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Ahoy! 'Shipwrecks of Lake Ontario' takes deep dive into maritime history

Jim Kennard
/
Great Lakes Today
The Washington sank in 1803 off the coast of Oswego, NY..

Three western New York-based shipwreck hunters, who have discovered some of the most significant historic wrecks in the Great Lakes, have written a book about their explorations.

Credit WXXI News
(l to r) Roland Stevens, Jim Kennard and Roger Pawlowski hold up the official flag of the Explorer's Club.

Shipwrecks of Lake Ontario: A Journey of Discovery was written by Jim Kennard of Fairport, Roland Stevens of Pultneyville and Roger Pawlowski of Rochester. The trio's book chronicles their discovery of more than two dozen shipwrecks in Lake Ontario.

“Searching for ships in the Great Lakes demands hours spent on research; large expenditures for technical equipment; weeks, months and sometimes years looking for a wreck; plus a touch of madness that keeps a team together on an elusive quest.” said Jim Kennard, lead author. “The information that we have discovered over the years has provided us with valuable insight into Great Lakes maritime history.”

Many of the sunken ships were connected to other parts of the Great Lakes region, including Ohio, Michigan and Illinois. The team's most significant discovery came in 2008, when it found the wreck of HMS Ontario, a British warship that sank in 1780 during the Revolutionary War.

Proceeds from sales of the book will benefit the National Museum of the Great Lakes in Toledo, OH.

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