IDENTIFICATION & SITE INFORMATION: #
- Original Name: WAHNAPITAE
- Later Name: DICK T.
- Type: Lumber Tug
- Built: Winter of 1904-05, Penetang, Ontario by C. Beck Co., Limited
- Dimensions: Not specified
- Propulsion: Triple expansion engine, steam steering gear, wireless communication
- Ownership History:
- Keenan Towing Co., Owen Sound (1929)
- J.J. McFadden Lumber Co., Blind River
- Sorel Harbour Tugs, Limited, Sorel, Quebec
- Final Location: Windsor Cove, above Levis, Quebec (final abandonment site)
VESSEL TYPE DESCRIPTION: #
The WAHNAPITAE was a robust lumber tug designed for towing large log-rafts across Georgian Bay. It was well-equipped with a triple expansion engine, steam steering gear, and wireless communication, making it a powerful and technologically advanced vessel for its time. Its primary function was to assist in the lumber industry by towing barges loaded with logs from various locations.
HISTORY: #
The WAHNAPITAE had a long and eventful history in the Canadian lumber industry. Originally built in Penetang during the winter of 1904-05 by the C. Beck Co., Limited, the tug was first used to tow log-rafts across Georgian Bay from Little Current. Over the years, the WAHNAPITAE changed hands multiple times, each time serving different lumber companies.
In 1929, the tug was sold to the Keenan Towing Co., a subsidiary of the Keenan Wood Products Co., based in Owen Sound. It continued to serve the lumber industry by towing barges loaded with logs. The tug was later sold to the J.J. McFadden Lumber Co. of Blind River, where it was used to tow rafts of white and red pine logs.
Eventually, the WAHNAPITAE was sold to Sorel Harbour Tugs, Limited, based in Sorel, Quebec. Under this new ownership, the tug was renamed DICK T. The vessel’s fate took a turn for the worse on or around September 1, 1945, when it grounded at the northeast point of the entrance to Chaudiere Basin in Quebec during thick and stormy weather. Although the tug was refloated, it was deemed beyond repair.
FINAL DISPOSITION: #
Following the grounding incident, the DICK T. was towed to Windsor Cove, above Levis, on the south shore of the St. Lawrence River, where it was abandoned. The wreck remained a dangerous obstruction to navigation for years, lying close to the west breakwater in Cleveland. Despite various efforts to manage the wreck, it was eventually left to deteriorate in Windsor Cove.
NOTMARs & ADVISORIES: #
The wreck of the WAHNAPITAE/DICK T. was noted as a significant hazard to navigation due to its location near the west breakwater in Cleveland. The wreck was insured for $20,000, with the freight list insured for an additional $4,000 in case of loss, highlighting its economic significance even in its final days.
LOCATED BY & DATE: #
The wreck’s final resting place was recorded at Windsor Cove, above Levis, Quebec, after it was towed there post-grounding in September 1945.
CURRENT CONDITION & ACCESSIBILITY: #
The current condition of the wreck is likely to be deteriorated, given the passage of time since its abandonment in 1945. The site at Windsor Cove is not actively monitored, and the wreck may pose a minimal threat today due to natural degradation.
