Cedarville
Bulk Freighter · United States · Lost 1965 · The Straits of Mackinac
A 604-foot limestone carrier that rolled and sank in the Straits of Mackinac after colliding with a Norwegian freighter in fog.
Michael & Lisa Ash
See Shipwreck on Map
The Vessel and Her Loss
Cedarville was launched in 1927 as the straight-deck bulk carrier A.F. Harvey and later converted into a self-unloader for the Bradley Transportation Line. On May 7, 1965, carrying limestone from Port Calcite toward Gary, Indiana, she collided in thick fog with the Norwegian vessel Topdalsfjord in the Straits of Mackinac. Her captain tried to beach her near Mackinaw City, but she rolled over and sank a few miles offshore. Eight of her thirty-five crew were lost.
Vessel
- 1927
- Great Lakes Engineering Works
- River Rouge, Michigan
- Steel
- 604 ft
- 60 ft
- Not established
- Triple-expansion steam engine, 2,200 hp, coal-fired
- Bradley Transportation Line (Michigan Limestone Division, U.S. Steel)
Loss
- May 7, 1965
- Collision
- Straits of Mackinac, about 3.5 miles southeast of the Mackinac Bridge south tower
- Lake Huron / Straits of Mackinac
- Port Calcite, near Rogers City, Michigan → Gary, Indiana
- Open-hearth limestone, approximately 14,411 tons
- 35
- 8
- Not established
The Wreck Today
- 40-110
- Broken, resting on her side
- Not established
- Not established
- Within the Straits of Mackinac Shipwreck Preserve
Position
- 45.788° N 84.671° W
- Surveyed position
- Mackinaw City, Michigan
Bow, crack and stern positions published by the Straits of Mackinac Shipwreck Preserve.
Evidence
Overall confidence: Documented (85/100)
Straits of Mackinac Shipwreck Preserve
Build history, collision narrative, casualty figures, wreck position and condition.
Regional context for the Straits of Mackinac Shipwreck Preserve.
