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.

Identification & Site Information –

• Name: Young Zion
• Former Names: Unknown
• Registration Number(s): Unknown
• Date Built and Launched: Unknown
• Measurements: Unknown
• Date Lost / Destroyed / Abandoned: Unknown
• NOAA Wreck ID: 2230 / OBJECTID 11921
• Chart Number: NOAA Chart 14822
• Location of Loss: Approx. 43.576717° N, -79.199778° W
• Area Identifier: V
• Depth: 0 m (likely unverified or shallow obstruction)
• Position Quality: Poor

Vessel Type

Steamer (based on historical mention)

Description

This NOAA listing for Young Zion denotes it as a recorded but unverified or partially documented wreck or obstruction. The entry lacks soundings, vessel specifics, or definitive wreck confirmation, suggesting it may stem from anecdotal reporting, early hydrographic notes, or undocumented observations.

The vessel has been attributed to a steamer, which aligns with sparse historical accounts of a Young Zion foundered in the 1880s. However, the location listed (just offshore Toronto, near the Leslie Street Spit) does not match earlier historical accounts placing the vessel in Lake Erie near Walnut Creek. This raises the possibility of:

• Two different vessels named Young Zion,
• A misattribution of wreck name or coordinates,
• Or early transcription error in wreck databases.

History

No direct records link this NOAA wreck site with known loss events in the Toronto area. However, the existence of a location marker on NOAA Chart 14822 suggests the presence of submerged material or navigational concern noted during survey planning or reconnaissance phases. It may also be a residual entry awaiting modern resurvey.

The Young Zion noted in historical sources (June 13, 1881 loss) reportedly carried railroad iron and cash and foundered during a storm off Walnut Creek, Lake Erie—not this Lake Ontario site.

Final Dispositions

Unknown. No verification or confirmation of wreckage. Listed in NOAA records as requiring survey. The “Depth: 0 m” and “Position Quality: Poor” indicate unconfirmed data, possibly marking a cautionary or anecdotal wreck site pending modern hydrographic validation.

Located By & Date Found

Reported in NOAA wreck database, no recorded discovery date or confirming survey found. Could be a legacy entry pending removal, clarification, or confirmation.

Notmars & Advisories

No active Canadian NOTMARs or U.S. Coast Guard hazard markings at this location. Marked on NOAA Chart 14822 as a potential wreck site.

Google Maps Location of Coordinates:
43.576717, -79.199778
(Location places this offshore Toronto, near Ashbridge’s Bay / Leslie Spit area)

Resources & Links

• NOAA Wrecks Database (General)
• Great Lakes Ships Database
• Maritime History of the Great Lakes
• Save Ontario Shipwrecks

Conclusion

The NOAA entry for Young Zion presents a mystery wreck site offshore from Toronto, not aligned with the Lake Erie loss location historically linked to a steamer of the same name in 1881. The listing, with poor positional quality and no sounding or discovery history, is most likely a placeholder or misattribution, flagged for future survey. Until verified, it remains a possible but unconfirmed shipwreck, either due to clerical error or an undocumented vessel of the same name.

Keywords: Young Zion, NOAA Chart 14822, Toronto Wreck, Unverified Shipwreck
Categories: Unconfirmed Wrecks, NOAA Charted Obstructions, Mystery Sites
Glossary Terms:

• Survey Requirement: A wreck or obstruction listed pending hydrographic confirmation.
• Charted Wreck: A wreck noted on official nautical charts, sometimes lacking full survey data.
• Position Quality – Poor: Indicates the coordinates may not be accurate or verified by sonar.

Would you like to cross-reference this with dive logs or sonar scans in the Ashbridge’s Bay area?

young-zion-2 1881-06-13 12:27:00