Summary
Simmons Reef is the offshore hazard identified in the held accounts of the J. Oswald Boyd grounding and the Marold II explosion. The 1937 Herald places it about 15 miles north of Beaver Island and about 20 miles west of St. Ignace.
Evidence and limits
This is a source-bounded maritime place record, not a charted coordinate. The newspaper descriptions are approximate and do not provide a GNIS identifier, depth, extent, or exact position; coordinates remain blank.
Open questions
- Which historical or current nautical chart identifies Simmons Reef?
- Can the reef’s coordinates and relationship to nearby St. Ignace and Beaver Island be verified from a chart or survey?
See also
Sources
- Charlevoix County Herald, January 8, 1937, “Coast Guards Abandon Search for Three Men Missing in Marold II Explosion.”Places the stranded J. Oswald Boyd and the Marold II on Simmons Reef, about 15 miles north of Beaver Island and about 20 miles west of St. Ignace.
- Charlevoix Courier, January 1997, “Ship explosion recalled on 60th anniversary,” scrapbook section.Uses the spelling Simmon’s Reef for the grounding and salvage operation, but supplies no coordinates.