Thunder Bay

Shipwreck App

By: Brandon Martinez and James Kanka

Abstract: The history of the Great Lakes is filled with ships that have sank throughout the course of human travel. Individuals who wish to learn more about these
wrecks can easily utilize our Android app to easily access a database of information.

The Great Lakes

10,000 years ago, glaciers cut
through the valleys in the north
region forming what would much
later become The Great Lakes. As
the largest
freshwater
system on
earth, they
are known
for their vast
area
covering
over 94,000
square miles, and have been the key
asset to settlement in the
surrounding regions. Serving as
highways for migration, trade and
travel the locals prospered from the
abundance of natural resources.
Lake superior is the worlds largest
freshwater lake. It is also one of the
most clear lakes in the world with
an average visibility of 27ft with
some regions as deep as 100ft.

ThunderBay
In the Thunder Bay, the outdoors is
not simply someplace you visit, it
is a way of life. The area provides
quality opportunities for adventure
enthusiasts of all ages and skill.
With the regions history there are
many great options for learning
and exploring. With records of fur

trade dating back as early as 1683,

the Thunder bay area has a rich
history of people, places, events
and culture. Trading and supply
boats routinely passed Thunder
Bay on their way to outposts.
The waterways set up paths for
a highly intricate network as
European settlement in the region
began in the late 17th century. It
is the gateway to Canadas Great
outdoors.

History of
Shipwrecks
Due to its prime location on Lake
Superior, Thunder Bay became an
integral part of early trade via
boats. Major vessels transporting
wood, metals, and other goods
were routinely passing through the
area. There are many reasons as to
why a ship
may
become
inactive at
sea, but
one of the
most
common is
due to collision. For a variety of
these reasons, Thunder bay
accumulated a large collection of
shipwrecks.

In the Thunder Bay area, the

collection of shipwrecks reflects the
transitions in ship architecture and
construction throughout history.
From wooden schooners to early
steel-hulled steamers, as well as
several unusual vessel types. The
Great Lakes actually have some of
the best shipwreck diving locations
in the United States for two primary
reasons. The wrecks found here
generally maintain their structural
integrity longer than salt water
ocean wrecks.
Here are just 3 examples of the
information that is documented
on shipwrecks in the Thunder Bay
area:
Vessel Name: Albany
Vessel Type: Paddle Wheeler
Hull: Wood
Built: 1846
Lost: 1853
Builder: Gager, C.L
Build Place: Detroit, Michigan
Length: 202
Beam: 29
Loss Type: Stranded
Cargo: Provisions
Lives: 0
County: Presque Isle
Latitude: N45*19.396
Longitude: W83*27.598
Depth: 5

Vessel Name: Bay City

Vessel Type: Schooner, 2 mast
Hull: Wood
Built: 1857
Lost: 1902
Builder: Tripp, Augustus
Build Place: Saginaw, Michigan
Length: 146
Beam: 29
Loss Type: Collision
Cargo: Light
Lives: 0
County: Alpena
Latitude: N45*03.287
Longitude: W83*25.603
Depth: 11

Vessel Name: Galena

Vessel Type: Steam Barge
Hull: Wood
Built: 1857,
Lost: 1872
Builder: Moses Luther
Build Place: Cleveland, Ohio
Length: 190.2
Beam: 30
Loss Type: Stranded
Cargo: Lumber
Lives: 0
County: Alpena
Latitude: N45*00.460
Longitude: W83*14.990
Depth: 16

Searching
Traditionally, hunting for
shipwrecks might have started
in the library. It it could take
days to search what amounts to
a pinpoint on a map. Research,
especially for older wrecks, can
be incredibly fascinating, but you
could spend weeks or even year
searching through deck logs, old
letters and anything else that may
contain a clue about a vessels
history and location. Nowdays,
much of that that work has been
done and documented. There are
various websites that begin to
provide information on shipwrecks
information. This information is
often confined to ease of access on
a computer as well as a need for an
internet connection.
With so many individuals leading
active and engaging lifestyles such
as divers, adventurist, historians,
students and ocean enthusiasts
all seek information that will help
them to optimize their interests.
The location, depth, visibility, and
history of the regions shipwrecks

is not only highly valuable to

adventure enthusiasts and curious
individuals. Anyone interested
in discovering more about the
shipwrecks in Thunder Bay area
could make use of an App to
organize and learn from.

Our App
The Shipwrecks of Thunder Bay
app will allow the user to search
for and view individual shipwrecks.
This app will bring attention to the
National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration (NOAA) and to
NOAAs Office of National Marine
Sanctuaries.
The app is simple to use and can
because it is installed on your
Android device it can easily be
taken with you on
your adventures.
The information is
stored directly on
the app so you can
access it without
the need for an
internet
connection. This is
great for people
who are on the go
and might be in
regions where
service is limited
or non existent

Satisfaction

Conclusion

Our application fits the lifestyle of

a general public including, but not
limited to: shipwreck enthusiasts,
researchers and SCUBA divers
with interests in shipwrecks
and historians. This application
gives the users an
interactive tool that
provides shipwreck
information in a
clear and precise
manner. The android
application interacts
with a external
database containing
all information on
the shipwrecks in
the Thunder Bay
area. The database
contains all of the
detailed information that people
would expect to find about each
shipwreck including, vessel name,
hull type, year built, year lost,
constructor of the vessel, place
of construction, length of the
vessel, beam length, loss type,
cargo the vessel was carrying, lives
lost, county the wreck is located,
latitude, longitude, depth of water
the vessel is submerged under, and
occassionaly other notes about the
vessel. This informatiom is easily
searchable and is stored on the
Android device.

Experiencing the rich history and

vibrant culture surrounding the
Great Lakes is truly an adventure.
Thunder Bay offers many great
opportunities to learn about
shipwrecks or diving locations to
experiene them first hand. The
National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration is currently looking
to expand the database and
subsequently the App such that it
will include up to date information
and new shipwreck locations.
For more information visting the
NOAA website at http://thunderbay.noaa.
gov/shipwrecks/known.html

Image Sources

http://www.greenplanetextreme.com/
uploads/3/1/9/6/3196557/3889393.jpg?528
http://media2.s-nbcnews.com/i/streams/2013/
December/131210/2D9897360-131210-great-lakes-hmed-10a.jpg
http://www.travelwisconsin.com/things-to-do/outdoor-fun/
adventure-sports
http://www.thunderbay.ca/Living/culture_and_heritage/
Public_Art/Art_Collection/Outdoor_Installations/Thunder_Bay_
Gateways.htm