Shipwreck Report: Tugboat WINSLOW (U26243)

IDENTIFICATION & SITE INFORMATION

•Vessel Name: WINSLOW

•Type: Tugboat (Towboat), later converted to a wrecker

•Year Built: 1865

•Builder: Quayle & Martin, Cleveland, Ohio

•Master Carpenter: John Drackett

•Final Location: Meldrum Bay, Lake Huron (near Manitou Island, Ontario, Canada)

•Depth of Wreck: Approximately 20 feet (6 meters)

•Final Dimensions (Post-Rebuild):

•Length: 129 feet (39.3 meters)

•Beam: 22 feet (6.7 meters)

•Depth: 17.4 feet (5.3 meters)

•Gross Tonnage: 290.54 tons

•Net Tonnage: 186.41 tons

VESSEL TYPE DESCRIPTION

The WINSLOW was a wooden Tugboat with two decks, built in Cleveland, Ohio, in 1865. Originally powered by a single-cylinder, low-pressure steam engine, the Tug featured a Screw Propulsion system, which was advanced for its time. Known for its towing and rafting capabilities, the WINSLOW was later Rebuilt into a wrecker and fitted with a more powerful steeple compound engine in 1892.

HISTORY

Early Service (1865–1892):

The WINSLOW was initially used for towing and rafting operations along the Great Lakes under various owners, including N.C. & H.J. Winslow of Cleveland, Ohio, and the Tug Association. The vessel was involved in notable incidents during its early career, including:

•1870 Collision: With the vessel WABASH.

•1871 Revenue Law Breach: The vessel faced charges related to regulatory infractions.

The Tugboat underwent several rebuilds and repairs to maintain its utility, including a major overhaul in the early 1890s.

Rebuild and Wrecker Conversion (1893):

In 1892, the WINSLOW was fitted with a new steeple compound engine (22 and 40 x 30 inches) built by the Marine Iron Works in Bay City, Michigan. This engine produced 375 horsepower at 84 revolutions per minute, increasing its towing capacity significantly. The following year, it was converted into a wrecker with updated dimensions and a new role in maritime recovery operations.

Ownership of the vessel passed through several hands, including J.S. Boutell of Bay City and the Reid Towing & Wrecking Company of Sarnia, Ontario.

Final Voyage and Loss (1911):

On August 21, 1911, the WINSLOW was anchored in Meldrum Bay, Lake Huron, when it caught fire. The blaze consumed the vessel, and despite efforts to save it, the WINSLOW was lost. The wreck remained in Meldrum Bay until 1938, when it was removed, leaving behind only historical records and artifacts.

FINAL DISPOSITION

•Cause of Wreck: Fire

•Date of Wreck: August 21, 1911

•Location: Meldrum Bay, Lake Huron (near Manitou Island, Ontario)

•Current Status: The wreck was removed in 1938, and no significant remains are reported to exist today.

NOTMARs & ADVISORIES

•No active Notices to Mariners (NOTMARs) pertain to the WINSLOW wreck site, as it was cleared in 1938. Meldrum Bay remains a notable historical location for divers and historians interested in Great Lakes maritime history.

RESOURCES & LINKS

1.Alpena Public Library Great Lakes Maritime Database

2.Marine Museum of the Great Lakes Ship Registers

3.David Swayze Shipwreck File

4.Historical Shipbuilding and Tugboat Registries of the Great Lakes

CONCLUSION

The WINSLOW represents the resilience and adaptability of Great Lakes vessels in the 19th and early 20th centuries. From its construction as a wooden Tugboat to its later Conversion into a wrecker, the vessel played a vital role in towing and recovery operations. Its fiery demise in Meldrum Bay underscores the ever-present dangers faced by vessels on the Great Lakes. Though no longer visible underwater, the WINSLOW’s legacy endures as a testament to the ingenuity and risks of maritime industries of the era.

KEYWORDS

•WINSLOW

•Lake Huron shipwreck

•Meldrum Bay

•Great Lakes tugboats

•Reid Towing & Wrecking Company

•Historical shipwrecks

•Maritime history

•19th-century towing vessels