Schooner Young Phoenix

Identification & Site Information

• Name: Young Phoenix
• Official Number: None (Possibly British registry)
• Vessel Type at Loss: Wooden Schooner
• Builder: Unknown
• Year Built & Launched: Unknown
• Specifications: Unknown
• Date Lost: September 14, 1818
• Location of Loss: Off Long Point, Lake Erie
• Cause of Loss: Storm, Foundered quickly
• Loss of Life: None reported
• Cargo at Time of Loss: Unknown

Vessel Description & History

The Young Phoenix was an early 19th-century wooden Schooner that operated on Lake Erie. As a Schooner, she was likely used for cargo transport or general trade, carrying materials such as lumber, furs, grain, or manufactured goods.

At the time of her loss, maritime navigation on Lake Erie was still developing, and storms posed a significant risk to the early schooners that sailed the lake. The lack of lighthouses, charts, and accurate weather forecasting made shipwrecks like this common in the early 1800s.

Final Voyage & Loss

On September 14, 1818, the Young Phoenix Foundered quickly off Long Point, a notorious area for shipwrecks on Lake Erie. Though the cause of the sinking is unclear, it was likely due to a storm, as this was a common hazard on the lake. Despite the wreck, no loss of life was reported, meaning her crew likely escaped. No details exist regarding survivors or their rescue.

Final Disposition

Declared a Total Loss after sinking rapidly.  No salvage efforts were recorded.  Given the time period and wooden construction, any remains are likely fully deteriorated or buried in the lakebed near Long Point.

Located By & Date Found

No confirmed discovery of wreckage.

NOTMARs & Advisories

Long Point, Lake Erie, remains a high-risk area for shipwrecks, with many vessels lost due to storms, shifting sandbars, and treacherous currents.

Resources & Links

• Maritime History of the Great Lakes: http://www.maritimehistoryofthegreatlakes.ca
• Great Lakes Maritime Database (GLMD): https://greatlakeships.org
• David Swayze Shipwreck File: https://usace.contentdm.oclc.org
• Great Lakes Vessel Database (BGSU): https://greatlakes.bgsu.edu/vessels

Conclusion

The Young Phoenix was one of the earliest recorded shipwrecks on Lake Erie, lost in 1818 near Long Point, an area infamous for Great Lakes disasters. With limited records on her construction or cargo, her exact fate remains a mystery, and her wreck has never been located. However, her loss is a reminder of the dangers faced by early mariners on the Great Lakes.