Identification & Site Information

• Vessel Name: Captain Morris’ Sloop (Actual vessel name undocumented)
• Other Names: None recorded
• Vessel Type: Sloop
• Date Built: Estimated early 1800s
• Builder: Unknown, likely built either at Kingston, Upper Canada or Sackets Harbour, New York
• Dimensions: Estimated based on typical sloops of the era:
• Length: 40-50 feet (12-15 metres)
• Beam: 12-15 feet (3.6-4.5 metres)
• Tonnage: Estimated 10-20 tons
• Registry Number: None recorded (pre-dates formal registration in Upper Canada and New York State)
• Date Lost: Exact date unclear; records suggest early 1800s, pre-War of 1812.
• Final Location: Lake Ontario, somewhere between Kingston, Ontario and Sackets Harbour, New York
• Coordinates: Exact location unknown, but likely along the traditional sailing corridor between the two ports. Estimated vicinity: 44°07’N, 76°26’W

Vessel Type

Sloop

A single-masted sloop, Captain Morris’ vessel represented the dominant small craft type used in the early years of commerce and transport on Lake Ontario. These sloops were ideally suited for the relatively short runs between key ports, capable of handling both cargo and passengers.

Sloops were small, flexible, and easy to crew, making them perfect for cross-border trade, smuggling, or courier work. At the time, the lake was essentially a highway, connecting the growing British settlement at Kingston with the rapidly expanding American outpost at Sackets Harbor.

History

Captain Morris was known in both Kingston and Sackets Harbor as an experienced Great Lakes mariner, operating his small sloop between the two ports. The vessel likely carried a combination of trade goods, passengers, and military dispatches, as tensions between Britain and the United States were already simmering in the years following the American Revolution.

At some point in the early 1800s, Captain Morris’ Sloop vanished while en route across Lake Ontario. No contemporary account confirms the exact cause, but historical tradition attributes the loss to:

• A severe storm, or
• A potential collision with uncharted hazards, or
• Possible piracy or smuggling gone wrong, given the high level of cross-border illicit trade at the time.

The vessel was never recovered, and no official inquiry or salvage effort is recorded.

Final Disposition

• Cause of Loss: Unknown; possible foundering during a storm, collision, or less likely, foul play related to illicit trade.
• Final Resting Place: Somewhere along the heavily travelled Kingston-Sackets Harbor corridor.
• Status: Presumed completely lost, with no confirmed physical discovery.

Site Description

⚠️ No confirmed archaeological discovery of Captain Morris’ Sloop exists.

If any remains survive, they would likely include:

• Scattered timbers, iron fastenings, and potentially ballast stones.
• Possible artifacts connected to her cargo — trade goods, military supplies, or personal effects.
• Likely widely dispersed by wave action, storms, and sediment movement over more than two centuries.

Experience Rating

⚠️ Not a recreational dive site — Historical Archive Listing Only

Without a positively identified site, this is preserved as historical documentation only.

NOTMARs & Advisories

• No current NOTMARs apply to this specific vessel.
• Any future discovery would fall under:
• Ontario Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Sport if found in Canadian waters
• New York State Historic Preservation Office if found in American waters
• Additionally, bi-national heritage agreements apply to culturally significant wrecks with ties to both nations.

Located By & Date Found

• Never officially located.
• Mentioned in early lake shipping records, but no formal investigation or salvage effort documented.

Current Condition & Accessibility

• Depth: Unknown; likely within 15 to 40 metres (50-130 feet) based on typical sailing routes of the time.
• Bottom Composition: Mixture of sand, mud, and glacial till, with potential rock shoals along the route.
• Visibility: Variable, typically 5-10 metres (15-30 feet) in deeper water, with better Visibility offshore.
• Condition: Presumed completely fragmented, with any structural remains heavily deteriorated and widely scattered.

Resources & Links

• Maritime History of the Great Lakes
• David Swayze Great Lakes Shipwreck File
• Library and Archives Canada
• Historical Collections of the Great Lakes – Bowling Green

Conclusion

Though small and often overlooked, vessels like Captain Morris’ Sloop were the essential arteries of commerce connecting early Upper Canada and New York. Every crate of supplies, every message between governments, every passenger crossing the lake depended on these sturdy little vessels and the skilled mariners who knew every mood of Lake Ontario.

Captain Morris’ Sloop vanished into legend, but her contribution to Great Lakes history endures, representing the critical role these early vessels played in both trade and geopolitics during the fragile years between the American Revolution and the War of 1812.

Keywords & Categories

Captain Morris’ Sloop, Kingston-Sackets Harbor Trade, Early Great Lakes Commerce, Lake Ontario, Great Lakes Maritime History, Lost Ships, Colonial Era Trade Vessels, Early Smuggling Routes, Pre-War of 1812 Maritime History