Shotline Diving Wreck Profile
- Name: Clarissa
- Type: Wooden, two-masted schooner (single-deck)
- Year Built: 1818
- Builder: Genesee River, New York
- Dimensions:
- Registered Tonnage: Approximately 31 old-style tons
- Location: Lake Michigan
- Number of Masts: 2
Wreck Location Map
Vessel Type
A small, early-19th-century Great Lakes schooner—likely employed in short-haul freight or supply duties along pioneer frontier routes.
Description
Wooden hull with two fore-and-aft rigged masts, minimal accommodation. Built during the early development of inland maritime commerce, such vessels were economical haulers of goods and supplies to remote settlements.
History
- 1821–1824: Officially enrolled at Genesee, NY, and later Cape Vincent
- November 1836: Lost on Lake Michigan under circumstances typical of the era (e.g., wave-driven breakup, foundering during squall, or unrecorded grounding). No further registry or salvage records exist.
Final Disposition
The Clarissa was declared lost—no survivors nor wreck documented. Her disappearance left no known trace, and she vanished from the historical record following 1836.
Current Condition & Accessibility
Unlocated. No surveys or diver reports exist. Any remains, if extant, lie buried in deep lake sediments or remain unidentifiable under shifting lakebed conditions.
Resources & Links
[shotline_reference_links slug=”clarissa-1818″ title=”References & Links”]
The Clarissa represents one of the earliest commercial craft on the Great Lakes, embodying the region’s nascent maritime infrastructure. Her quiet disappearance in 1836 exemplifies the common but often undocumented losses of small vessels during the era. Though physically undetectable today, her story contributes to our understanding of early Great Lakes navigation and settlement economies.
Full Wreck Record — complete historical article, construction details, voyage logs, incident reports, dive conditions, and all research sources.
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