The Keystorm, St. Lawrence River, Ontario

The Keystorm, St. Lawrence River, Ontario

WRECK INFO:
Ship Type: Steel Freighter
Lifespan: Built 1910, Sunk 1912
Length: 250ft
Depths: 20ft - 115ft
Location: St. Lawrence River, Ontario
GPS: N44 25.781 W075 49.353

The Keystorm was a 250 ft steel freighter that was originally built in England in 1910. It lived a short life as only two years after it was built, it ran aground on some shoals near Chippawa Point in the St. Lawrence River, on a foggy night in October 1912. It was carrying over 2000 tons of bituminous coal after leaving dock from Charlotte, N.Y. The Keystorm only took a few minutes to sink, but without fatalities. It slid into deep water as the wreck lies on it's starboard side on a ledge, with it's bow near the top at a depth of about 20 feet, and it's stern at about 115 feet. Because of the range of depths, the wreck can be dove by divers of all levels.

Of interest are the wheelhouse, which is near the bow and is located at a depth of about 30 feet to 40 feet. There are some large cargo holds which are have large openings on the deck at around 60 feet to 90 feet. These cargo holds are very large (as the cargo of coal was salvaged a few years after she sank), which provides some light penetration. The propellor sits in the silt at the stern which is at a depth of about 115 feet.

The Keystorm is one of the area's most popular wreck sites, so there can be many divers on it during peak season. While the wreck lies on the boarder between Canada and the US, the mooring is on the US side and requires that divers from Canada clear US customs prior to mooring on the wreck.