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Queen of Nassau, CGS Canada
 Islamorada, FL 33036
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Max Depth: Over 150ft/46m
Average Viz: 21-25ft/6-8m
Entry Type: Boat
Bottom Composition: Sand
Aquatic Life: Might See Something
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Rating: 5.00 by 1 divers
Spring: 66-70°F/19-21°C
Summer: 66-70°F/19-21°C
Fall: 66-70°F/19-21°C
Winter: 66-70°F/19-21°C
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Queen of Nassau, CGS Canada is a boat accessible salt water dive site, located in Islamorada, FL 33036. This dive site has an average rating of 5.00 out of 5 from 1 scuba divers. The maximum depth is over 150ft/46m. The average visibility is 21-25ft/6-8m.
Built in England in 1904, this was a 200 foot long Canadian vessel with a 25 foot beam.
With the boilers barely producing steam, the Captain turned the ship out to deeper water, but the boilers quickly failed. Realizing the inevitable was about to happen, at 7:00 p.m. the Captain ordered his 18 crew members onto a lifeboat.
Moving away from the Queen of Nassau, they watched her settle back on her stern. Then as she stood straight up in the air, her boilers exploded. It had only taken 8 minutes for her to sink beneath the water to her 225 deep watery grave
In 2001, a group of recreational divers encountered the Queen of Nassau for the first time.
Since the ship was located within the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary waters, they reported their discovery to the appropriate authorities.
Due to her location, the Queen of Nassau became part of an archaeological study. The study involves a number of entities including NOAA’s Maritime Heritage Program and several Universities.
The Queen of Nassau is one of the least dived wrecks, yet she’s also one of the more interesting Florida Keys dive sites. At her depth, she’s still considered an advanced recreational dive. Anyone Key Largo diving who plans on visiting her needs to take the necessary time to properly prepare.
You also need to remember that because of her depth, the water is going to be quite cold. Wearing a dry suit, heavier gloves, and a hood will make your dive much more comfortable and you safer.
With the exception of her collapsed mast, and some damage to her stern and running gear, she’s relatively intact. Her wood decks have eroded, and so any artifacts that had been located in these areas have dropped farther below.