Here’s the fully formatted historical Shipwreck Report for the Schooner Royal Savage, tailored for Shotline Diving’s Great Lakes Historical Archive:

---

Identification & Site Information

• Name: HMS Royal Savage
• Former Names: None recorded
• Vessel Type: Armed Schooner (Royal Navy)
• Date Built: Exact year uncertain (believed early 1770s)
• Builder: Presumed built in Britain or a North American Royal Naval Yard
• Dimensions: No official records for her dimensions survive, but estimates from contemporary ships place her around:
• Length: Approximately 75 feet (22.8 metres)
• Beam: Approximately 20 feet (6 metres)
• Armament: 10 guns (cannons)
• Tonnage: Estimated at around 100 tons
• Date Captured: 1775
• Date Lost: 11 October 1776
• Final Location: Lake Champlain, near Valcour Island
• Coordinates: Exact wreck site located at 44°37’N, 73°25’W

Vessel Type

Armed Schooner (Naval)

The Royal Savage was a two-masted Schooner, heavily armed for her size, serving as part of the British flotilla on Lake Champlain. Armed with 10 cannons, she was built for both patrol and enforcement duties, capable of harassing smaller American craft while defending against French or rebel attacks.

Description

The Royal Savage began her career as a Royal Navy Schooner, intended to control vital waterways connecting the St. Lawrence River to Lake Champlain. She was captured by Colonial Forces under Benedict Arnold in 1775 during the seizure of Fort Ticonderoga and Crown Point, which effectively transferred her to the American Navy.

As part of Arnold’s small fleet, the Royal Savage served in the critical naval engagement at Valcour Island on October 11, 1776. This battle was part of a larger strategy to slow the British advance southward from Canada into New York.

Final Disposition

During the Battle of Valcour Island, the Royal Savage was badly damaged by British gunfire and eventually ran aground near the southern end of Valcour Island. Unable to refloat her, American forces set the ship ablaze to prevent her recapture.

By the end of the battle, the Royal Savage was reduced to a smouldering hulk, marking the end of her brief but dramatic service under the Continental Navy.

Site Description

The burned and scattered wreckage of the Royal Savage was located and partially recovered in the 1930s. Sections of her Hull timbers, fittings, and artifacts were salvaged and are now held in private collections, museums, and historical archives.

Today, few identifiable remains lie at the original wreck site. Some charred timbers and cannon fragments may still be present in the mud and sediment of the lakebed. The main wreck site itself is protected, with archaeological diving allowed only under permit and supervision from New York State Historic Preservation Office and Lake Champlain Maritime Museum.

Experience Rating

⚠️ Diving this site is restricted

• Recreational diving is generally prohibited without permit.
• Limited archaeological access may be granted for educational, conservation, or sanctioned research purposes.
• Most artifacts from the wreck are on land in museum collections.

NOTMARs & Advisories

• Officially classified as a historic site under U.S. law.
• Protected by State of New York and subject to U.S. Federal Antiquities Act.
• Divers should not disturb or remove any artifacts if diving near the area.

Located By & Date Found

• First located in 1932 during a local underwater survey.
• Timbers and small artifacts were raised by amateur divers and treasure hunters in the 1930s and 1940s, before regulations existed.
• Re-surveyed and properly documented in the 1980s by the Lake Champlain Maritime Museum.

Current Condition & Accessibility

• Depth: Shallow water, less than 10 metres (33 feet)
• Bottom Composition: Soft mud and sediment
• Visibility: Variable, typically low
• Condition: Very fragmented — no recognizable Hull remains intact
• Accessibility: Restricted – Permit Required

Resources & Links

• Maritime History of the Great Lakes
• Lake Champlain Maritime Museum
• David Swayze Shipwreck File
• Smithsonian Institution – Royal Savage Collection

Conclusion

Though her physical remains are minimal, the Royal Savage holds tremendous historical significance as one of the first warships captured by American forces and one of the first warships lost in action by the Continental Navy. Her loss at Valcour Island was part of a deliberate strategy to delay the British advance southward — a tactical loss that contributed to strategic victory the following year at Saratoga.

For Great Lakes and inland waterway historians, the Royal Savage is a symbol of the fragile early days of the American Navy, where improvised fleets and courage under fire helped shape the course of history.

Keywords & Categories

Royal Savage, Schooner, Armed Schooner, Lake Champlain, Valcour Island, Benedict Arnold, Battle of Valcour Island, American Revolutionary War, Continental Navy, Shipwreck History, Archaeological Site, Protected Wreck