Identification & Site Information

• Name: R.L. HOWARD (also seen as R.S. HOWARD)
• Other Names: None reported
• Official Number: (Canadian Registry – Number Unknown)
• Date Built and Launched: 1856
• Builder: McSwain, Dunnville, Ontario
• Original Owner: Unknown
• Home port: Ontario, Canada (Toronto or Port Dalhousie)
• Vessel Type: Wooden propeller tugboat (steam-powered harbor and tow Tug)
• Hull Materials: Wood
• Power: Steam propulsion (screw propeller)
• Measurements: Length: 77 ft (23.5 m) Beam: 14 ft (4.3 m)
• Tonnage: 65 tons
• Primary Function: Towing barges, scows, and assisting in harbors
• Final Owner: Unknown, one of the many small towing companies in Ontario

Vessel Type

The R.L. HOWARD was a small wooden steam tug, designed for:

• Towing barges and scows carrying lumber, stone, and other cargo.
• Assisting larger vessels in harbors and canals.
• Operating on Lake Ontario and nearby waterways.

Tugs like this were essential for Great Lakes commerce, helping move heavy wooden scows and cargo barges to and from ports.

By 1867, the vessel was already aging and in poor condition, making it vulnerable to rough weather.

History

The R.L. HOWARD had a short 11-year career, sinking in 1867 after springing a leak during a routine towing operation.

Key Events in the Vessel’s History:

• 1856: Built in Dunnville, Ontario, by McSwain, intended for towing and harbor work.
• 1867, October 24: Sprang a leak and sank off Port Dalhousie, Ontario, Lake Ontario.

Final Disposition

The R.L. HOWARD was lost on October 24, 1867, after springing a leak and foundering about 15 miles from Port Dalhousie, Ontario, in Lake Ontario.

The Disaster

• The Tug was towing three wooden scows from Toronto to Port Dalhousie when it began taking on water.
• The vessel was reportedly in poor condition, which may have contributed to the rapid flooding.
• The small Tug YOUNG LION arrived in time to rescue the three scows of the tow, but the R.L. HOWARD was lost to the lake.
• No loss of life was reported.
• The wreck was not recovered.

The year of sinking has been incorrectly reported in some sources as 1868 or 1869, but 1867 appears to be the correct date.

Located By & Date Found

Nil return. There are no confirmed reports of the R.L. HOWARD‘s wreck being discovered or documented near Port Dalhousie, Ontario, in Lake Ontario.

Given that it was a small wooden vessel, it may have broken apart over time or been buried under sediment.

NOTMARs & Advisories

Nil return. No modern navigational hazards related to this wreck are reported near Port Dalhousie, Ontario, in Lake Ontario.

Resources & Links

• Historical Databases:
• Maritime History of the Great Lakes
• Great Lakes Ships Database
• David Swayze Great Lakes Shipwreck File
• Local Archives:
• Port Dalhousie Historical Society (Potential shipwreck records)
• Welland Canal Marine Museum (May have records on tugs from this period)

Conclusion

The R.L. HOWARD was a hardworking but aging wooden steam Tug, ultimately lost while towing cargo barges near Port Dalhousie in 1867.

Its poor condition and sudden Hull failure highlight the challenges of operating wooden steam tugs in the unpredictable waters of the Great Lakes.

If you’d like to learn more about Tugboat wrecks, Lake Ontario shipwrecks, or the history of towing on the Great Lakes, let me know!