This wreck was only recently found, and has had very few divers
on it (my buddy and I were numbers 6 and 7) so there is not
much firm information as of yet.
It picked up the name Cracker Wreck because the guys who
found it were eating crackers at the time (hey, these names
have to come from somewhere.)
Those far more knowledgeable than I on the dive estimate the
wreck to have been built around 1860 due in part to the style
and the absence of wire rigging.
One of the unique features of this wreck is the squared-off front,
built that way, so I am told, because it was cheaper and
required craftsmen that were not as skilled at the shipbuilding
arts. Makes for and interesting bow though. The bowsprit is
broken off partway out, but the bow is in great shape with the
windlass and figurehead still in place.
Her mast is down, pointing almost perpendicular to the ship
over the port rail. A sizeable aft cabin could be penetrated but
there seems little point since it appears there is very little to see
in the few feet above the silt accumulation.
While there are a few deadeyes, and the rail is in good shape,
there are no readily apparent artifacts, and the quagga mussels
have done a good job of obscuring many of the hull details.
There is little damage to this wreck, certainly nothing
suggesting the reason for her being 190' lower than her
insurance adjusters wish she was.
The Cracker Wreck sits perfectly upright, and scored at least a
9 outta 10 on the what-condition-is-she-in scale
Although it is in similar condition there's not as much to see
here as on the St. James or Tradewind, but still a very
worthwhile place to spend some time. Like those other two
wrecks the Cracker is a fair distance out from Port Dover, three
hours via the excellent dive boat we were on. This is not a
wreck that many people will know how to find.
And for those old salts who have not been diving for a few years
and still think Lake Erie visibility makes everything a braille
dive, on the day we were there you could easily see the entire
Cracker Wreck, all 118' feet of her