Door County,Wisc trip report

[moneysavr]

Just a quick trip report as we just got back from a great weekend or diving/fishing Door county Wisconsin,
Saturday A.M. a SB'r Michael met me at our northern getaway on Little Sturgeon from there we trailered my dive boat to a Sturgeon Bay launch closer to the sites we planed to dive,Lake was FLAT with temps in the 70's and mild breeze as the first dive was to be the "Ocean Wave" a small Scow schooner that sank off Whitefish bay with her load of stone. Our GPS gave us a 10 mile run north from launch.
As we arrived at the location we found no mooring buoy as this site was set with a mooring late last year by the State,well the sonar was cranked on to zoom the bottom and she was found marker dropped and we set our 20 # Navy anchor, we geared up and hit the water,as we got to depth at approximate 110' FSW to the bottom,Michael seemed to have a issue or was running a drill with his reg as he was switching back and forth to his octo as I got to him and was to pass my extra air he gave me a OK,the gave me a stop as his eyes were wide as he called the dive and ran the anchor line up,I chased him out of the water as he was going to hang with only a minute on the dive and a possibly bad 1st or second stage,as his fins pulled out of the water I dropped back down to remove the anchor after a quick tour of the wreck.
The wreck is mostly flat as her back was broken violently a she hit the bottom with a load of stone in her hold,her bow is a fine point and her aft cabin normally not found on most wrecks due to they are made of soft woods and blow off during the sinking's, Vis was 50'-60' and bottom temps 41 deg,with a thermo of 60 is at the SS NICE!

Well as I got back on the boat Mike had his kit packed and looked bummed as he only got to see her bow as his Dive Rite reg started to breathe hard at 70FSW but Octo did not,I came up with a plan to run to the Frank O'Connor and switch his computer and octo to a extra cold water stage reg I had on board,this done and a nice SI trip 18 miles north we were on the Frank O'Connor and tied off on the south Mooring area of the massive engines,We hit the water and on the way down ran into hundred or so of Walleye from 4"-14" all in the Thermo cline area and top of the steam engine!
This is such a great dive one of my first Great lake sites years back and I still love this wreck! The 2- two stories high scotch boilers, the massive Prop& Rudder,The engine and controls,Temps were in the mid 40's and vis was 45' and tons of fish were to be seen,we did a swim across the the main section and then I gave Mike a tour of the prop and ruder and then we toured the engine and hit top side.

Today I spent fishing and diving several pier cribs and a un named wreck in Little Sturgeon,this massive wreck just north of our place lays in 15'FSW and runs several hundred feet out into the bay as I dove her the boys fished and had a heck of a time fighting the Small Mouth Bass! This wreck I will shoot some video of, is said to be able to do as a shore dive I will check that out and can furnish GPS #for those with a boat,I found 2 bell anchors and the bass were protective on there nests,this area has lots more anchors and I will return! "The boys" my top men had a blast fishing and now know wrecks are fishing hot spots and I have no problem with top men now!
Well now to plan next weekend!
Dive safe,
Brad

[Dewit2it]

I hit the Fleetwing, Ida Corning, Oakleaf, and Empire State today.

ANY DIVER PLANNING ON HITTING THE FLEETWING THIS WEEKEND, PLEASE BRING SOME NEW MARKER JUGS!!!  The old ones are barely afloat, and missing their caps.

There were some nice bass hanging out along the dropoff and near the fish crib.  A new section may have been uncovered, as it is not listed on the map on shore.  It's a large wooden flat section closer to the boat launch than the rest of the wreck in 10-15'.  The algae is off most of the wood.  I think that this chunk was in the same area that all the dead zebra mussels were last summer, they may have been covering it.  Viz was around 35-40', and temps were comfortable in a 5mm with hood and gloves.

The other three at Bullhead Point weren't so hot.  Fishline was everywhere!  A knife is a MUST here!  Viz was maybe 8-10', as I could just make out the hull from the centerboard trunk.  Lots of 6" and smaller perch hanging in the wrecks, and also lots of millfoil.  I wanted to go a little deeper on the Empire State which is on the channel side of the wrecks, but I noticed that a current was picking up.  A large freighter was passing thru.  I was hoping that this would be a good snorkel site for the nephews, but there's too much fishline.

[moneysavr]

Dewit,
Seems like the Fleetwing has parts scattered all over the bay you just need to search,
A shoredive in Little Sturgeon bay can be done on a un named wreck  on the end of Claflin Rd. as there is a small park monument and parking can be had as not to block the driveways,but then the wreck is to the right about 600' South and the area is rocky and a shallow shoal keeps you from swimming to the site, then drops off to deeper water & the wreck runs out to about 15' of water to the East its large and I will try to shoot some video if vis is up this weekend, and if you do it from water the GPS No#s are
44  50.820N
087  32. 983W
use caution north and south is a rock shoal and she lies in a Chanel so approach from the bay with caution,
Brad

[Dewit2it]

I picked up two spherical white buoys and some new rope.  I'm going back up today to install.

Always leave a divesite better than when you found it!

[diveclaflin]

moneysavr,

How was the vis in Little Sturgeon last weekend?  My parents own the houses to the North of Claflin Park.  I've dove that site once or twice but I always end up floating trying to get over to the wreck and looking at the old dock instead. 

Is the best way to get there to head straight out from the road to 15' and then head South?

[Dewit2it]

Got weathered out on the installation.  Had 2 footers stirring everything up and by the time we started getting in they increased to 3-4'.  We were getting pounded, so we called it off.  We could see the wreck sticking out in the troughs.  The mosquitos were INSANE!  They were swarming like Winnebago lakeflies.  At one point I had 50-75 on my back trying to nail me thru my wetsuit.

[moneysavr]

  Cool,
Thats a nice area & a real nice park and area at the end of the road your screen name leads me to think are your folks local to the area?, as our place is in  the small trailer park across the street and I am looking for some local history like on the lime kilns on the beach was there a pier at one time?
, If you see the USA flag and dive flag up stop on up some weekend and do some dives off my boat,
  The wreck is said to be a shore dive but is approx 500'-600' south west of the park at the end of the road in what looks to be a Chanel that was cut thru the shoal.
  The shoal near the park kind of screws you up to swim to the wreck site and is a hard area to walk too with a kit,the beach area is private so walking that could be a deal unless the folks are nice about it.  I have dropped in from my boat and thats even a bit tough as on both sides to deep water in the bay runs a rocky shoal!
  Vis in Little Sturgeon was 5'Max so no dives as I would shoot some video but not in that,found several anchors several weeks back,, sweet!     
  We hit the bay but found by the time we got to the wrecks we planed to dive waves up and hard to find the targets on the bottom,tried even a state site and no mooring "Carrington" off Egg Harbor and hat Island , so ended up in sand bay with the kids spotting fish for them and marking structure for my new found fishing pals-man them bass fishermen take there fishing serious up there!
Dive safe,
Brad 

[Dewit2it]

Just got in from the Fleetwing.  The yellow jugs have been replaced with white ball buoys.  One jug was still somewhat afloat when I got there.  It had a 6" gash in it and I was surprized that it was staying on the surface.  The other was on the bottom.  I replaced the still floating one and tied the other to the piece near the dock on the centerboard trunk. 

Gashed a 1" hole in my wetsuit on one of the metal spikes.  It had to miss the kneepad!  Goldcore is a M$#%*(  to patch. > > >  At least no blood.

See the rest of the story in the equipment thread on Homebuilt SASY rigs.

[Dewit2it]

Yesterday I hit the Fleetwing again with a friend. (Not sure if she has become a member of this board yet)  Lots of floating algae!   In some of the deeper areas it was a foot thick on the bottom.  On the surface in some spots it was 4" thick.  Vis droped to around 25'.  Things got better further from shore.  Found the other jug hanging midwater around 6' below the surface and about the same condition as the one I removed.  The new buoys are still there and the knots are still tight.

We stayed in our suits and went up to the Northport area.  We stopped at the little park that overlooks the cliff.  We climbed down the cliff and snorkeled the rock shelves along the shore.  Saw a nice trout and a 2' sucker.  Viz was a little better than the Fleetwing and no floating algae.  There was some current and the thermocline was very disturbed.  We were constantly swimming thru cold spots in 5-6' of water.  Later on they were even shallower.  Neat rock formations.  A couple of spots would be good for UW modeling locations.

[Dewit2it]

A couple more shots.  I wish the one shot didn't get damaged, it was a great shot.