Hawkins Rock

The C. B. Benson was a three-masted schooner built in 1873, a workhorse of the Great Lakes' golden age of sail. For two decades, she plied the vast freshwater seas, hauling cargoes of grain, lumber, and coal between bustling port towns. Her final voyage began in October 1893, when she departed Oswego, New York, with a full load of coal, bound for Kingston, Ontario. She never arrived.

Caught in a vicious autumn gale on Lake Ontario, the C. B. Benson foundered and sank with the loss of her entire crew. Her location remained a mystery for nearly a century until she was discovered in 1991, sitting upright and astonishingly preserved in the cold, dark depths. For technical divers, the Benson is a breathtaking time capsule. Her three masts still stand defiantly, rigging and deadeyes are still in place, and the deck is littered with artifacts from her final moments, including the ship's wheel, anchors, and tools. Exploring this wreck is like diving directly into the 19th century.