Identification & Site Information

•Name: RICKARTON (formerly CHIPPEWA)

•Type: Wooden Schooner

•Dimensions:

•Length: 222.0 feet (67.67 meters)

•Width: 30.0 feet (9.14 meters)

•Depth: 22.0 feet (6.71 meters)

•Registered Tonnage: 1,114 tons

•Depth at Wreck Site: Unknown (within Amherst Island Graveyard)

•Location: Amherst Island Graveyard, Lake Ontario

•Coordinates: N 44° 08.648’, W 76° 37.476’

Vessel Type Description

The RICKARTON, originally built as the CHIPPEWA, was a large wooden Schooner constructed in 1890 at Marine City, Michigan. With a sturdy Hull and robust design, it served the Great Lakes as a cargo vessel, transporting bulk goods such as coal, lumber, and grain. Its size and tonnage made it one of the larger schooners of its time, often towed by steamers to navigate the expansive lakes.

History

Construction and Early Years

The CHIPPEWA was launched in 1890 and registered in Port Huron, Michigan. Its early ownership was with M.P. Lester, and the Schooner was Rebuilt in 1891 at Marine City to maintain its competitive edge in the bustling Great Lakes trade.

Operational Challenges

The Schooner faced several incidents during its career:

•August 1906: Ran aground in the St. Clair River, requiring repairs in Detroit.

•1906: Collided with its tow Steamer, CHEROKEE, causing cabin damage.

Such events were common for vessels navigating the crowded and often unpredictable Great Lakes shipping routes.

Transition to Canadian Ownership

In 1912, the CHIPPEWA was sold to the Lake Ontario & Quebec Navigation Co. Ltd. and renamed RICKARTON. It was re-registered in Picton, Ontario, under Canadian Registry Number C111967. By 1916, it became part of the fleet operated by Canada Steamship Lines, a major player in the region’s maritime industry.

Final Years

The RICKARTON was laid up in Kingston’s Inner Harbor between 1921 and 1925, reflecting the declining demand for wooden schooners in the face of steel-hulled steamships. In 1928, the vessel was scuttled near Amherst Island as part of efforts to clear Kingston Harbor of obsolete vessels. Its registry was officially closed on February 11, 1930.

Final Disposition

The RICKARTON was deliberately scuttled in November 1928 in the Amherst Island Graveyard, alongside many other vessels that had reached the end of their service life. The graveyard, a dumping ground for outdated ships, provides an underwater chronicle of maritime history from the early 20th century.

Current Condition & Accessibility

The wreck lies in the Amherst Island Graveyard, a site known for its collection of scuttled ships. While specific details about the RICKARTON’s condition are unavailable, it is part of a debris field accessible to divers. The site presents challenges typical of underwater graveyards, such as limited Visibility and scattered wreckage.

Resources & Links

•Divehub.ca: Dive site details and logistics for Amherst Island Graveyard.

•Historical Collections of the Great Lakes (HCGL): Repository of ship records and histories.

•Queens University POW Photo Project: Visual documentation of wrecks in the Amherst Island Graveyard.

•Vlada Dekina Photogallery: Images of Lake Ontario shipwrecks, potentially including the RICKARTON.

Analysis

The RICKARTON’s journey from its construction as the CHIPPEWA in 1890 to its scuttling in 1928 tells a story of adaptation and eventual obsolescence in the face of technological and economic changes in Great Lakes shipping. Its operational history, marked by collisions and groundings, reflects the challenges of maritime navigation in a booming industrial era.

The deliberate scuttling of the vessel highlights the systematic clearing of harbors to make way for modern vessels, a practice that turned Amherst Island into an underwater repository of maritime history. The RICKARTON, along with its companions in the graveyard, provides a glimpse into the evolution of shipping on the Great Lakes.

Tags

#Rickarton #Chippewa #GreatLakesShipping #AmherstIslandGraveyard #LakeOntario #Schooner #ScuttledVessels #CanadaSteamshipLines #WoodenShipwrecks #GreatLakesHistory