Col. H. C. Heg (1868)

Shotline Diving Wreck Profile

• Name: Col. H. C. Heg
• Type: Wooden schooner
• Year Built: 1868
• Builder:
• Dimensions: Length X ft (Y m); Beam; Depth of hold
• Registered Tonnage: Approximately 140,000 board feet of lumber
• Location: Near the north pier at Muskegon, Lake Michigan

Wreck Location Map

Vessel Type

A mid-19th-century working schooner built to transport lumber across Lake Michigan. She was rigged with sails only and relied on anchorage and seamanship to weather storms.

Description

A sizable timber-hauling schooner—details on dimensions or official number are not available in current records.

History

• 2 November 1877: While bound from Muskegon to Chicago loaded with lumber, the Col. H. C. Heg encountered a severe storm on Lake Michigan.
• During heavy seas, she lost her steering capability and a small boat was washed away. The vessel was driven ashore near Muskegon’s north pier and wrecked.
• The crew were rescued safely—no casualties recorded.
• Surveyed and listed as a total loss following the incident (Great Lakes Shipwreck Files, Great Lakes Shipwreck Files).

Significant Incidents

• Loss of steering gear and small boat during storm.
• Wrecked ashore near Muskegon, resulting in total loss.
• Crew rescued without casualties.

Final Disposition

The schooner was a total loss—smashed by waves onshore, her structure deemed unsalvageable, leading to abandonment on the beach.

Current Condition & Accessibility

No formal rediscovery or wreck-site survey has been conducted. The vessel likely broke apart amid the surf and was either salvaged for salvageable materials or destroyed by wave action.

Resources & Links

[shotline_reference_links slug=”col-h-c-heg-1868″ title=”References & Links”]

The Col. H. C. Heg typifies late-19th-century lumber schooners that risked winter voyages on Lake Michigan. Her loss during a November storm near Muskegon—and her inability to steer or ride out winter seas—illustrates the vulnerability of sail-powered cargo vessels of the era. Though no physical remnants remain, the event highlights the formidable weather challenges these historic vessels faced.