Captain Hugh McDowall was at the helm when the ship collided with Pullman Shoal near Alexandria Bay, New York. "It was a mistake on my part," explained McDowall. "I was young at the time, thought I could do anything."
Anything, but navigate the narrow stretch of the St. Lawrence River on a cold, wet night and without his First Mate.
As the ship made its way past the village of Alexandria Bay, McDowall thought that the ship was a bit off course and gave the command to adjust. No sooner did that happen, the Jodrey collided with the shoal, puncturing its hull and ended up resting along the banks of Wellesley Island near the Coast Guard station.
The crew would abandon ship safely, including the dog that was said to be onboard, and they would end up spending time at the Coast Guard station playing pool as the freighter sank to the bottom of the river.
Following the sinking, McDowall would be removed from the position of Captain, but remained on staff with Algoma in various roles before retiring some years later. Today, the Roy A Jodrey remains at the bottom of the St. Lawrence and has becoming a diving hot spot. Its cargo still remains as well.
Just recently, a reader of this site began to share emails with me about the Jodrey. Before long, he would send me boxes, upon boxes of items he had collected over the years about the ship from its days of being built until the day it sank. As part of this collection, I provided me with a salvaged life vest from the ship, as well as a place setting of china from the galley.
I have agreed with this donor to help find a way to share the history of this 1000 Islands modern-day ship wreck.
On another note, today we also remember those who lost their lives exploring the Jodrey in the waters below.
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