A.E. Vickery US13330 (J.B. Penfield)

Shotline Diving Wreck Profile

• Name: A.E. Vickery
• Type: Three-masted wooden schooner
• Year Built: 1861
• Builder: Asa Wilcox, Three Mile Bay, New York
• Dimensions: Length ~136 ft (41.5 m); Beam ~26 ft (7.9 m); Depth of hold approx 10-11 ft (~3.0-3.4 m)
• Registered Tonnage: ~291 tons
• Depth at Wreck Site: 33.5 m / 110 ft
• Location: Off Rock Island Lighthouse, American Channel, St. Lawrence River
• Coordinates: N 44° 16.8210′, W 76° 01.1830′
• Official Number: US 13303
• Original Owners: Duncan M. Callum & Asa Wilcox (as J.B. Penfield); later J. T. Vickery of Vickery & Co., Chicago (renamed A.E. Vickery)
• Number of Masts: Three

Wreck Location Map

Vessel Type

The A.E. Vickery was a three-masted wooden schooner, typical of the mid-19th century design used for bulk cargo transport in the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence River.

Description

The A.E. Vickery was a wooden-hulled, three-masted schooner built in 1861 by Asa Wilcox at Three Mile Bay, New York. Its rig consisted of three masts carrying fore-and-aft sails typical of Great Lakes river/sea trade of the era. The vessel measured approximately 136 ft in length, with a beam of about 26 ft, and a hold depth near 10-11 ft. It was built for bulk cargo trade, particularly grain and other bulk commodities. The hull form and rigging reflect mid-19th century schooner architecture in the Great Lakes/Thousand Islands region.

History

Under its original name J.B. Penfield, the schooner was enrolled at Oswego, New York, and owned by Duncan M. Callum & Asa Wilcox. In February 1884, the vessel was sold to J. T. Vickery of Chicago and renamed A.E. Vickery on 25 February 1884. The schooner then operated in the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence River corridor, carrying bulk goods such as corn and coal between U.S. and Canadian ports.

On its final voyage in August 1889, the A.E. Vickery departed Chicago with a cargo of approximately 21,000 bushels of corn destined for the J. B. Wiser’s Distillery in Prescott, Ontario. While navigating the American Channel near the Rock Island Lighthouse in the Thousand Islands, the schooner struck a shoal shortly after the river pilot boarded at Fishers Landing. The collision caused rapid flooding; the crew abandoned the vessel in a yawl and reached shore safely. The A.E. Vickery sank in the channel soon afterwards.

Significant Incidents

• The A.E. Vickery grounded on a shoal in the American Narrows while under pilotage, aggravated by a stiff wind that drove the vessel further onto the shoal.
• After drifting off the shoal into deeper water, only spars remained above the surface; the vessel was later declared a total loss and was abandoned by its owners to underwriters.

Final Disposition

The cause of loss was grounding on a shoal in the American Narrows while under pilotage, aggravated by a stiff wind that drove the vessel further onto the shoal. After drifting off the shoal into deeper water, only spars remained above the surface; the vessel was later declared a total loss and was abandoned by its owners to underwriters. Navigation hazards were addressed by removal of masts and some wreckage over time.

Current Condition & Accessibility

The wreck has been known to divers for decades, located widely as a dive site in the St. Lawrence River. A modern 3D imaging survey is noted in 2024 by the St. Lawrence River Historical Foundation. Precise discovery date and the original locating expedition are not documented in publicly accessible records; announcement of diving access dates back to the 1950s.

Current hazards include strong surface and channel currents in the American Channel; the wreck lies within an active shipping channel, and ascent to the surface must use caution with a surface-support boat recommended.

Resources & Links

[shotline_reference_links slug=”a-e-vickery-us13330-j-b-penfield” title=”References & Links”]

Captain John Massey (aged ~34 at time of wreck) survived and continued maritime service after the loss. Four crewmen abandoned aboard yawl with the captain, all survived. No fatalities reported. Further individual crew data not located in accessible archival records; researchers may consult enrollment and shipping logs at Port of Oswego and local newspaper archives for full personnel lists.