History
The Albatross was a schooner-barge that was built in 1871 by A. Muir in Port Dalhousie, Ontario. It had an official number of C75633 and was owned by The Midland Towing & Wrecking Co. of Midland, Ontario. The vessel had a length of 137 feet, a width of 26 feet, and a depth of 12 feet. It weighed approximately 317 tons.
On August 21, 1911, the Albatross sank in a storm in Georgian Bay, Lake Huron. It was being towed by the tug C.C. Martin when it took on water and went down. There were no fatalities among the crew of the Albatross, but two men, three women, and two children survived in an open yawl for 36 hours before reaching shore near Byng Inlet. The fate of the tug C.C. Martin and its crew, including Captain George Vent and his wife, is uncertain, but it is believed that the tug was dragged down when the schooner sank.
Prior to the sinking, the Albatross had undergone major repairs in 1878 after running aground on Middle Island in Lake Huron. It may have also been enlarged at some point.
The sinking of the Albatross and the possible loss of the tug C.C. Martin were considered one of the worst disasters on Georgian Bay at that time. The exact cause of the sinking and the subsequent fate of the tug and its crew remain unclear.
