Identification & Site Information

• Name: Una
• Former Names: None
• Official Number: 25228
• Date Built & Launched: 1877
• Builder: J. McCarthy, Grand Haven, Michigan
• • Specifications: 63 ft x 17 ft x 8 ft (19.2 m x 5.2 m x 2.4 m), 44 gross tons
• • Vessel Type: Wooden two-masted Schooner
• • Date Lost: October 15, 1909
• • Place of Loss: Algoma, Wisconsin, Lake Michigan
• • Cause of Loss: Stranded in harbor, possibly blew away from moorings during a storm
• • Loss of Life: None
• • Cargo: Unknown
• • Port of Registry: Marquette, Michigan

Vessel Type

The Una was a small two-masted wooden Schooner, likely engaged in short-haul trade, transporting lumber, coal, or general freight along the shores of Lake Michigan and Lake Superior.

Description & History

Built in 1877 by J. McCarthy in Grand Haven, Michigan, the Una operated for over three decades, despite multiple accidents and near losses.

Throughout its career, the Una endured several notable incidents:

• 1890 – Aground near Grand Haven, Michigan; crew rescued by the U.S. Life-Saving Service.
• 1897 – Struck a dock in St. Joseph, Michigan harbor and sank. The Life-Saving Service rescued the crew with difficulty.
• 1909 (Final Loss) – During a storm on October 15, 1909, the Schooner stranded in the harbor at Algoma, Wisconsin. Reports suggest that it may have blown away from its moorings, as no crew was aboard at the time. The vessel became a Total Loss.

Given its repeated accidents, the Una was likely an aging vessel by the time of its loss, and its small size made it vulnerable to rough weather and harbor conditions.

Final Disposition

The Una was declared a Total Loss after stranding in Algoma, Wisconsin. No significant salvage efforts were recorded.

Located By & Date Found

No confirmed wreckage has been found.

NOTMARs & Advisories

Algoma, Wisconsin, has been the site of several shipwrecks, as its harbor was once a busy timber shipping point with limited protection from Lake Michigan storms.

No known modern navigational hazards linked to this wreck exist.

Resources & Links

• Maritime History of the Great Lakes
• Great Lakes Ships Database
• David Swayze Shipwreck File
• NOAA Great Lakes Shipwrecks

Conclusion

The Una had a long but accident-prone career, surviving multiple groundings and a sinking before finally being lost in a storm at Algoma in 1909. Its repeated incidents highlight the risks faced by small schooners operating on Lake Michigan, particularly as they aged and became less seaworthy.

Keywords & Categories

Keywords: Great Lakes schooners, Lake Michigan shipwrecks, Algoma maritime history, wooden shipwrecks, storm-related losses

Categories: Shipwrecks of Lake Michigan, 19th-century shipwrecks, wooden schooners, harbor stranding incidents

Glossary Terms: Schooner, Stranding, Lake Michigan Navigation, Great Lakes Lumber Trade