Shotline Diving

Connecting You to the Depths of the Great Lakes

Bessie Boalt

Explore the wreck of the Bessie Boalt, a wooden schooner that capsized in 1884 off Two Rivers, Wisconsin, with a rich history of service and multiple incidents.

GPS: 44.145383, -87.549700

Shotline Diving Wreck Profile

  • Name: Bessie Boalt
  • Type: Wooden Schooner
  • Year Built: 1868
  • Builder: Charles Griswold (C.G.) Boalt
  • Dimensions: Length 103 ft (31.4 m); Beam 26.5 ft (8.1 m); Depth of hold 8.6 ft (2.6 m)
  • Registered Tonnage: 173 tons
  • Location: Off Two Rivers, Manitowoc County, Lake Michigan
  • Coordinates: N 44° 08.723′, W 87° 32.982′ (approximate wreck/grave site)
  • Official Number: 2584
  • Original Owners: C.G. Boalt; Milwaukee, Wisconsin
  • Number of Masts: Two-masted schooner

Wreck Location Map

Vessel Type

Type: Wooden-hulled schooner

Description

The Bessie Boalt was a two-masted wooden schooner, primarily used for transporting bulk cargo on the Great Lakes. At the time of her loss, she was carrying cordwood.

History

Entered service in 1868, the Bessie Boalt had a history of incidents, including a wreck in October 1872 at St. Joseph, Michigan, from which she was salvaged and repaired. She faced further challenges, including being driven ashore in a gale in November 1877 at Frankfort, Michigan, but was refloated and returned to service. Her last enrollment was surrendered on October 1, 1884, marked as ‘Vessel Total Loss.’

Significant Incidents

  • October 1872: Wrecked at St. Joseph, Michigan; salvaged and repaired by 1873.
  • November 6, 1877: Driven ashore in gale at Frankfort, Michigan; refloated and returned to service.
  • Multiple incidents reflect vulnerability of small schooners to heavy weather and leakage as they aged.

Final Disposition

On September 21, 1884, the Bessie Boalt departed Leland, Michigan for Milwaukee with a load of cordwood. During the crossing, she sprang a leak and became waterlogged off Two Rivers. The crew abandoned ship safely, and over the following days, the vessel capsized and resisted righting attempts. On September 25, a tug towed the wreck toward shore and beached her in shallow water. By October 4, the vessel broke apart, and all cargo and valuable fittings were salvaged.

Current Condition & Accessibility

The original grounding site is approximately 0.5 miles (0.8 km) northeast of the Two Rivers U.S. Lifesaving Station. The wreck went to pieces in the surf, and today no significant structural remains are known. The modern site is likely a shallow debris scatter, potentially buried or dispersed. There is no current hazard listing, and the shallow water site is not included in Sanctuary wreck inventories.

Resources & Links

[shotline_reference_links slug=”bessie-boalt” title=”References & Links”]

The Bessie Boalt exemplifies the final era of small, wooden, sail-powered schooners transporting fuel wood on Lake Michigan. Despite multiple wrecks and recoveries, the vessel succumbed to structural failure and waterlogging in 1884. Total loss in shallow water enabled complete cargo and hardware salvage, leaving no intact dive target today. Historically, her repeated misfortunes provide insight into 19th-century small-tonnage bulk transport and the eventual obsolescence of wooden schooners on the Great Lakes.

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.

Bessie Boalt (1868) – Wooden Schooner (Registry No. 2584)

Identification & Site Information

  • Vessel Name / Registry: Bessie Boalt, U.S. Registry No. 2584 (wisconsinshipwrecks.org)
  • Built: 1868 by Charles Griswold (C.G.) Boalt, at Ahnapee, Wisconsin (possibly Wolf River area)
  • Owners / Home Port: C.G. Boalt; Milwaukee, Wisconsin
  • Loss: 21 September 1884, capsized and abandoned off Two Rivers, Manitowoc County, Lake Michigan
  • Coordinates: N 44° 08.723′, W 87° 32.982′ (approximate wreck/grave site)
  • Depth: Originally grounded in very shallow water; remains scattered and likely destroyed in surf zone

Vessel Specifications

  • Type: Wooden-hulled schooner
  • Length: 103 ft (31.4 m)
  • Beam: 26.5 ft (8.1 m)
  • Depth of Hold: 8.6 ft (2.6 m)
  • Gross Tonnage: 173 tons
  • Rig: Two-masted schooner (traditional Great Lakes sail cargo vessel)
  • Propulsion: Sail only
  • Cargo at Time of Loss: Cordwood (wisconsinshipwrecks.org)

Service History

  • Entered service in 1868 on Great Lakes bulk cargo trade.
  • October 1872: Wrecked at St. Joseph, Michigan; salvaged and repaired by 1873.
  • 6 November 1877: Driven ashore in gale at Frankfort, Michigan; refloated and returned to service.
  • Multiple incidents reflect vulnerability of small schooners to heavy weather and leakage as they aged.
  • Last Enrollment Surrendered: 1 October 1884, Milwaukee, marked “Vessel Total Loss.”

Final Voyage & Loss

  • 21 September 1884: Departed Leland, Michigan for Milwaukee with a load of cordwood.
  • During the Lake Michigan crossing, the vessel sprang a leak and became waterlogged off Two Rivers.
  • Crew abandoned ship safely; no fatalities.
  • Over following days:
    1. Bessie Boalt capsized and resisted righting attempts.
    2. 25 September 1884 – tug Welcome towed the wreck toward shore and beached her in shallow water near the U.S. Lifesaving Station, Two Rivers.
    3. 4 October 1884 – vessel broke apart; cargo and all valuable fittings salvaged.
    4. Over two days, cordwood cargo and ship gear were fully recovered.

Located By & Site Status

  • Original grounding site: ~0.5 mi (0.8 km) northeast of the Two Rivers U.S. Lifesaving Station.
  • Wreck went to pieces in surf; today no significant structural remains are known.
  • Modern site is likely a shallow debris scatter, potentially buried or dispersed.
  • No current hazard listing; shallow water site not included in Sanctuary wreck inventories.

Notmars & Advisories

  • None noted in modern navigation publications; total destruction left no sub-surface hazard.

Resources & References

Research Gaps & Next Steps

  • Crew identification: Names of master and crew during 1884 abandonment are unrecorded in summary; local newspapers (Manitowoc Pilot, Two Rivers Reporter, Milwaukee Sentinel) from 21–25 September 1884 may yield details.
  • Salvage logs & insurance records: Investigating C.G. Boalt family or local maritime insurers could document salvage proceeds and final disposition.
  • Archaeological status: Though scattered, magnetometer or side-scan sonar survey could detect buried iron fastenings or anchor hardware.

Conclusion

The Bessie Boalt exemplifies the final era of small, wooden, sail‑powered schooners transporting fuel wood on Lake Michigan. Despite multiple wrecks and recoveries, the vessel succumbed to structural failure and waterlogging in 1884. Total loss in shallow water enabled complete cargo and hardware salvage, leaving no intact dive target today. Historically, her repeated misfortunes provide insight into 19th‑century small‑tonnage bulk transport and the eventual obsolescence of wooden schooners on the Great Lakes.

Keywords / Categories

Lake Michigan; schooner; wooden sail vessel; 19th century; waterlogging; abandonment; shallow‑water break‑up; Manitowoc County; Two Rivers; cordwood trade; total salvage.

234401 1884-09-21 19:47:00