Robert Gaskin
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About this site
The Robert Gaskin is a wooden three-masted barque wreck in the St. Lawrence River, just off Blockhouse Island near Brockville, Ontario. A buoy marks the site, at about N44 35.358, W75 40.625. She was launched at Kingston on 21 April 1863 at 132.6 feet (40 m) by 26.3 feet (8 m), with a cargo capacity of 20,000 bushels.
In 1889 she was working as a salvage barge to help raise the railroad ferry Armstrong, and sank three times in the process, the third time for good on 18 September 1889. A large anchor lies off the bow towards shore, about 40 feet (12 m) from the wreck.
The wreck lies perpendicular to the current, with the bow at 55 feet (17 m) and the stern at 65 to 70 feet (20 to 21 m), and the stern sticks out towards the upstream shipping channel, so take care there. Several openings on both sides make easy swim-throughs. It is about 450 metres from shore and is usually reached by boat, though experienced divers with enough air can swim from the riverbank.
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Current is mild and visibility is 20 to 40 feet (6 to 12 m) or better, over a silt bottom that clouds up if disturbed. Boat traffic is heavy. The wreck is rated intermediate, and bass, walleye and perch are typical of river dives here.
Marine life here
Confirmed by our research team, reported by independent divers, or observed nearby via iNaturalist — each entry is labelled with its source.
Round GobyNeogobius melanostomusReported here · unconfirmed
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