Identification & Site Information

• Name: MAGGIE M. AVERY
• Former Names: M. M. AVERY
• Official Number: 92065
• Date Built and Launched: 1888
• Builder: Unknown, South Arm, Michigan
• Homeport: Grand Haven, Michigan
• Final Owner: Mary E. Gykes (or Dykes), Grand Haven, Michigan
• Vessel Type: Wooden Scow-Schooner (Flat-Bottomed Cargo Vessel)
• Hull Materials: Wood
• Number of Masts: Two
• Power: Sail-powered
• Measurements: Length: 49 ft (14.9 m) Beam: 12 ft (3.7 m) Depth: 4 ft (1.2 m)
• Gross Tonnage: 13 tons
• Net Tonnage: 12 tons
• Primary Cargo: Brick (on a previous voyage)
• Final Route: Unknown (transporting goods along the Lake Michigan coast)

Vessel Type

The MAGGIE M. AVERY was a wooden scow-schooner, a flat-bottomed sailing vessel commonly used on the Great Lakes in the late 19th century.

Key Features of Scow-Schooners:

• Designed for hauling bulk cargo (like brick, lumber, and general goods)
• Flat-bottomed Hull allowed operation in shallow waters
• Often used by independent traders and small shipping companies
• Typically had two or three masts, though some were smaller like the AVERY

At 49 feet in length, the MAGGIE M. AVERY was a small cargo vessel, used mainly for short-distance trade between Michigan ports.

History

The MAGGIE M. AVERY operated for six years, primarily transporting brick and other bulk cargo between Michigan ports before being lost in a storm in 1894.

Key Events in the Vessel’s History:

• 1888: Built in South Arm, Michigan, for Great Lakes trade.
• June 15, 1889: Left Traverse City for Charlevoix, a 50-mile journey.
• June 21, 1889: Declared missing, presumed sunk in a squall on June 15. Both crewmen were from Charlevoix.
• Later found and returned to service.
• 1894, September 28: Lost in South Manitou Harbor during a storm.

Final Disposition

The MAGGIE M. AVERY was lost on September 28, 1894, after dragging anchor and running aground in South Manitou Harbor during a storm.

The Disaster

• The vessel sought shelter in South Manitou Harbor.
• During the storm, it dragged its anchor and was pushed ashore.
• The vessel was declared a Total Loss.
• No lives were reported lost in the incident.

Despite having already been presumed lost in 1889, the MAGGIE M. AVERY continued to operate until its final wreck in 1894.

Located By & Date Found

Nil return. There are no confirmed reports of the MAGGIE M. AVERY‘s wreck remains being discovered or documented near South Manitou Island, Lake Michigan.

Due to its small size and wooden construction, it is likely buried beneath shifting sands or deteriorated over time.

NOTMARs & Advisories

Nil return. No modern navigational hazards related to this wreck are reported in South Manitou Harbor, Michigan, Lake Michigan.

Resources & Links

• Maritime History of the Great Lakes
• Great Lakes Ships Database
• David Swayze Great Lakes Shipwreck File
• Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore – Manitou Island Shipwrecks Exhibit
• Manitou Passage Underwater Preserve (Michigan Shipwrecks)
• Leelanau Historical Society (Records of early shipwrecks in the area)

Conclusion

The MAGGIE M. AVERY was a small, hardworking scow-schooner that operated for six years before meeting its final fate in a storm at South Manitou Harbor in 1894. Its story is one of resilience, as it was presumed lost in 1889 but later returned to service—only to finally succumb to Lake Michigan’s unpredictable storms.