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The Tonawanda was a US Navy ship used during the Civil War blockade campaign in the Gulf of Mexico.
| Name Dive Site: | Tonawanda |
| Depth: | 19-32ft (6-10m) |
| Inserted/Added by: | lars, © Author: Lars Hemel |
| Rated: | Rated not yet |
| Specifications: |     |
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The 300-foot long steam wooden freighter Tonawanda was originally built in 1863 in Philadelphia. She was bought by the United States Navy, renamed to the Arkansas and used during the Union Blockade campaign in the Gulf of Mexico as a strategy to win the American Civil War. President Abraham Lincoln decided to block all southern ports preventing supply goods such as guns and cotton to enter the Confederate States of America. After the war the Tonawanda sailed to Portsmouth, New Hampshire and was publicly sold and used as a coastal cargo ship. She sank in May 28, 1866 at less than one hundred yards northeast of the Elbow Reef lighthouse marked nowadays by buoy E7.
This old 752 ton steamer is very broken up with several of its remains scattered around the area. Less than one hundred yards west you will find a six foot cannon, which might be interesting to take a quick look at. The Tonawanda lies at less than 35 foot deep on a white sandy bottom which creates excellent conditions for snorkellers and photographers.
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