Remarkably Intact Two‑Masted Schooner Found Over 300 Feet Down in Lake Ontario — Could Be 100 Years Older Than Expected

A five‑diver Canadian team searching the Lake Ontario floor near Toronto expected to locate a vessel lost in 1917 but instead discovered a remarkably preserved two‑masted schooner resting upright more than 300 feet down. Preliminary evidence suggests the wreck may date from the early 19th century — possibly between 1800 and 1850 — making it far older than the originally suspected 1884 schooner Rapid City.

The find followed a fiber‑optic cable survey running from Buffalo to Toronto that detected an anomaly on the lakebed. When the divers reached the site, they found an unusually intact hull with both masts still standing — a rare condition for Great Lakes wrecks, where masts are typically lost to collisions, anchors, currents, or biological decay.

“It took us a few moments to calm ourselves down because it’s overwhelming finding a pristine wreck that is all in one piece,” said Heison Chak, president of the Ontario Underwater Council, in an interview with the CBC.

Trent University archaeologist and diver James Conolly pointed to several features that are uncommon on ships built after about 1850: the vessel appears to be rope‑rigged rather than using metal standing rigging, it lacks a wheel on the aft deck, shows an early style windlass, and does not have a centerboard winch — a movable keel system that became common in the mid‑19th century. Taken together, these details "immediately put it into, likely, the first half of the 19th century," Conolly said.

Not all experts are yet convinced of an early‑19th‑century date. Charles Beeker, a Great Lakes shipwreck specialist at Indiana University, told the CBC that it is too soon to be definitive: identifying the vessel or its shipyard and conducting detailed documentation will be key to confirming the wreck's age and provenance.

Biological threats complicate the timeline for study: layers of invasive quagga mussels have colonized much of the exposed woodwork and are eroding fine details. "Where a wreck might once have survived intact for centuries, we now have only decades to study it before biological and environmental factors take their toll," Conolly warned.

Next Steps

The dive team plans additional expeditions to collect precise measurements, high‑resolution photography and targeted wood samples for dendrochronology and species identification. Because the wreck sits at extreme depth, the team believes theirs may be the first group to reach it — increasing the scientific value of early documentation.

Whether the schooner ultimately proves to date from 1800–1850 or from a later period, the discovery offers a rare opportunity to study an exceptionally preserved Great Lakes vessel and fill gaps in regional maritime history.