Identification & Site Information

• Official Number: 126609
• Vessel Type: Wooden Schooner-Barge
• Builder: F.W. Wheeler, West Bay City, Michigan
• Year Built: 1890
• Specifications:
• Length: 181 ft (55.2 m)
• Beam: 34 ft (10.4 m)
• Depth: 14.2 ft (4.3 m)
• Gross Tonnage: 680 tons
• Net Tonnage: 639 tons
• Number of Masts: 2 (originally Schooner-rigged)
• Hull Material: Wood
• Number of Decks: 1
• Original Owner: W.H. Sawyer, Tonawanda, New York

Service History

The C.E. Redfern was launched on March 29, 1890, from West Bay City, Michigan. Designed as a Schooner-Barge, she was built to be towed by a Steamship while carrying bulk cargoes such as lumber, coal, and pulpwood.

• 1890–1913: She was regularly towed by the steambarge W.H. Sawyer, often alongside her sister ship, the A.C. Tuxbury, in the Great Lakes lumber trade.
• 1904: Owned by John Jenkins, Marine City, Michigan.
• 1906: Acquired by E.N. Hines Lumber Co., Chicago, Illinois.
• 1917: Purchased by Hamilton Transportation Co., Chicago.
• 1926: Underwent a major Conversion, becoming a crane-equipped motor vessel with:
• Two 4-cylinder diesel engines (220 HP @ 360 RPM), built by Fairbanks-Morse Co., Beloit, Wisconsin.
• A steam donkey boiler (11’6″ x 13′ @ 165# pressure), supplied by Johnston Brothers, Ferrysburg, Michigan.
• 1928: Owned by J.L. Larson, Bay City, Michigan.
• 1935: Final owner was Norris R. Wentworth, Bay City, Michigan.

Final Voyage – September 19, 1937

The C.E. Redfern was carrying a load of pulpwood when she encountered a severe storm near Point Betsie, Lake Michigan.

• The vessel Foundered in the heavy gale, but all crew members were rescued by the car Ferry Ann Arbor #4 and the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Escanaba.
• The Redfern was lost to the depths of Lake Michigan, marking the end of nearly five decades of service.

Final Disposition & Wreck Site

• Location: Off Point Betsie, Lake Michigan
• Depth: Unknown
• Condition: Presumed broken apart or buried in the lakebed

Located By & Date Found

Nil return

NOTMARs & Advisories

Nil return

Resources & Links

📖 More on Great Lakes Shipwrecks:
🔗 Maritime History of the Great Lakes
🔗 Great Lakes Shipwreck Research
🔗 David Swayze Shipwreck File
🔗 Save Ontario Shipwrecks

Conclusion

The C.E. Redfern was a sturdy workhorse of the Great Lakes bulk cargo trade, serving for over 47 years before meeting her end in a Lake Michigan storm. As one of the longest-serving Schooner-barges of her era, she represents the transition from sail-powered freight to mechanized cargo transport on the Great Lakes.

• #CERedfern #GreatLakesShipwrecks #LakeMichigan #MaritimeHistory #ShipwreckDiving #ShotlineDiving #PointBetsie