SANOR C3400

Propeller
98ffw
227f Length
Wolfe Island Graveyard, Lake Ontario
N44 06 966 W76 33 652

Britannic, also known as SARNOR, was a bulk freighter built in 1888 in W. Bay City, MI. Constructed with wood, the vessel had two decks and a hull number of 20. James Davidson, the builder, was also the original owner located in Buffalo, NY. The Britannic was powered by a screw propulsion system with a for-and-aft compound engine, featuring two cylinders and one propeller. It had a horsepower of 495 and operated with a 115-pound steam firebox boiler.

The Britannic had dimensions of 219.2 feet in length, 36.2 feet in beam, and 17 feet in depth. With a gross tonnage of 1121 and a net tonnage of 904, it served as a bulk freighter throughout its operational years. In 1937, the Britannic met its final disposition at the Nine Mile Point “Graveyard” in Lake Ontario when it was scuttled. Before that, the vessel experienced significant events and changes.

In 1888, the Britannic was temporarily enrolled in Port Huron and later towed the barge MARY WOOLSON in the Ashland ore trade. On March 21, 1889, it obtained permanent enrollment in Cleveland and began towing barges GALATEA, HATTIE WELLS, and H.P. BALDWIN. However, on August 9, 1895, a collision with the steamer RUSSIA in the Detroit River caused the Britannic to sink, resulting in the loss of one life.

The Britannic underwent a rebuild in Marine City in 1896, where its dimensions were increased to 227 x 36 x 21 feet. The vessel was then owned by Alvin Neal and others in Port Huron and towed the barge ALEX ANDERSON. In 1899, the ownership changed again, and the Britannic was owned by the Lake Erie & Quebec Transportation Co., based in Montreal. It was renamed SARNOR with the official number C133824.

In 1916, the Britannic was sold at auction to A.P. McKay, and on October 23, 1917, it came under the ownership of Canada Steamship Lines. The ship suffered a sinking incident in Sorel, Quebec, in April 1919 but was later raised. By 1924, the Britannic was abandoned in Kingston Harbor, and on March 15, 1926, it burned.

One notable event in the Britannic’s history involved a legal dispute over ownership. In 1916, A.B. MacKay purchased the vessel and registered it under the name of Captain F.R. Johnson, who operated it. However, Captain J.W. Norcross, the Vice-President and Managing Director of Canada Steamship Lines, managed to take possession of the ship in 1917. This led to a prolonged legal battle between MacKay, Johnson, and Percy Bonham, a representative of Canada Steamship Lines. Eventually, MacKay was declared the rightful owner in 1926, but by then, the Britannic was already in poor condition.

After being raised from the boneyard in 1936, the worn-out hull of the Britannic was scuttled in deep water in Lake Ontario, marking the end of its journey.