Identification & Site Information

• Name: Yantic
• • Other Names: IX-32 (1921-1926)
• • Official Number: None (U.S. Navy vessel)
• • Vessel Type at Loss: Screw Bark Warship, Nipsic-class
• Builder: Philadelphia Navy Yard, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
• Year Built & Launched: 1864
• Specifications: 180 ft (54.9 m) x 30 ft (9.1 m) x 12 ft (3.7 m)
  • Displacement: 900 tons
• Date Lost: October 22, 1929
• Location of Loss: Foot of Townsend Street, Detroit River, Detroit, Michigan
• Cause of Loss: Hull failure
• Loss of Life: None
• Cargo at Time of Loss: None

Vessel Description & History

The Yantic was a screw Bark warship built at the Philadelphia Navy Yard in 1864 during the American Civil War. Although there is an unverified claim that she was originally intended to be Abraham Lincoln’s personal yacht, she instead entered active service with the United States Navy. She was part of the Nipsic-class of naval vessels, a group of wooden-hulled gunboats designed for patrol and escort duties.

The Yantic served on both the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, seeing action in the Civil War and later participating in fleet operations throughout the late 19th century. By 1898, she was considered obsolete and was loaned to the Michigan Naval Militia, marking the beginning of her service on the Great Lakes.

Great Lakes Service & Mishaps

When the Navy decided to transfer the Yantic from the Atlantic to the Great Lakes, the journey was widely reported in newspapers due to a series of mishaps along the way. By the time she arrived in Detroit, she was described as a “shambles,” in poor condition from years of wear and exposure.

Despite her deteriorating state, she underwent a major refit in 1899 at the Detroit Shipbuilding Company, where she was re-engined for continued service as a training ship for the Michigan Naval Militia. Over the next two decades, she functioned as a stationary training vessel and a floating clubhouse for the militia, moored in Detroit for most of this period.

Final Years & Loss

By the early 1900s, the Yantic was deemed “overaged” and remained mostly inactive. In 1921, she was formally reclassified as IX-32, a designation for unclassified miscellaneous auxiliary ships. However, she saw little use and was permanently moored at the foot of Townsend Street in Detroit.

Over time, a large sandbar formed around her Hull, which became a notorious dumping ground. Locals sarcastically nicknamed it “Chickenbone Reef” due to the accumulation of garbage thrown from the ship over the years. Despite various local efforts to have her removed, she remained in place.

On October 22, 1929, the Yantic’s Hull finally failed, and she sank at her dock. The Navy, having long since Abandoned her, did not attempt to recover the vessel.

Adding to her ignominious end, in 1930, a fire broke out aboard the partially submerged wreck, further destroying her remains. She was later dismantled in place, erasing any visible trace of the once-proud warship.

Located By & Date Found

The Yantic was dismantled in place, and no significant wreckage is known to remain.

NOTMARs & Advisories

No known hazards or modern navigational warnings related to this vessel exist.

Resources & Links

• Official U.S. Navy History
• Great Lakes Maritime Database (GLMD): https://greatlakeships.org
• Maritime History of the Great Lakes: http://www.maritimehistoryofthegreatlakes.ca
• David Swayze Shipwreck File: https://usace.contentdm.oclc.org
• Great Lakes Vessel Database (BGSU): https://greatlakes.bgsu.edu/vessels
• Wikipedia – Philadelphia Naval Yard

Conclusion

The Yantic had a long and fascinating career, from Civil War naval operations to Great Lakes militia service. However, her final decades were marked by neglect, structural failures, and eventual abandonment. Her sinking in 1929and destruction by fire in 1930 sealed her fate, leaving only historical records to remember one of the last wooden-hulled naval vessels to serve on the Great Lakes.