Other Names
- BW ALDERICH U2701
- WB ALDRICH
History
The tug B.W. Aldrich, with an official number of 2701, was originally built in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, in 1868 by Allen McClelland and Co. It had a length of 65.16 feet, a width of 15.08 feet, and a depth of 6.58 feet. The vessel had a gross tonnage of 49.24 and a net tonnage of 24.62. Constructed using wood as the hull material, it was initially registered in the United States.
In 1903, the B.W. Aldrich was sold by Fowler & Smart of Port Huron, Michigan, to the Reid Wrecking Co. for use in their wrecking business. The U.S. registry for the vessel was surrendered on July 1, 1903, at Port Huron, with an endorsement indicating that it was sold to Canada. Its ultimate disposition is unknown.
The tug underwent renaming and rebuilding after its transfer to Canada. It was renamed W.B. Aldrich in 1903 and subsequently listed as the J.M. Diver in 1904 with the Canadian registration number C116394. The rebuilding of the vessel took place in Sarnia, Ontario, in 1904 and Chatham, Ontario, in 1905.
By 1905, the J.M. DIVER had a gross tonnage of 48 tons and a registered tonnage of 33 tons. It measured 67.6 feet in length, 16.4 feet in width, and 9.0 feet in depth. The vessel had a propulsion power of 40 horsepower and was owned by the Reid Wrecking Co., Ltd., based in Sarnia, Ontario.
The information provided is based on historical records, including newspaper articles from the Port Huron Daily Times, as well as listings in the Historical Collections of the Great Lakes, the Merchant Vessel List, and the List of Vessels on the Registry Books of the Dominion of Canada.
External Links
- David Swayze Shipwreck File
- Bowling Green State University
- Great Lakes Ships
- Mills Listing – Maritime History of the Great Lakes
- Maritime History of the Great Lakes
- The Salvager: The Life of Captain Tom Reid on the Great Lakes
- Sessional Papers of the Dominion of Canada, Volume 11; Volume 42, Issue 11
