Shotline Diving Wreck Profile
- Name: ARROW
- Type: Two-masted wooden schooner
- Year Built: 1852
- Builder: W.E. Judd, Chicago, Illinois
- Dimensions: Length 85 ft (25.9 m); Beam 21 ft (6.4 m); Depth of hold 6 ft (1.8 m)
- Registered Tonnage: 69 tons (Gross), 66 tons (Net)
- Location: 3.5 miles from Two Rivers, Wisconsin
- Official Number: 548
- Number of Masts: 2
Wreck Location Map
Vessel Type
The ARROW was a mid-sized wooden schooner, commonly used for bulk freight, fishing, and coastal transport across the Great Lakes. Ships of this type were vital to the early shipping industry, carrying lumber, grain, and general cargo between Great Lakes ports.
By 1883, the vessel was 31 years old, which was considered near the end of its useful life for a wooden schooner.
Description
The ARROW had a long career of over three decades, operating between Chicago, Milwaukee, and Michigan ports before its final grounding in 1883.
History
Key Events in the Vessel’s History:
- 1852: Built by W.E. Judd in Chicago, Illinois as a cargo schooner.
- 1852-1883: Actively transported freight across Lake Michigan.
- April 30, 1883: Ran aground near Two Rivers, Wisconsin, and was lost.
Significant Incidents
The vessel was bound from Milwaukee to Leland, Michigan, sailing light (empty cargo hold).
While sailing at night in calm weather, the ship ran aground.
Attempts were made to locate a powerful tugboat to pull the vessel free.
However, while waiting for assistance, the schooner slowly sank into the sand over the next few days.
By the time help arrived, the ship was stuck too deep to be salvaged.
The ARROW was stripped of gear and rigging, then declared a total loss.
In late May 1883, another storm broke the vessel apart, scattering its remains.
No lives were lost in the accident.
Final Disposition
The ARROW was lost on April 30, 1883, 3.5 miles from Two Rivers, Wisconsin, due to a navigational error.
Current Condition & Accessibility
Nil return. There are no confirmed reports of the ARROW‘s wreck being discovered or documented near Two Rivers, Wisconsin.
Due to its sinking into the sand and later destruction by storms, any remains are likely buried beneath shifting lakebed sands.
Resources & Links
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The ARROW was one of many schooners lost due to navigational errors, especially in the days before lighthouses, buoys, and modern navigation tools.
Despite being in good weather, the ship struck shallow sand and became hopelessly stuck, illustrating the dangers of nighttime sailing near unfamiliar shores.
Its gradual sinking into the sand and eventual breakup in a storm is a common fate for old wooden schooners, which were often abandoned rather than salvaged when no longer useful.
If you’d like to learn more about shipwrecks near Two Rivers, schooner transport on Lake Michigan, or navigational accidents of the 19th century, let me know!
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