Maritime Trails '06: Rouse Simmons

[ethanb]

I just returned from Two Rivers, where the Wisconsin State Historical Society Underwater Archaeology group spent a week on the wreck of the Rouse Simmons, the famed "Christmas Tree ship."  The Rouse sank in a storn in November 1912 while carrying a load of Christmas trees from the UP to Chicago.  It's about 150 ft to the rail and 165 to the bottom, so we did one dive per day with a 30-40 minute bottom time.  Keith Meverden, Wisconsin's State Underwater Archaeologist, led the expedition, and the volunteers were Paul Bentley, Ethan Brodsky, Jim Garey, Christa Loustalot, Tom Milbrath, Tamara Thomsen, and Greg Stanton.  Christa, Ethan, and Tom dove open-circuit with trimix, while Tami, Keith, Greg, and Jim used rebreathers (two Megs, a KISS, and a Ouroboros).  As far as I know, this is the first underwater archaeology project in which closed circuit rebreathers were used to study a deep shipwreck in the Great Lakes.

Unfortunately, funding for the daily "Notes from the Field" updates was cut off this year, but I did my own site with some notes and photos from the week.  It's online here:
 
It's still a work in progress, as I'm still waiting on more underwater photographs.

There was also a write-up in the local Manitowoc paper:
 
(which even included a link to my website!)

Enjoy!

Ethan 

[moneysavr]

Ethan,
I hope the funding for the Great "Notes from the field"
Being cut off was not due to the purchase of CCR & Training with said  funds? just heard it thru the pipe line.
If so sad,

If these units were purchased with private funds  or private units =GO FOR IT! dive deeper!! stay longer!!!!

  And Great update Thanks maybe you can link it to WHS?

Not to knock the "Rouse" But,,,It  has the story but I can name other wrecks in that range in far better shape and worth the time to survey/dive
  Anyhow Good job,
hope this whole Maritime Trails thing dose not go down the drain as things are looking bad as we cant even get sites moored this year!
Dive Safe,
Brad 

[moneysavr]

Thanks Kieth for the clarification on several points,
And I hope that the mooring projects will go on and we / I love to see the photos and project updates of the work you guys do!
  Just hope we can keep this thing going on as I felt that  Wisconsin has  had a superior program!
Brad