wreck

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Oakville (Wreck)

The *Oakville* is a beauty, plain and simple. We love how intact she is, even after all these years at 20 metres. She was a steamer, built back in 1906, and she went down in 1925 after a collision with another steamer, the *Bay State*. You can still feel that history as you glide over her deck. Our favourite part has to be the stern, where the prop is still in place, a massive, silent fan in the gloom. Head forward and the deckhouse is largely gone, but you can still make out the engine room area, and the boilers are huge, standing proud. We've often found ourselves just hovering, imagining the crew on that cold November night. Visibility here can swing quite a bit depending on the season and recent weather. We find summer and early autumn usually offer the best conditions, with the thermocline not too aggressive and the lake settled. It’s an intermediate dive, largely because of the cold and the potential for reduced visibility, but the lack of strong current makes it quite manageable once you’re down. Keep an eye out for the lake trout and burbot that often shelter in the shadows; they’re surprisingly curious. This is a dive for anyone who appreciates a well-preserved piece of maritime history.