Shotline Diving

Connecting You to the Depths of the Great Lakes

Anna C. Minch US 107846 C 153113

Explore the wreck of the Anna C. Minch, a steel-hulled freighter lost in the Armistice Day Blizzard of 1940, resting in 35-45 feet of water off Pentwater, MI.

Shotline Diving Wreck Profile

  • Name: SS Anna C. Minch
  • Type: Steel-hulled bulk freighter
  • Year Built: 1903
  • Builder: American Ship Building Company, Cleveland, Ohio
  • Dimensions: Length ≈ 380 ft (120 m); Beam ≈ 50 ft (15 m); Depth of hold ≈ 28 ft (8.5 m)
  • Registered Tonnage:
  • Depth at Wreck Site: 13 m / 45 ft
  • Location: ~1.5 miles south of Pentwater, MI
  • Coordinates: (Bow) N 43° 45.784′, W 086° 27.776′; (Stern) N 43° 45.705′, W 086° 27.849′
  • Official Number: US 107846; Canadian 153113
  • Original Owners: Western Navigation Co., Fort William, Ontario, Canada; previously Kinsman Transit Co., Cleveland, Ohio (1903–1926)

Wreck Location Map

Vessel Type

The Anna C. Minch was a steel-hulled bulk freighter, built for heavy cargo service on the Great Lakes. Powered by a triple-expansion steam engine, she combined robust steel construction with the common propulsion technology of early 20th-century freighters.

Description

On the lakebed, she lies in two main sections—bow and stern—resting closely enough to be visited in one dive. Depths range from 35 to 45 feet, enabling direct diver access.

History

  • Operational Profile: Built in 1903 by American Ship Building (yard no. 00415); registered U.S. #107846, later Canadian #153113 after change of ownership.
  • Ownership Chain: Operated by Kinsman Transit Co. (1903–1926); sold to Western Navigation Co., Fort William, Ontario, in 1926.
  • Notable Incidents: Over her service life, she endured numerous accidents—including collisions, groundings, and dock strikes across Great Lakes ports (e.g., Superior, Chicago River, Lorain, Toledo, Buffalo, Straits of Mackinac, Erie, Duluth).
  • Final Voyage: Laden with hardwood lumber, caught in the catastrophic Armistice Day Blizzard on November 11, 1940; broke in two and sank off Pentwater, with total loss of her 24-man crew.

Significant Incidents

  • Overwhelmed by hurricane-force winds and towering waves during the Armistice Day Storm; structure failed, leading to breaking in two and sinking.

Final Disposition

  • Wreck Condition: Sectioned wreck lies in two intact parts; accessible to divers and well-preserved in shallow water.

Current Condition & Accessibility

The wreck lies within the West Michigan Underwater Preserve, a resource for site documentation. A 3D model has been created from over 2,200 high-resolution underwater photographs.

Resources & Links

[shotline_reference_links slug=”anna-c-minch-us-107846-c-153113″ title=”References & Links”]

All 24 crew were lost; no individual names available in online archives. Recommend searches via local memorial records and historical databases.

Legacy Notes & Full Historical Record

This section preserves the original unedited Shotline content for this wreck so that no historical detail is lost as we transition to the new logbook format.

Wreck Profile: SS Anna C. Minch

Photographer unidentifed, Copy and others located at Greatlakeships.org

Identification Card

Name: SS Anna C. Minch
Type: Steel‑hulled bulk freighter
Builder: American Ship Building Company, Cleveland, Ohio
Year Built: 1903
Construction Location: Cleveland, Ohio
Dimensions: Length ≈ 380 ft (120 m); Beam ≈ 50 ft (15 m); Height ≈ 28 ft (8.5 m) :contentReference[oaicite:2]{index=2}
Cargo on Final Voyage: Hardwood lumber :contentReference[oaicite:3]{index=3}
Date of Loss: November 11, 1940 :contentReference[oaicite:4]{index=4}
Location: ~1.5 miles south of Pentwater (near Ludington), Lake Michigan :contentReference[oaicite:5]{index=5}
Coordinates: (Bow) N 43° 45.784′, W 086° 27.776′; (Stern) N 43° 45.705′, W 086° 27.849′ :contentReference[oaicite:6]{index=6}
Depth: 35–45 ft (11–14 m) :contentReference[oaicite:7]{index=7}
Owners at Loss: Western Navigation Co., Fort William, Ontario, Canada; previously Kinsman Transit Co., Cleveland, Ohio (1903–1926) :contentReference[oaicite:8]{index=8}
Home Port: Fort William, Ontario, Canada (at time of loss) :contentReference[oaicite:9]{index=9}

Description

The Anna C. Minch was a steel-hulled bulk freighter, built for heavy cargo service on the Great Lakes. Powered by a triple-expansion steam engine, she combined robust steel construction with the common propulsion technology of early 20th-century freighters (Wikipedia). On the lakebed, she lies in two main sections—bow and stern—resting closely enough to be visited in one dive. Depths range from 35 to 45 feet, enabling direct diver access (michiganshipwrecks.org).

History

  • Operational Profile: Built in 1903 by American Ship Building (yard no. 00415); registered U.S. #107846, later Canadian #153113 after change of ownership (Wikipedia).
  • Ownership Chain: Operated by Kinsman Transit Co. (1903–1926); sold to Western Navigation Co., Fort William, Ontario, in 1926 (Wikipedia).
  • Notable Incidents: Over her service life, she endured numerous accidents—including collisions, groundings, and dock strikes across Great Lakes ports (e.g., Superior, Chicago River, Lorain, Toledo, Buffalo, Straits of Mackinac, Erie, Duluth) (Wikipedia).
  • Final Voyage: Laden with hardwood lumber, caught in the catastrophic Armistice Day Blizzard on November 11, 1940; broke in two and sank off Pentwater, with total loss of her 24‑man crew (Wikipedia).

Final Dispositions

  • Cause of Loss: Overwhelmed by hurricane-force winds and towering waves during the Armistice Day Storm; structure failed, leading to breaking in two and sinking (Wikipedia, National Weather Service).
  • Wreck Condition: Sectioned wreck lies in two intact parts; accessible to divers and well-preserved in shallow water (michiganshipwrecks.org).

Located By & Date Found

Discovery attribution and method: Precise discoverer and date unknown in available public sources; likely known to local diving community and underwater preserve groups, such as the West Michigan Underwater Preserve (Facebook).

Notmars & Advisories

None noted in accessible sources; divers should consult West Michigan Underwater Preserve and local dive authorities for navigational or hazard notices.

Dive Information

  • Access Type: Boat dive—site lies offshore, approximately 1.5 miles south of Pentwater, MI.
  • Entry Point: Likely Pentwater harbor or designated diving launch sites.
  • Conditions: Shallow depths (11–14 m) generally offer good visibility, though Lake Michigan autumn storms can bring variable currents and thermoclines; local dive briefings advised.
  • Depth Range: 35–45 ft (11–14 m) (michiganshipwrecks.org).
  • Emergency Contacts: Local U.S. Coast Guard station (e.g., Station Muskegon or Station Ludington), Michigan local dive emergency numbers.
  • Permits & Rules: West Michigan Underwater Preserve protocols; check Michigan DNR for any permits—often recreational diving permitted with standard safety guidelines.
  • Local Dive Support: Dive shops in Pentwater and Ludington (e.g., West Michigan Underwater Preserve outreach, local charter or shore‑entry guidance).

Crew & Casualty Memorials

All 24 crew were lost; no individual names available in online archives. Recommend searches via:

  • Find A Grave, BillionGraves
  • Michigan newspapers (Newspapers.com, Chronicling America)
  • Great Lakes Vessels (HCGL)
  • Local Ludington/Pentwater memorial records

Documented Statements & Extracts

No direct period inquiry findings surfaced. Recommendation: consult maritime board of inquiry records or local newspapers discussing the loss for period quotations.

Registry, Enrollment & Insurance Trails

  • U.S. registry number: 107846; Canadian registry number: 153113 (Facebook, Wikipedia, Wikipedia).
  • Lloyd’s and insurance documentation may exist in maritime archives—e.g., Great Lakes shipping insurance ledgers, Lloyd’s casualty records.

Site Documentation & Imaging

  • The wreck lies within the West Michigan Underwater Preserve—a resource for site documentation (Facebook).
  • A 3D model has been created (in 2025) from over 2,200 high-resolution underwater photographs by Andrew Goodman, available via 3DShipwrecks platform (Facebook).

Image Gallery

Resources & Links

References

NOAA/WHS Shipwreck Record Card

Wreck Name: SS Anna C. Minch
Other Names: None noted
Coordinates: (Bow) N 43° 45.784′, W 086° 27.776′; (Stern) N 43° 45.705′, W 086° 27.849′ :contentReference[oaicite:71]{index=71}
Depth: 35–45 ft (11–14 m) :contentReference[oaicite:72]{index=72}
Location Description: ~1.5 miles south of Pentwater, MI, Lake Michigan :contentReference[oaicite:73]{index=73}
Vessel Type: Bulk freighter
Material: Steel
Dimensions: Length 380 ft (120 m); Beam 50 ft (15 m); Height 28 ft (8.5 m) :contentReference[oaicite:74]{index=74}
Condition: Broken in two; intact bow and stern sections close together
Cause of Loss: Overwhelmed and structurally broken by Armistice Day Storm
Discovery Date: Not documented publicly
Discovered By: Likely local divers/Underwater Preserve (unknown)
Method: Diving and documentation within West Michigan Underwater Preserve
Legal Notes: Subject to Michigan underwater preserve regulations
Hazards: None officially noted; standard diving risk precautions apply
Permits Required: Follow West Michigan Underwater Preserve and Michigan DNR policies
anna-c-minch-us-107846-c-153113 1940-11-11 10:46:00