Legacy Notes & Full Historical Record

This section preserves the original unedited Shotline content for this wreck so that no historical detail is lost as we transition to the new logbook format.

Shotline Diving Wreck Profile

• Wreck Name: APPELONA
• Type: Wooden Schooner
• Date of Incident: Not precisely recorded; occurred during the active 19th-century shipping era
• Builder: Not documented, Henderson, NY
• Owner: Not documented
• Location of Wreck: Approximately 16 miles offshore, between Oswego and Genesee, Lake Ontario
• Coordinates: Estimated to be 18–20 miles southeast of Oswego Light
• Cargo at Time of Loss: Pot-ashes, salt, and approx. 16 tons of salt ballast
• Condition: Total loss due to lightning strike and sinking
• Coordinates – 43.558135, -76.836474

Vessel Type Description

The APPELONA was a wooden schooner, a standard merchant vessel type on the Great Lakes throughout the 19th century. With fore-and-aft rigging, schooners like the Appelona were optimized for coastal and inland lake shipping, capable of carrying varied bulk cargo and navigating both open water and tight harbour channels. Though sturdy, these vessels remained vulnerable to the unpredictable storms and weather phenomena of the Great Lakes.

History

Under the command of Captain W. Merrill, the Appelona set out from Oswego en route to Genesee. Carrying a partial cargo of pot-ashes and salt, and balanced with salt ballast, she encountered a sudden squall that rose from the west as the vessel lay to under a close-reefed fore sail.

During the storm, a lightning strike caused devastating damage:

• Destroyed the tiller, rudder head, binnacle, windlass, cabin stairs, and bulkhead
• Damaged cargo including salt and potash barrels
• Tore a plank from the larboard (port) side, causing rapid flooding

Despite quick action, the vessel began to founder within minutes.

Rescue Efforts

Realizing the vessel was lost, the crew launched a small boat and escaped. They fought northwest winds and rough seas in a water-filled boat before making landfall approximately 13 miles below Oswego. All aboard survived.

Final Disposition

• Date of Loss: Undocumented, likely mid-19th century
• Cause of Loss: Lightning strike and structural damage during a storm
• Location: Approx. 16 miles offshore, between Oswego and Genesee
• Cargo Loss: Total (potash, salt, and salt ballast)
• Crew: Survived
• Wreck Status: Not documented in surveys

Located By & Date

• Discovery Status: Not located
• Est. Coordinates: Not fixed; based on reports from survivors approximately 18–20 miles southeast of Oswego Light

Notmars & Advisories

• NOTMARs: None active
• Advisories: Mariners should exercise general caution in the Oswego–Genesee corridor due to known historical wrecks and submerged hazards

Resources & Links

• C. Patrick Labadie Great Lakes Ship Files
• David Swayze Shipwreck File
• C. E. Feltner Enrollments Database
• Richard Tatley, The Steamboat Era in the Muskokas
• NOAA Chart Archives (for Oswego Light location reference)

Conclusion

The APPELONA represents a classic 19th-century schooner loss — sudden, catastrophic, and largely undocumented. The story serves as a vivid reminder of how even well-handled vessels were at the mercy of nature on Lake Ontario. The crew’s successful escape underscores the skill and resilience of Great Lakes sailors. Today, the vessel remains lost, a piece of the lake’s long and often stormy commercial history.

Keywords

APPELONA, wooden schooner, lightning strike, Lake Ontario shipwreck, Oswego, Genesee, Great Lakes shipping, maritime disaster, 19th-century schooners, potash trade, salt ballast

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