History #
The Flora L. Baines was a steam propeller tug that was built in 1874 in Penetanguishene, Ontario. It had a length of 31.3 feet, a beam of 7.5 feet, and a depth of 3.4 feet. The tug had a gross tonnage of 9 tons and a net tonnage of 6 tons.
Owned by Edward Baines of Toronto, the Flora L. Baines initially served as a ferry in Toronto. In 1876, it was transferred to Lake Simcoe but returned to Toronto in September of the same year. On September 13, 1879, the tug foundered off Oakville, Ontario, in Lake Ontario during a storm. It sank after being caught in a freshet in the Credit River and carried out into the lake. The exact date of the foundering is sometimes disputed, with some sources suggesting it may have occurred on September 13, 1878.
The Flora L. Baines had a single cylinder engine with a power of 4 horsepower. It was equipped with one boiler and a screw propulsion system. The vessel was built of wood and had a round stern with two decks.
The official Canadian number of the Flora L. Baines was 71249, and its register was closed on January 21, 1880.
External Links #
- Great Lakes Ships
- David Swayze Shipwreck File
- Maritime History of the Great Lakes
- Marine Museum of the Great Lakes – Mills Listing
