Shipwreck Report: Wood Duck (1868–1880)

Identification & Site Information

• Vessel Name: Wood Duck
• Official Number: None (Canadian vessel)
• Vessel Type: Wooden 2-Masted Schooner
• Built: 1868, by Conkright, Oakville, Ontario
• Final Location: Near Oswego, New York, off the Lifesaving Station (Lake Ontario)
• Date Lost: November 7, 1880
• Cause: Driven ashore in a storm and broke up
• Final Cargo: Barley
• Loss of Life: None of the 5 crew members
• Owner at Loss: Marks & Son, Frenchman’s Bay, Ontario
• Master at Loss: Captain Marks (the elder)
• Specifications
  • Hull Material: Wood
  • Length: 70 feet (21.3 meters) Beam: 18 feet (5.5 meters) Depth: 8 feet (2.4 meters)
• Tonnage: 77 tons

Operational History

The Wood Duck was built in 1868 in Oakville, Ontario, by Conkright Shipbuilders as a small, two-masted wooden Schooner. Primarily operated on Lake Ontario, carrying grain, barley, and general cargo between Ontario and New York ports. Owned by Marks & Son of Frenchman’s Bay, Ontario, she was a typical Great Lakes Schooner, designed for short-haul freight transport.

Like many schooners of the era, she was subject to the harsh and unpredictable weather of the Great Lakes, which ultimately led to her demise.

Final Voyage & Loss (November 7, 1880)

The Wood Duck was en route from Frenchman’s Bay, Ontario, to Oswego, New York, carrying a cargo of barley. As she neared Oswego, a powerful storm swept across Lake Ontario, bringing high winds and massive waves. The Schooner was unable to navigate safely and was driven ashore near the Oswego Lifesaving Station.

The crew attempted to save the vessel, and the Tug Wheeler tried to assist, but the storm proved too strong. The Oswego Lifesaving Service had already spotted the vessel in distress and was prepared with their beach apparatus and mortar. As the ship broke apart in the surf, the lifesaving crew rescued all five crew members using a breeches buoy (a rope-based rescue system). The Wood Duck broke up completely, becoming a Total Loss.

Previous Incident (November 1879) 

In November 1879, just a year before its final loss, the Wood Duck was driven ashore on False Ducks Islands (Lake Ontario) during another storm. It was reported as a Total Loss at the time, but she was later recovered and put back into service. This incident weakened the vessel, making it more vulnerable when it encountered the 1880 storm near Oswego.

Wreck Site and Potential Remains

• Location: Near Oswego, New York, off the Lifesaving Station (Lake Ontario)
• Depth: Likely in shallow waters near the shoreline
• Current Condition:
  • Since the Wood Duck broke apart in the surf, it is unlikely that significant remains exist today.
  • Any fragments may be buried under sand or dispersed along the Oswego shoreline.
• No known modern surveys or diver reports have documented remains of the vessel.
• Exploration & Archaeological Interest: Given its location near Oswego, any wreckage may be of interest to local historians and maritime archaeologists.
• Side-scan sonar or shoreline surveys could potentially reveal small remains of the vessel buried near the old lifesaving station.

Legacy and Significance

Example of a Typical Great Lakes Schooner  The Wood Duck was one of many small Canadian schooners that operated between Ontario and New York, carrying grain, lumber, and other cargoes. Her loss is representative of the dangers these vessels faced, especially in late-season storms.

Connection to the Oswego Lifesaving Service The vessel’s loss highlights the role of the U.S. Lifesaving Service (the predecessor to the U.S. Coast Guard). The crew survived thanks to the lifesaving station’s quick action and use of the breeches buoy system.

Part of a Series of Near-Losses Before its Final Wreck The Wood Duck had already been declared a Total Loss in 1879 but was somehow refloated and put back into service. This suggests that many schooners that “sank” were often salvaged and repaired, only to be lost again later.

Further Research and Resources

• Maritime History of the Great Lakes http://www.maritimehistoryofthegreatlakes.ca Contains historical records of shipwrecks in the Great Lakes.
• David Swayze Shipwreck File
• Oswego Maritime Foundation Might have historical information about shipwrecks near Oswego, NY.
• New York State Underwater History Research https://parks.ny.gov/historic-preservation/ Includes documentation of shipwrecks in New York waters.
• Great Lakes Shipwreck Research Database  Provides records of lost vessels, including those in Lake Ontario.

Conclusion

The Wood Duck was a typical 19th-century Great Lakes Schooner, carrying grain between Ontario and New York. It ran into trouble twice in its final two years, first stranding on False Ducks Islands in 1879, and then being driven ashore at Oswego, NY, on November 7, 1880.

Despite efforts by the Tug Wheeler to save her, she broke apart in a storm, and her crew was rescued by the Oswego Lifesaving Service using a breeches buoy. Though no known remains exist, the Wood Duck is an example of the perilous conditions faced by schooners on the Great Lakes and the heroic efforts of the lifesaving crews that protected sailors in distress.