HMS Ontario Shipwreck

Video of the HMS Ontario sunk in 1780 in lake Ontario. The ship was found by Dan Scoville and Jim Kennard in June 2008.

Read more: http://www.shipwreckworld.com/story/shipwreck-explorers-discover-1780-british...

Category:

Education

Tags:

• Shipwreck
• HMS
• Ontario
• Dan
• Scoville
• Jim
• Kennard
• Great
• Lakes
• British
• Warship

[shipwreckworld]

In freshwater wood decays very slowly especially if it is in deep water, cold, and with no current. A ship I found a number of years ago with blackwalnut lumber had only deteriorated 1/8th of an inch in 122 years and that ship was not in very deep water. See Shipwreckworld website, Articles - Lake Erie - Great Lakes Treasure Ship Found..

[shipwreckworld]

The Ontario is way too deep for any scavengers to salvage. The UK Ministry of Defence was notified and they consider HMS Ontario a war grave and do not want to raise or salvage any items from the ship. For more of the story of that period of the American Revolution and lots of pics of the Ontario read the book Legend of the Lake (Discovey Edition) available from the Shipwreckworld website. I can add a personal inscription in the book if desired. Jim

[elswick1542]

Incredible,any know how deep Ontario is?

[shipwreckworld]

It is in the area of Lake Ontario where the depth is over 500 ft. See the Shipwreckworld website for the story of HMS Ontario.

[shipwreckworld]

HMS ONTARIO - Legend of the Lake - Discovery Edition - NEW book - NOW AVAILABLE

Just released is the update book with new chapters and revised information that contains many never seen before underwater images of the Ontario along with new paintings and sketches of the shipwreck above and below water. For details of the book and to order a personalize copy from one of the discoverers of HMS Ontario. Go to our website: Shipwreckworld

[shipwreckworld]

The ship was found between Niagara and Rochester, NY in an area of the lake where the depth extends to more than 500 feet.

[popartpill]

I agree. While it is a mass grave, time is ticking. One day it won't be there anymore.

And I'm VERY tired of America's lack of historical values. People generally have no problem demolishing historic sites or destroying historic buildings. Over in Europe, the buildings are thousands of years old. It's gorgeous. Not here, of course.

[tegunn]

If the treasure seakers don't get her, the Zebra mussels will! Bring her up!

[MrClassicDoctorWho]

I don't think they would find any remains. After all this time the lake organisms would have consumed any flesh and bone. That's why no skeletal remains have been found at the titanic wreck site. I'm all for bringing up artefacts! One cannon please! :D

[ShawDAMAN]

if they're not going to do anything about it in terms of salvage or artifacts, at the very least they could do more as far as photographing/filming/catalogi­ng. This is great footage but piteously incomplete for such a stunningly remarkable find.

I don't see that any 'desecration' is, or need be, involved in putting a bit more effort and money into exploring it. Money has been spent on far less worthy causes. Ah well.

[IsengardMordor]

İ personally think the ship should be salvaged and put on display.As for the crew i think they should be buried in a military grave,rather than left to rot on the bottom.The latter is more disrespectful to them in my opinion

[MR4DJ0N]

OMFG! This is creepy!

If they try to bring it up, won't it just fall apart? Those old barnacled wood warships were great 250 years ago, but c'mon, even iron ships run the risk of deteriorating when brought up from the depths.

Just saying...

[pcampbell17]

@popartpill agreed, there is no reason not to raise her and give those men and honorable burial instead of having them set in some dark abyss. I live not to far from this area and they just tor down a church from 1810 and built an ice cream stand over a British and Indian fort!

[gondolacrescent5]

I hope she's not copper hulled--the scavengers will find her and strip it off for scrap.

What a find!!! Haunting....

Anymore undiscovered, but known warship wrecks to be found in L. Ontario?

Will be eagerly awaiting anymore news of this ship.

Has there been a reaction from the The Royal Navy concerning the discovery?

[henerymag]

@MrHobiecat I agree with you there, even today the same respect would not be given the native peoples

[MrHobiecat]

@henerymag But if they had been native americans, they would be pulled up and their bones and artifacts put on display in a museum, for their 'scientific value'. Most likely, with the amount of acid rain in the great lakes in the last 30 years, their skeletons have dissolved into nothing.