Shotline Diving Wreck Profile

• Name: Bon Voyage
• Type: Wooden Propeller Vessel
• Year Built: 1891
• Builder: Rogers & Brittain
• Dimensions: 153 ft (46.6 m); Beam: 30 ft (9.1 m); Depth of hold: 17 ft (5.2 m)
• Registered Tonnage: Gross: 500 tons; Net: 361 tons
• Location: Near the south entrance to the Portage Ship Canal, Lake Superior
• Official Number: US 3497
• Original Owners: Singer’s White Line Transit Co.

Wreck Location Map

Vessel Type

The Bon Voyage was a wooden propeller-driven vessel designed for passenger and freight transport. Its robust construction and relatively large capacity reflected the demands of 19th-century commerce and travel on the Great Lakes.

Description

The Bon Voyage was launched in 1891 by the Rogers & Brittain shipyard in Saugatuck, Michigan. Over the next decade, it became a familiar sight on the Great Lakes, operated by Singer’s White Line Transit Co. of Duluth. Its role involved carrying passengers and general freight, crucial for regional transportation at the time.

History

On May 10, 1901, the vessel’s service ended in tragedy. While traveling near the south entrance to the Portage Ship Canal on Lake Superior, a fire broke out around the smokestack. The flames spread rapidly, consuming the wooden structure of the vessel. Despite the crew’s efforts to beach the vessel and evacuate passengers, five lives were lost, including four members of the Altman family. The remaining passengers and crew managed to escape.

An inquiry attributed the disaster to negligence on the part of the vessel’s owners. Investigators highlighted inadequate safety equipment and poor crew training as significant contributing factors to the loss.

Significant Incidents

• May 10, 1901: The Bon Voyage caught fire while on Lake Superior near the south entrance to the Portage Ship Canal. The fire broke out around the vessel’s smokestack and quickly spread.
• Five people lost their lives, including four female members of the Altman family.
• The vessel was beached in an attempt to save the people on board but burned to a total loss on a bar located 1,000 feet from shore.

Final Disposition

The Bon Voyage was beached on a bar approximately 1,000 feet from shore, where it burned to a total loss. During the summer following the disaster, the vessel’s machinery and engine were stolen, though the perpetrators were eventually caught and prosecuted.

The wreckage was subsequently raised, and much of the vessel’s machinery, including the engine, was recovered. The engine found a second life powering another vessel, the Belle P. Cross.

Current Condition & Accessibility

The Bon Voyage no longer exists as an intact wreck, having been raised and salvaged. Any remaining artifacts or remnants near the original wreck site may be buried or inaccessible.

Resources & Links

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As divers explore the waters of Lake Superior, it is essential to remember the tragic history of the Bon Voyage. While the wreck is no longer intact, the story of its loss serves as a reminder of the importance of safety and responsibility in maritime activities. Always practice ethical diving by leaving only bubbles and taking only memories.