Dive Report: Northern Light
Date: Sunday morning April 9, 2000
Boat: Diversity
Captain: Bob Borselli

By: Mike Rodriguez

The Northern Light was a Great Lakes steam freighter built in 1888.
It was 300 feet long with a 40 foot beam.  It was one of the earliest
steel-hulled ships on the Great Lakes.  The Northern Light is also
somewhat unique in that it used a three-phase steam engine that
produced 240 horsepower.  These engines were developed near the end
of the steam era.  The Benwood wreck nearby also used a three-phase
steam engine.

In 1927 the owner attempted to commit insurance fraud by setting
fire to the ship which badly damaged but didn't sink it.  It was
then cut down and converted into a barge.

In 1930, the Northern Light broke in two off Key Largo and sank.
Its exact position was not known until in 1989 a group of northern
Key Largo divers positively identified the site, known then as the
Elbow Wreck, as being the Northern Light.

The wreck lies in two parts in 190 feet of water.  The bow is
upright in the sand with it's anchor hanging on the starboard
side still secured by its chain to the winch.  Aft of this is a
cargo hold full of modern anchors left by fishermen unable to
retrieve them after having set them.  Further aft is the stern of
the ship up-side-down on top of the bow; the rudder, turned hard
starboard, is within 145 feet of the surface.

Over the last 70+ years, the ship has developed a huge amount of
coral growth and has attracted unbelievable numbers of large fish
and other sea life.  Every time I dive this wreck I'm surprised
by the abundance of sea life.

This ship isn't often visited by divers, partly due to the depth
and partly due to the un-glamorous description "barge", but I
think it's one of the best tech dives in south Florida.  The current
at this site can be formidable, but it sometimes dies down and makes
for an easy dive.  The visibility is usually outstanding.

If you're lucky enough to get a chance to dive here, go for it!


A small group of divers dove the Bibb the day before and we were
all now looking forward to diving the Northern Light this morning.
Everyone was at the boat early and we were on our way ahead of
schedule.

It was a pleasant day.  The air temperature was about 80F.  On the
way out, we had fairly smooth seas at under two feet.  The water
temperature was 75F and it was sunny.  At the site there was a light
current, maybe a half-knot.  I was diving trimix 21/32/47 with 50%
and 100% O2 for decompression.

The divers geared up and stood on the platform off the transom as we
approached the site.  As we passed over the wreck, the captain called
out, and we dropped into the water.  In less than a minute I could
make out the inverted hull on the bottom.  As I reached the hull on
the starboard side I noticed our support diver tieing off the 
downline, then I swam over to the port side where the most convenient
opening into the ship is located.

Inside, I was greeted by a small speckled eel.  I stopped a moment
to take a closer look.  It didn't shy away so I was able to get
very close.  After a while, I continued further into the ship to the
engine room where I dug around in the debris on the bottom hoping
to find something interesting, but found nothing.  This ship has
been down a long time and it's heavily covered with growth which
makes finding anything difficult.

I continued through the ship to the exit near the bow where I exited
into the bright daylight.  I swam toward the bow, then past it where
I hovered over the sand enjoying all the sea life around me.  In the
sand 40 feet below me, I could see a two-foot ray swimming by.  Then
in the distance, a bull-shark swam by, followed by a second one a
moment later.  All the time, I was practically surrounded by jacks
and assorted other fish.

I checked my bottom timer and reluctantly acknowledged that it was
nearly time to go.  I swam back to the downline where the support
diver was waiting.  All the other divers converged at the line shortly
afterward, so we unhooked and drifted off the wreck.  I shot my
liftbag for redundancy and began decompression which was pleasant
in the clear warm water as my the other divers drifted around.

We were all back on the boat soon after for the short ride back to
the dock.  Everyone had a great time and we're all looking forward
to our return to the Northern Light.