Ray Bay Wreck
Ship stats
Depth: 14 feet
Coordinates: 43° 50.175'N / 76° 16.408'W
Vessel Type: Wooden sailing vessel
Length: Approximately 120 feet
Breadth: Unknown
Gross Tonnage: Unknown
Cargo: Unknown
Built: Unknown
Port of Registry: Unknown
Owner at Loss: Unknown
Date Lost: Unknown
Cause of Loss: Unknown
Loss of Life: Unknown
Historical Background
The wreck is the remains of an as-yet unidentified sailing vessel. Nothing is currently known of the circumstances of its loss or the vessel’s history.
Wreck Site
Ray Bay Wreck rests in 14 feet of water approximately 500 feet offshore on the eastern side of the shoal at the center of Ray Bay. The site, which can be dived or snorkeled, is accessible by boat or from the shore at the parking area off the access road within Henderson Shores Unique Area.
This unidentified sailing vessel’s remains consist of an approximately 120 foot long section of the port side of the vessel’s hull, lying flat on the lake bottom with the inside of the hull facing upward. The wreck lies on a north-northeasterly heading with the vessel’s bow pointing toward shore.
The site was visited by NOAA archaeologists in 2021 after being informed of the site by Mr. Daniel Gildea. Historical and archaeological research remains on-going to identify the vessel.