Cal Kothrade is an award-winning underwater photographer and maritime artist, as well as a published dive travel writer, specializing in the shipwrecks of the Great Lakes. His hauntingly beautiful photos have appeared in magazines, books, and on TV. Through his art, photos, and public presentations he introduces others to the wondrous submerged cultural resources of North America and the Great Lakes. Cal is a board trustee of Wisconsin Marine Historical Society, as well as being active in various other societies, clubs and groups devoted to diving, underwater photography, and shipwrecks. He is a lifelong resident of Wisconsin, who has recently relocated to South Carolina. His art and photos are available for purchase and licensing at his website:
Frozen In Time – Finding and Identifying the W.C. Kimball
In 2019 a team of divers, historians and shipwreck enthusiasts found and identified a new shipwreck in northern Lake Michigan. Though the W.C. Kimball was not unlike many other schooners that sailed the inland seas during the late 1800’s, it’s the incredible condition she is in now, that makes her one of the most significant finds ever.
Diver and artist Cal Kothrade tells the story of how shipwreck hunter Ross Richardson found the Wisconsin built vessel, and of the diverse team that would eventually solve the mystery of what this sail away’s name is. Through video, photographs and artwork, Cal discusses the condition of the wreck today, and the forensic clues which led to its identification, as well as what the ill-fated ship and crew’s final hours might have been like.
