Shotline Diving Wreck Profile
- Name: Commodore Perry (also known as Periwinkle)
- Type: Naval Vessel (later excursion steamer)
- Year Built: 1864
- Builder: H. Whitaker, Buffalo, NY
- Dimensions: 162.5 ft (49.5 m); Beam: 25 ft; Depth of hold: 10 ft
- Registered Tonnage: 412.67 gross / 267 net
- Location: A. Gilmore Shipyard, Toledo, OH
- Official Number: 150329
Wreck Location Map
Vessel Type
Originally built for the U.S. Revenue Cutter Service, later converted to an excursion steamer.
Description
Equipped with side-mounted “Hunter wheels” and high-pressure engines, the Commodore Perry was a dual-screw revenue cutter turned passenger steamer. She featured 2 decks and was later converted to a single-screw configuration for tourist and leisure trade.
History
Served as a U.S. Revenue Cutter from 1864 to 1884, armed with four guns and operated out of Erie, PA. Later sold into civilian hands, she was rebuilt and operated as an excursion steamer on Lake Erie.
Significant events include:
- 1885: Rebuilt into single-screw excursion vessel
- 1889: Stranded on Horseshoe Reef near Buffalo
- 1891–1895: Transferred ownership, laid up, and recommissioned for excursion use
- 1897: Burned at Toledo shipyard; wreck later raised under salvage contract
Final Disposition
Burned to the waterline at Gilmore Shipyard; salvaged and partially dismantled.
Current Condition & Accessibility
Wreck recovery efforts in 1900 were documented but final disposition remains within the shipyard basin.
Resources & Links
[shotline_reference_links slug=”commodore-perry-us-150329-perwinkle” title=”References & Links”]
Explore the remnants of the Commodore Perry, a vessel with a rich history that transitioned from a naval cutter to a leisure steamer before its unfortunate end.
Full Wreck Record — complete historical article, construction details, voyage logs, incident reports, dive conditions, and all research sources.
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