Shotline Diving Wreck Profile

• Name: ADA
• Type: Schooner, Wood
• Year Built: 1888
• Builder: Unknown
• Dimensions: Length: 52 ft (15.8 m); Beam: 13 ft (4 m); Depth: 5 ft (1.5 m)
• Registered Tonnage: 15 tons
• Location: East of the Manistique Breakwater, Manistique, Michigan, Lake Michigan
• Official Number: 100598
• Number of Masts: 2

Wreck Location Map

Vessel Type

The ADA was a small, wooden two-masted schooner, typical of the late 19th-century vessels used on the Great Lakes. Vessels of this size were often employed for local and regional trade, carrying smaller loads of lumber, agricultural products, or general cargo between ports. Its modest dimensions made it ideal for navigating both open lake waters and the shallower rivers and harbors along the shoreline.

Description

Launched in 1888 from South Arm, Michigan, the ADA operated primarily on Lake Michigan, with her home port recorded as Grand Haven. While specific details of her trade routes are limited, schooners of this type were typically used to service smaller ports that relied on the Great Lakes for both supplies and commerce.

History

On September 26, 1894, the ADA encountered a violent storm while near Manistique, Michigan. Overwhelmed by the severe weather, the schooner was cast onto the beach east of the Manistique breakwater. Despite the vessel’s destruction, both crew members aboard were successfully rescued, avoiding the loss of life that so often accompanied shipwrecks during this era.

There is no specific record indicating the cargo aboard during her final voyage, though schooners of this size typically carried goods like lumber, grain, or other regional commodities.

Significant Incidents

• Place of Loss: East of the Manistique Breakwater, Manistique, Michigan, Lake Michigan
• Date of Loss: September 26, 1894
• Type of Loss: Wrecked in a storm
• Loss of Life: None (both crew members rescued)
• Final Cargo: Unknown

Final Disposition

Located By: Not officially documented

Date Found: Wreck remains have not been conclusively identified or located.

Current Condition & Accessibility

NOTMARs: No current Notices to Mariners specific to the wreck of ADA.

Advisories: The area around Manistique, Michigan is known for its treacherous weather, particularly in the fall months, and mariners should exercise caution near the breakwater where the schooner was lost.

Resources & Links

References are being reviewed for this wreck.

The schooner ADA represents one of the many small working vessels that plied the waters of Lake Michigan in the late 19th century, supporting local economies and connecting communities across the region. Her loss near Manistique in 1894 highlights the ever-present dangers of navigating the Great Lakes, where sudden storms and unpredictable weather spell disaster, even for experienced mariners. Despite the schooner being wrecked, the safe rescue of her crew stands as a testament to the bravery and resourcefulness of those who worked these waters.