Much
of the Hetty Taylor's
deck remains intact, including two
hatchways
that
allow visitors to look into the
hold
.
As divers continue
aft
,
the decking gives way and the
centerboard
trunk
appears, along with several of the Taylor 's
deck beams. The schooner's sides offer an interesting contrast.
The
port
side
is intact to the rail, allowing visitors to see how she looked
when she was in service, while the
starboard
side is broken up, enabling
divers to examine the construction details of the vessel.
Although
the Taylor 's square
stern
is
broken up today, much of its architecture is readily observable.
Her
rudder
remains
in place, turned hard to starboard, while the
transom
has fallen and lies just aft of the wreck.
The
Hetty Taylor presents a rare chance to examine a
nearly intact example of a once numerous class of small Great
Lakes
schooners
. Such ships, measuring from thirty to about one
hundred
tons
, connected the communities of Lake Michigan's
maritime hinterland to the major metropolises of southern
Lake Michigan. Today, the wreck of the Hetty Taylor offers
one of Wisconsin's most rewarding diving experiences.
continued
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