discovered by Gary Biniecki July 1, 1986
As she lies on the bottom.
The Regina lies 6.4 miles from Lexington Harbor on a heading of 45 degrees.
LORAN 30801.7 / 49534.9 - LAT/LONG 43*20'46"N / 82*26'90"W
The wreck lies in 77 feet of water with the keel coming within 55 feet of the surface. It is possible to reach depths greater tan 80 feet insider her hull.
The Regina lies upside down with her bow facing the north. A 56 foot hole in her port side exposes her cargo area. The Regina was one of eight ships claimed by the storm of 1913. She was neither the newest nor the largest, yet her loss was surrounded by the greatest mystery. No one survived to tell the tale. Here are some of the facts: The Regina was last seen in the vicinity of Harbor Beach, at that time, she was upbound. Since she was found wrecked in lower Lake Huron, it must mean that she found the storm too threatening and turned around for the safety of the St. Clair River. The discovery of the gaping hole in the bottom looks like it was made by the ship smashing down on a large boulder. Perhaps the Captain had tried to find shelter from the winds by running closer to shore. They must have strayed into waters so shallow that in the 30-foot plus waves, she struck bottom and holed the ship. In any case, the crew did make an attempt to abandon ship. When she sank, the Regina was at anchor with her engines and electrical system shut down and lifeboats had been launched. But no one could survive the raging sea of that most terrible storm.
The Regina is one of the most popular dive sites in the Sanilac Shores Underwater Preserve and is recommended for intermediate to advanced divers only.
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Copyright © 1996, Bob Brobst, Last Updated - 11/3/96 4:37:57 PM