Shotline Diving Wreck Profile
- Name: Saronic
- Type: Wooden-hulled screw steamer, later tow barge
- Year Built: 1882
- Builder: E. Parry & John Dyble, Sarnia, Ontario
- Dimensions: 252.8 ft (77.1 m) x 36 ft (11.0 m) x 15 ft (4.6 m)
- Registered Tonnage: 1,960.65 gross / 1,296.42 net
- Location: Detroit River near Amherstburg, Ontario
- Coordinates: Unknown
- Official Number: 80776
- Original Owners: North West Transportation Co.; Northern Navigation Co.; Canada Steamship Lines; later James R. Andrews Transportation Co.
- Number of Masts: Unknown
Wreck Location Map
Vessel Type
Wooden-hulled screw steamer, later converted to a tow barge.
Description
The Saronic was originally built in 1882 as a wooden-hulled screw passenger steamer, fitted with a compound engine (34+60 x 42 in., 1,200 hp at 75 rpm) built by Oille Brothers of St. Catharines, Ontario, and two Scotch boilers (12 x 12 ft, 100 psi). She was designed for package freight and passenger service with accommodations for 300 passengers and up to 10,000 barrels of cargo. Structural features included two watertight bulkheads, steel arches, a steam windlass, and a reinforced bow.
History
Launched with difficulty at Sarnia, Ontario on 1 November 1882, the vessel entered service in 1883 with the North West Transportation Co., running routes between Sarnia and Duluth alongside Manitoba, Quebec, and Ontario. She carried immigrants and general cargo across the upper lakes, and in 1883 had steel arches installed for hull strength. Over her long career, she suffered multiple mishaps: groundings, collisions, fires, and rebuildings.
In 1904–05 she was rebuilt at Collingwood, Ontario, renamed Saronic, and continued in passenger and package freight trade under Northern Navigation and later Canada Steamship Lines. She operated on both Great Lakes and St. Lawrence routes until 1915 when she was damaged by fire at Sarnia. In 1916 she was converted to a steambarge, and later stranded and burned near Cockburn Island in August 1916. Her hulk was rebuilt at Milwaukee and renamed W. L. Kennedy, entering pulpwood tow service for the James R. Andrews Transportation Co. of Escanaba, Michigan.
Her final years were marked by declining utility. After a minor fire on the St. Clair River in 1921 and service in pulpwood trade, she was abandoned in the Detroit River near Amherstburg in 1924.
Significant Incidents
- Multiple mishaps including groundings, collisions, and fires throughout her service life.
- Damaged by fire in 1915 at Sarnia.
- Stranded and burned near Cockburn Island in August 1916.
- Abandoned in the Detroit River in 1924.
Final Disposition
Contrary to some secondary accounts citing a 1926 fire and grounding, registry evidence confirms the vessel (ex-Saronic, then W. L. Kennedy) was abandoned in the Detroit River in 1924. She had no further commercial value and was left derelict. Her remains have not been positively identified or documented as a dive site.
Current Condition & Accessibility
No located wreck site has been confirmed. The vessel’s abandonment was documented in Detroit River records in 1924.
Resources & Links
[shotline_reference_links slug=”saronic-1882″ title=”References & Links”]
While the Saronic has a storied history, its final resting place remains elusive, with no confirmed archaeological survey or diver documentation existing. The vessel’s legacy lives on through historical records and images.
Full Wreck Record — complete historical article, construction details, voyage logs, incident reports, dive conditions, and all research sources.
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