Launched in the early 1900s, the Buccaneer boasts a long and colorful history both afloat and on the bottom of Lake Michigan. Between 1925 and 1936, she served as a fast patrol boat. Measuring 100 feet in length with a 23-foot beam, she was built for speed, slicing effortlessly through the waves. During her service, she was one of only 13 vessels outfitted with a 3-inch/23-caliber deck gun, a highly effective weapon used to combat rum runners on both the Gulf of Mexico and the Great Lakes during Prohibition.
After being retired from patrol service near the end of the Great Depression, she found a second life as a pirate-themed party boat and public charter craft. Once her entertaining days finally came to an end, the Buccaneer was intentionally sunk 10 miles off the coast of Chicago.
Today, she rests in 72 feet of water. With this moderate depth, the Buccaneer is an ideal wreck for intermediate divers to explore while reflecting on her storied past. We visit this unique site out of Hammond Marina.
