Sweepstakes (also known as Sweeps)

Mark Twain once wrote: “A ship is safe in harbor, but that’s not what ships are for.” There’s something quite beautiful (and bittersweet) about seeing a grand old ship rusting away, either grounded ashore, or in an oceany grave.  Sweepstakes (also known as Sweeps) was a Canadian schooner built in Burlington, Ontario in 1867. It was damaged off Cove Island then towed to Big Tub Harbour, where it sank in September 1885. The remains of Sweepstakes lie in Big Tub Harbour, located in the Fathom Five National Marine Park, in Tobermory, Ontario. This schooner is said to be one of the most popular wrecks in the park, where it is often visited by tour boat passengers, divers, and snorkelers. Sweepstakes is one of the several shipwrecks located in the Fathom Five National Marine Park. She’s still remarkably intact and only fifty yards from the harbor, and 20 feet beneath the surface. You can visit her today at Fathom Five National Marine Park. May she rust in peace.