Since October 1961 the Steel Products has been aground off Sherkston Beach. This abandoned ship has been known as the “wreck” as long as I have been a regular on the Lake Erie shore.
This “wreck” has become a symbol of Sherkston and the reef, a backdrop for countless photos and stories
( click on the photos for a close up)
circa 1978
 and a huge part of our lives on Lake Erie’s shore.
I have swam out to it, jumped off the deck ( when it had a deck)
sailed and paddled around it.
Mother Nature has taken its toll on our great symbol of the reef.
With that being said I would like to share the history of the wreck.
The Steel Products was named Venus for 50 years before being sold to Marine Salvage of Port Colborne. The 346 foot vessel was equipped with a crane and often carried scrap steel. After a long career she was taken under tow on October 26, 1961 to be scrapped at Dwor Metal Co. While anchored in heavy weather she slipped anchor on Oct. 28th and went aground. The decision was made to strip her in the spring so a crew of men were left on board for the winter. Come spring a road was built to her and the engines and part of her hull were removed. She was built in 1901 in Lorain, OH by American Shipbuilding Co.
I would like to thank Mike & Georgann Wachter for sharing this bit of history.
 wachter@eriewrecks.com     www.eriewrecks.com
 .
The road that was built for the salvage operation was left in place and became a walk way to the wreck through waist deep water. You did have to swim the last 20 yards or so. Many times the friendly locals would answer calls for help because some one who was not a strong swimmer or some one who had a little too much libation got themselves out to the wreck, but could not get back in.
In the early 1980’s the price of steel skyrocketed and scrapers went after what was left of the wreck cutting away much of the hull and deck throughout the winter months. They may have removed the whole thing but the bulldozer they were using fell through the ice and caused some setbacks preventing they job from being finished.
A great place to explore with kayaks and paddle boards,snorkel around as well as fish, this old barge attracts visitors every day.
The recent winters have really taken a toll on the old girl. Low water levels,
heavy wind storms,
and time have weaken the remaining structure and twisted the bow 
and rear sections to near unrecognizable forms 
It is only a matter of time before the whole thing falls victim to Mother Natures wrecking ball.
Below are some recent photo’s from the fall of 2013 and the winter of 2014.
(Thanks to John for the photo’s)
The Reef Warriors and Casey's Hit the Lip Blog 
All the interesting things we learned about this wreck in front of us !
Wonderful pics too ..nice article worth keeping .Thanks for the time and effort to put this together !
Great history. The wreck of the Minnehaha is < 20 ft off the beach near Arcadia in Lake Michigan. Neat to see it change year to year.
I am strong swimmer and would like to go out one day in the summer. Once I get there, is it fairly safe to move around?
Yeah just have on some foot wear, lots of slimy sharp rusty metal.
I LOOK AT THE WRECK EVERY DAY AS IT IS RIGHT INFRONT OF MY TRAILER . NEVER NEW THE HISTORY.. BUT THIS PAST WEEK THE WRECK COULDNT BEEN SEEN BECAUSE OF HOW HIGH THE WATER WAS IT CAME OVER THE BREAK WALL AND RIGHT TO MY DECK .. NO NOT SAFE TO SWIM REALLY UNDERTOW…
Glad you could learn a thing or two about the wreck.
As I am sure you have witnessed, mother nature has been giving the old girl a beating the past few years.
I spent summers just up the beach from Sherkston – we had a small motorboat and it was a regular event to take a picnic lunch out there and just enjoy the sun and swimming nearby (this is circa 1965). Many years later (including a melanoma spot removal from my face), I still remember it all fondly. Wear sunscreen and a hat. The aerial view really tells the tale. When we visited there was a fully outfitted freighter to explore. We actually obeyed our parents (this time) and didn’t climb on it but it sure was tempting…..
Andy, nice to hear from you. the wreck has been an important part of any one’s life who spent time at Sherkston. I am a U.S. citizen so I have been unable to get to Sherkston this summer, but I am afraid the old girl has taken quite a beating the past year or so with many storms which created large wave & wind events. It will be sad to see this icon to this end of Lake Erie soon rust away.
What a Mistry still. Thank-you everyone for the Mistry updates..
Great pictures! Bless you all for curiosity and sharing.