The Pilot Island site lies off the northwestern end of Pilot Island, near the present day cement dock (LORAN: 32006.5, 48032.3; GPS: N 45º 37.64', W 86º 55.31'). Visibility at the site ranges from 15 to 40 feet. During the diving season, the water temperature varies from about 52 to about 62 degrees Fahrenheit.

Pilot Island Wreck Map

The site consists of a field of debris in twenty to fifty feet of water. Though the island to the southeast does offer some protection, the site is exposed to wind and waves, and a moderate current often sweeps the site in all but the calmest weather. The focal point of the site is the jumbled, intertwined wreckage of the Forest and the Nichols, surrounded by remains of the Gilmore and possibly other vessels.

In an archaeological survey conducted by the Wisconsin Historical Society, major structural elements of the wreckage were coded with letters to facilitate identification, documentation, and mapping of the site's many elements. These letter designations will be used to help describe the site.

The inverted bilge of the Nichols (Section C) lies on top of her port side, rail, and stern deadwood (Section H).

The inverted bilge of the Nichols (Section C) lies on top of her port side, rail, and stern deadwood (Section H).

Central to the site are three large structural pieces, Sections C (inverted bilge of the Nichols), H (the port side, rail, and stern deadwood of the Nichols), and G (the upper side, port rail, and bow of the Forest). H and G lay side by side, underneath C.

Inverted bilge (Section C) with flush centerboard trunk and keel