NBM Dive Site Resource
F.T. Barney
Offshore Lake Huron, Michigan, United States
TECHNICAL DIVE ONLY — F.T. Barney is a Lake Huron shipwreck documented by NOAA at 160 ft / 49 m. This depth exceeds recreational limits and requires appropriate technical and decompression training.
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Aquatic life at this dive site
What divers may encounter
Three reviewed connections are featured here. Sightings vary by season, conditions, and chance, so they are never guaranteed.
Aquatic life research in progress
NBM is reviewing a likely local species for this position.
Aquatic life research in progress
NBM is reviewing a likely local species for this position.
Aquatic life research in progress
NBM is reviewing a likely local species for this position.
Site media
Photographs
Three views rotate from the published gallery on each visit.
Contributor media
Dive videos
Three featured video positions are reserved on every profile.Published reference location
Location map
The marker shows the public coordinates associated with this profile. Confirm current access, moorings, and departure details before the dive.Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors
Recent field observations
Diver-reported temperatures
Automatically checked observations from dives during the past 14 days. Three reports are visible at a time; scroll for more.A report that passes the automatic checks will appear here with the dive date, diver’s display name, and temperatures at each depth.
Reports are automatically checked for plausible dates, depths, and temperatures. They are observations, not forecasts; confirm conditions before diving.
Why divers know this place
Highlights
NOAA-documented Great Lakes wreck: Sail: two-masted schooner; 160 feet.
Shipwreck-only module
The wreck
This section appears only on shipwreck records and brings the vessel, its loss, present condition, access, and responsible wreck-diving considerations into one place.
- Vessel type
- Sail: two-masted schooner
- Vessel length
- 160 feet
History and significance
On October 23, 1868, F.T. Barney collided with another schooner off Presque Isle when in transit between Cleveland, Ohio and Milwaukee, Wisconsin. F.T. Barney and its cargo of coal sank in a matter of minutes. No lives were lost. Like many of the schooners lost in the deeper waters of Lake Huron, F.T. Barney is almost completely intact. It rests upright in 160 feet of water. Because F.T. Barney settled slowly, it sustained only minor damage; divers visiting the site can see its intact stern cabin, erect main mast, and cargo hold full of coal. One of the best preserved shipwrecks in the Great Lakes, it was the first shipwreck in Lake Huron placed on the National Register of Historic Places .
Before you arrive
Access notes
Technical dive only. Confirm current conditions, mooring status, gas plan, decompression plan and operator requirements before departure. NOAA coordinates are reference points, not navigation instructions.
Plan within your training
Conditions and hazards
Depth beyond recreational limits, decompression obligations, cold water, limited light, changing visibility, entanglement and possible wreck overheads. Penetration requires separate wreck-penetration training and planning.
Independent resource notice
This record is a starting point for independent verification. Access, closures, moorings, weather, currents, depth, visibility, operator availability, and site conditions can change without notice. Confirm current information with the responsible operator, property owner, managing authority, or another qualified local source before planning or attempting a dive.