discovered by Jim and Pat Stayer on July 8, 1992
As she lies on the bottom.
The Mary Alice B. lies 8.4 miles from Lexington Harbor on a heading of 39 degrees.
LORAN 30790.9 / 49520.5 - LAT/LONG 43*22'34"N / 82*26'31"W
The wreck lies in 92 feet of water.
The Mary Alice B. sits upright on the bottom, completely intact. The pilot house is easily accessible. Dishes remain in the galley. Divers can penetrate the engine room although this area tends to silt up quickly.
The Mary Alice B., a 65-foot steel tug, had a colorful career with numerous owners under several names. Built in 1931 for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers by the Marine Iron & Ship Building Co. in Duluth, MN. The tug began her career in Buffalo, New York under the name Quintus. In 1951 she was transferred to the Detroit District, where she was stationed for the next decade. In 1962 the Quintus was sold to a marine towing company in Detroit and was renamed the Bonanka. She was again sold in the mid 60's to a Marine City tug company and used for salvage mainly in lower Lake Huron and the St. Clair River. Once again, in 1972 the Bonanka was sold and renamed the Lomax and spent the next three years in Cleveland, Ohio. In 1975, she again was sold and moved back to Detroit and named the Mary Alice B. She was sent to Rockport to salvage the Monrovia, a saltwater freighter that sank near Alpena's Thunder Bay. At the end of the season the ownes hired Dick Marone, captain of the Dolphin 1 to tow the Mary Alice B. from Rockport to Detroit. It was during this trip she began taking on water. The crew from the Dolphin pulled her up along side and set up two of their water pumps and began pumping out the water. Well the pumps couldn't pump her, they were losing ground and the water started through the gunnels. The Dolphin chopped her loose and watched her go down stern first. Word of the sinking spread slowly. And despite the captain's recollection of the location near Port Sanilac, it wasn't until July 8, 1992 when Jim and Pat Stayer found her true resting place.
The Mary Alice B. is one of the newest additions to the Sanilac Shores Underwater Preserve and is a great dive. However this dive is recommended for Advanced Divers due to the depth and poor visibilty.
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Copyright © 1996, Bob Brobst, Last Updated - 11/3/96 4:37:57 PM