Shotline Diving Wreck Profile
- Name: Ocean
- Type: Wooden-hulled passenger or cargo steamer
- Year Built: 1872
- Builder: Likely at St. Catharines, Ontario or similar Great Lakes shipyard
- Dimensions: Length X ft (Y m); Beam; Depth of hold
- Registered Tonnage: string
- Location: Lake Ontario
- Coordinates: string
- Official Number: string
- Original Owners: string
- Number of Masts: string
Wreck Location Map
Vessel Type
Vessel Type
Wooden-hulled passenger or cargo steamer.
Description
Description
The original Ocean caught fire at Muir’s drydock, suffering a complete superstructure loss down to the waterline. Declared a total loss, her hull remained afloat and was repurposed as a barge (likely for less demanding service).
History
History
Rebuilt and redeployed on Lake Ontario, Ocean was later involved in a collision with the steamer Kent in 1894, leading to her sinking.
Significant Incidents
Significant Incidents
- Burned at Muir’s drydock — total loss, but hull survived and was rebuilt into a barge.
- Sank later in a 1894 collision with the steamer Kent on Lake Ontario.
Final Disposition
Final Disposition
After colliding with Kent in 1894, Ocean (then operating as a barge) foundered and sank—her hull lost on Lake Ontario. No modern surveys have definitively located the wreck site.
Current Condition & Accessibility
Current Condition & Accessibility
No known archaeological surveys have recorded a wreck positively identified as the Ocean. Given her multiple rebuilds and role changes, any remains may be fragmented or buried in sediment.
Resources & Links
[shotline_reference_links slug=”ocean-1872″ title=”References & Links”]
Conclusion
The Ocean experienced a dramatic two-phase demise: first as a burned-out hull at Muir’s drydock, then later sinking after collision on Lake Ontario. Though no casualties are recorded, the vessel’s multiple transformations and name changes (including a barge conversion) have obscured her identity. Today she remains a historical note rather than a documented wreck site.
Full Wreck Record — complete historical article, construction details, voyage logs, incident reports, dive conditions, and all research sources.
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