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R.H. Rae (1857 - 1858)



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KEY STATS:
Ship Type: Schooner
Lifespan: Built 1857, Sunk 1858
Length: 136ft
Depths: 110ft
Location: Main Duck Island, Kingston, Ontario, Canada
GPS N43 53 03 W76 50 51

The RH Rae was named after an Arctic navigator of the time. She was built for the trans-Atlantic trade by the Rae Brothers of Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. Capsized during a squall, the Rae was deemed a total loss after a failed salvage attempt

Located in 1888 efforts to raise her were abandoned and she was forgotten about till 1961, when Willis Metcalfe & Guenter Wernthaler relocated her.

The wreck of the Rae was first discovered by Barbara Carson of Kingston in 1976. At her invitation, Cousteau visited the site during his Great Lakes expedition in 1980, in which a diver was lost

The Rae rests upright on her keel and is still relatively intact, considering that she has been on the bottom for 138 years. The deck has collapsed in most areas, but the hull, with its pointed bow and squared off transom, is in excellent shape. Still visible is a carved symbol on the transom. Spread over the deck area are a number of various-sized blocks and deadeyes, some pottery and tools. The railing is intact in some areas and laying on the deck in others. Also of interest are several sections of wooden bilge pipe and what appears to be an anchor winch (not windlass) on the bow. The Rae is a very interesting pre-Confederation vessel.


Looking at the Stern


Bow

Hatches


Damage to the Bow



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