Shotline Diving Wreck Profile
- Name: Charter
- Type: Wooden-hulled propeller steamship (initially a sidewheeler, later converted)
- Year Built: 1849
- Builder: F. Ketchum, Huron, OH
- Dimensions: 132 ft (40.23 m) X 20 ft; Depth of hold: 8 ft
- Registered Tonnage: 197 gross tons
- Location: Approximately six miles above Fairport, Ohio
Wreck Location Map
Vessel Type
Originally constructed as a side-wheel steamship, Charter was rebuilt as a propeller-driven vessel around 1853. At the time of loss, she measured approximately 132 ft long × 20 ft beam × 8 ft depth and 197 gross tons.
Description
The Charter operated between Cleveland and Buffalo, carrying staple cargoes like flour, oats, and rye.
History
- On 21 August 1856, while bound from Cleveland to Buffalo, she encountered a severe storm on Lake Erie.
- The vessel swamped and sank during the gale, succumbing to waves and flooding.
- Although her hull was lost, her machinery was likely salvaged because the wreck lay in relatively shallow water.
Significant Incidents
- The stormy gales in late summer proved too much for the wooden-hulled Charter, resulting in a total loss.
- Subsequent storms later that month further ravaged the wreck, rendering it beyond recovery.
Final Disposition
The wreck presumably remains near Fairport, submerged and largely intact due to shallow depth.
Current Condition & Accessibility
No modern dives or site surveys have been recorded.
Resources & Links
[shotline_reference_links slug=”charter-1849″ title=”References & Links”]
Charter is a classic example of early steamboat risk on the Great Lakes—transitioning hull types but unable to withstand sudden severe weather. Though built for inland cargo corridors, she met her fate under the relentless waves of Lake Erie, yet contributed her machinery back to the marine economy.
Full Wreck Record — complete historical article, construction details, voyage logs, incident reports, dive conditions, and all research sources.
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