Shotline Diving

Connecting You to the Depths of the Great Lakes

Active (Charlie Gale) US 107076

Explore the remains of the Active, a wooden tugboat that met its end in a fire at Pelee Island in 1913.

Shotline Diving Wreck Profile

  • Name: Active (renamed Charlie Gale in 1912, registry C130382)
  • Type: Wood-hulled screw tugboat, single deck
  • Year Built: 1894
  • Builder: Port Clinton, Ohio
  • Dimensions: Length 53.3 ft (16.24 m); Beam 12 ft (3.66 m); Depth of hold 4 ft (1.22 m)
  • Registered Tonnage: 13 GT / 6 NT
  • Location: Pelee Island, Ontario
  • Official Number: 107076
  • Original Owners: Joseph M. Bell; John Fraser & Ida M. Hackett

Wreck Location Map

Vessel Type

A coastal harbour tug suited for light towing and harbour assistance, typical of late-19th-century wooden vessels employed around Lake Erie.

Description

Compact wooden tug with a single propeller powered by a small steam engine. After her 1904 rebuild, she housed Bay State Engineering Works’ 10″ × 10″ engine—suitable for harbour operations and tow duties in calm waters.

History

  • 1899: Owned by Joseph M. Bell
  • 1904: Rebuilt by R. Bell & Co, Port Clinton; slightly enlarged to ~54.9 × 12.5 × 5 ft; received a 10″ × 10″ engine from Bay State Engineering Works, Erie, PA
  • By 1912: Ownership transferred to John Fraser & Ida M. Hackett of Amherstburg, Ontario; vessel renamed Charlie Gale, registry C130382
  • 27 Aug 1913: Caught fire and burned at Pelee Island, Ontario, in Lake Erie
  • Late August 1913: Registration officially closed at Pelee Island

Significant Incidents

Significant Incident: The vessel caught fire and was destroyed while moored or at anchor off Pelee Island on 27 August 1913. The vessel was a total loss; no further salvage is recorded.

Final Disposition

Burned and destroyed while moored or at anchor off Pelee Island on 27 August 1913. The vessel was a total loss; no further salvage is recorded.

Current Condition & Accessibility

No records indicate whether the hull was fully destroyed or partially salvaged. No submerged wreck site or archaeological survey is known.

Resources & Links

References are being reviewed for this wreck.

The Active, later Charlie Gale, was a small wooden harbour tug, successfully serving Lake Erie coastlines for nearly two decades. After a 1904 rebuild and engine upgrade, she ended her life in a destructive fire at Pelee Island in August 1913. While records are sparse regarding the cause or salvage, her registry closure shortly after signals her last role in the Illinois–Ontario tug fleet. Her story highlights the precarious nature of steam-powered harbour craft of that era.