial activity at Sodus Bay (ore dock, coal trestle, general harbour work).
Local oral history and comparative examples suggest it may have been:
- A surplus or redundant tug acquired during changes in harbour operations, then
- Stripped of valuable machinery and allowed to sink or be scuttled in place as part of shoreline/dock construction or basin filling.
At present there is no confirmed match to a named tug in available Great Lakes or Sodus Bay records. Any proposed identity will need to reconcile:
- Hull size and configuration,
- Known tug dispositions at Sodus Bay,
- Documentary evidence (insurance, sale or abandonment notices).
Significant Incidents
The tug lies:
- Near the old iron ore dock footprint, whose posts still protrude between the three wrecks.
- Embedded in soft sediment alongside marina docks, at depths typically less than 3 m (10 ft).
Its final disposition likely mirrors that of Eugie:
- Stripped of fittings and machinery,
- Left in situ as the waterfront transitioned from industrial to marina use.
Final Disposition
The tug lies:
- Near the old iron ore dock footprint, whose posts still protrude between the three wrecks.
- Embedded in soft sediment alongside marina docks, at depths typically less than 3 m (10 ft).
Its final disposition likely mirrors that of Eugie:
- Stripped of fittings and machinery,
- Left in situ as the waterfront transitioned from industrial to marina use.
Current Condition & Accessibility
Depth: ~1–3 m (3–10 ft).
Hazards: As with Eugie, there is heavy boat traffic, shallow water, and dock infrastructure; not suitable for casual diving.
Site integrity: Outer hull form appears intact enough to support basic measurements and photogrammetry; internal structure is partially obscured by sediment and debris.
Any in-water documentation should be carried out under permit and site-specific safety planning, ideally as part of a coordinated project (Deep World / Shotline / local partners).
Resources & Links
[shotline_reference_links slug=”krenzer-marine-shipwrecks” title=”References & Links”]
While unidentified, the tug:
- Represents the workboat layer of Sodus Bay’s history, complementing Eugie‘s more glamorous Atlantic career.
- Shows how small industrial craft were repurposed and abandoned during harbour redevelopment.
- Provides a compact, shallow-water case study for hull documentation, comparative tug design, and public outreach via non-diver access (drone and sonar visualizations).
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.
Type: Small wooden harbour tugboat (unidentified)
Lengths: Unknown (likely < 100 ft / 30 m; dimensions not yet formally documented)
Deaths: None known associated with current wreckage
Location: Krenzer Marine basin, inner Sodus Bay, Sodus Point, New York
Depth: Approx. 1–3 m (3–10 ft) deepworld.org
GPS (approx., shared cluster centre): 43°16’05″N, 76°58’57″W (≈ 43.2681° N, -76.9825° W) deepworld.org+1
Shotline Diving Wreck Profile
The Krenzer Marine Tugboat Wreck is one of three wooden hulls lying in the shallow basin of Krenzer Marine at Sodus Bay. In overhead imagery and side-scan mosaics it appears as the “top right” hull relative to Eugie, lying slightly to the north and east of the schooner and parallel to the marina shoreline. deepworld.org
Key observable features from sonar and video: deepworld.org+1
- Compact hull form consistent with a small harbour tug.
- Superstructure and machinery largely stripped.
- Hull settled upright or with slight heel, framing visible through sediment.
No registry entry or name has yet been firmly associated with this hull. It is therefore treated by Shotline Diving as “Krenzer Marine Tug – Unidentified” pending additional archival and structural analysis.
Given the position inside an operating marina with very shallow depth, this wreck is not used as a recreational dive site and is best observed via:
- Drone / aerial imagery,
- Pole-mounted cameras, or
- ROV/side-scan survey in cooperation with Krenzer Marine.
CONSTRUCTION & OWNERSHIP (INFERRED)
Based on context and Deep World’s assessment: deepworld.org
- Material: Wood
- Era: Probably pre-1900, prior to the widespread transition to steel hulls for small tugs in the region.
- Role: Local harbour / work tug, likely associated with industrial activity at Sodus Bay (ore dock, coal trestle, general harbour work).
Local oral history and comparative examples suggest it may have been:
- A surplus or redundant tug acquired during changes in harbour operations, then
- Stripped of valuable machinery and allowed to sink or be scuttled in place as part of shoreline/dock construction or basin filling.
At present there is no confirmed match to a named tug in available Great Lakes or Sodus Bay records. Any proposed identity will need to reconcile:
- Hull size and configuration,
- Known tug dispositions at Sodus Bay,
- Documentary evidence (insurance, sale or abandonment notices).
FINAL DISPOSITION
The tug lies:
- Near the old iron ore dock footprint, whose posts still protrude between the three wrecks. deepworld.org
- Embedded in soft sediment alongside marina docks, at depths typically less than 3 m (10 ft).
Its final disposition likely mirrors that of Eugie:
- Stripped of fittings and machinery,
- Left in situ as the waterfront transitioned from industrial to marina use.
CURRENT CONDITION & DIVE NOTES
- Depth: ~1–3 m (3–10 ft).
- Hazards: As with Eugie, there is heavy boat traffic, shallow water, and dock infrastructure; not suitable for casual diving.
- Site integrity: Outer hull form appears intact enough to support basic measurements and photogrammetry; internal structure is partially obscured by sediment and debris.
Any in-water documentation should be carried out under permit and site-specific safety planning, ideally as part of a coordinated project (Deep World / Shotline / local partners).
SIGNIFICANCE
While unidentified, the tug:
- Represents the workboat layer of Sodus Bay’s history, complementing Eugie‘s more glamorous Atlantic career.
- Shows how small industrial craft were repurposed and abandoned during harbour redevelopment.
- Provides a compact, shallow-water case study for hull documentation, comparative tug design, and public outreach via non-diver access (drone and sonar visualizations).
REFERENCES & LINKS
- Exploring Our Deep World – “Krenzer Marine Shipwrecks” – primary imaging and interpretation for the tug within the wreck cluster. deepworld.org
- Krenzer Marine – Sodus Point, NY – modern marina occupying the former ore dock shoreline. Waterway Guide+1
- Historic Sodus Point / Sodus Bay Historical Society – broader harbour and industrial context (ore dock, coal trestle, harbour traffic). Sodus Point HSP+2historicsoduspoint.com+2
Plus standard Great Lakes shipwreck resources for future ID work.
SHORT DATABASE ENTRY
Name: Krenzer Marine Tugboat Wreck (Unidentified Tug)
Waterbody: Sodus Bay, Lake Ontario
Type: Wooden harbour tug (unidentified)
Status: Abandoned, stripped hull inside Krenzer Marine basin
Position: ~43.2681° N, -76.9825° W (cluster centre; tug slightly N/E of Eugie)
Depth: ~1–3 m (3–10 ft)
Date of abandonment: Unknown; likely early–mid 20th century during ore dock / marina transition
Notes: One of three shallow-water wooden hulls at Krenzer Marine; identity unknown. Primary documentation and preliminary interpretation by Exploring Our Deep World; further archival work required to match to a named tug in harbour records