Shotline Diving Wreck Profile
- Name: C.C. MARTIN
- Type: Wooden propeller steam tug
- Year Built: 1906
- Builder: 12-Mile Bay, Ontario (near Midland)
- Dimensions: 71 ft (21.6 m) length × 16 ft (4.9 m) beam
- Registered Tonnage: 78 gross tons
- Location: Off Key Harbour, Georgian Bay, Lake Huron
- Official Number: C116670
- Original Owners: Midland, Ontario
Wreck Location Map
Vessel Type
The C.C. MARTIN was a wooden steam-powered tug designed for towing barges and performing heavy labour support duties. Built in Ontario, her robust wooden hull and compact build made her well-suited for work along the rugged shorelines and isolated outports of Georgian Bay.
Description
C.C. MARTIN was 71 feet (21.6 metres) long and 16 feet (4.9 metres) wide. She registered at 78 gross tons and was powered by a single steam propeller. Her structure was suited for working in mixed weather, but her small size limited her survivability when caught in heavy seas — especially when burdened by unstable tow loads like timber barges.
History
On August 21, 1911, the C.C. MARTIN was towing the barge ALBATROSS on Georgian Bay when the latter began foundering suddenly. Historical accounts suggest that the ALBATROSS either took on water rapidly or capsized. As the towline tension increased, the ALBATROSS may have dragged the C.C. MARTIN stern-first into the lake.
Efforts were made by the ten crew members aboard C.C. MARTIN to save themselves. They managed to assemble a makeshift raft, but the severe conditions and remote location ultimately overcame them. All hands were lost, including Captain George Vent and his wife.
Significant Incidents
- August 21, 1911: C.C. MARTIN foundered while towing the barge ALBATROSS, resulting in the loss of the entire crew of ten.
Final Disposition
The vessel was declared a total loss. There is no evidence of salvage or recovery. It is presumed that the wreck lies undisturbed off Key Harbour in an unknown position.
Current Condition & Accessibility
The wreck of the C.C. MARTIN has not been officially discovered or surveyed. Its location remains unknown.
Resources & Links
[shotline_reference_links slug=”c-c-martin-c-116670″ title=”References & Links”]
The sinking of the C.C. MARTIN is a grim illustration of the dangers faced by small working vessels on Georgian Bay. Her loss — sudden, total, and tragic — underscores the inherent risks of early 20th-century lake towing operations, especially in remote or volatile waters. The incident remains one of the deadliest tug-related losses in Canadian Great Lakes history.
Full Wreck Record — complete historical article, construction details, voyage logs, incident reports, dive conditions, and all research sources.
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