Buccaneer – Lake Michigan Tug Shipwreck (1960)

Shotline Diving Wreck Profile

• Name: Buccaneer
• Type: Wooden fishing tug
• Year Built: 1943
• Builder: Oconto, Wisconsin
• Dimensions: Length ~132 ft (40.20 m); Beam ~40 ft (12.30 m); Depth of hold ~18 ft (5.40 m)
• Registered Tonnage: 25 tons
• Location: Kewaunee County, Lake Michigan
• Coordinates: N 44° 35.785′, W 87° 26.263′
• Official Number: 245761
• Original Owners: Norbert Frasch (Two Rivers, WI) and Leif Weborg (Milwaukee, WI)
• Number of Masts: No masts

Wreck Location Map

Vessel Type

• A small, enclosed fishing workboat (oil-screw tug) in wooden construction, primarily built for Great Lakes fishing operations in mid-20th century.

Description

• Built of white oak, with enclosed deckhouse and centrally positioned pilot station.
• Powered by a small diesel engine; measures ~25 GRT; designed for local fishing or towing operations.

History

• Constructed in wartime era (1943); offered for sale in 1945.
• Continued fishing service under its Wisconsin owners through the 1950s.
• In early 1960, it struck the Milwaukee-based tanker Clark while operating on Lake Michigan, about 8 miles south of Kewaunee.
• A formal collision event prompted later loss.

Significant Incidents

• Collision with the tanker Clark in early 1960.
• Stranded and wrecked on October 1, 1960, near Kewaunee.

Final Disposition

• On October 1, 1960, the Buccaneer stranded near Kewaunee and was deemed a total loss. No lives lost.
• There are no known salvage records or Coast Guard inquiry findings in public databases; final status—whether removed, scrapped in situ, or sunk—remains undocumented.

Current Condition & Accessibility

• As of current archival databases, no confirmed site discovery or dive documentation is recorded. The wreck is catalogued as “stranded” and “total loss” but not positively located underwater.

Resources & Links

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• The Buccaneer represents a typical mid-century Great Lakes wooden fishing tug with short service life and no casualties. Its loss reflects the hazards of close-quarter navigation with larger tankers.
• The wreck site is currently undocumented, meaning it may yet be of archaeological interest if located. Further investigation—via sonar survey, local diver logs, or archival Coast Guard/collision reports—could clarify disposition and potential remains.