E.K. Gilbert US 7238

Shotline Diving Wreck Profile

• Name: E.K. Gilbert
• Type: Two-masted wooden schooner
• Year Built: 1855
• Builder: Wm. S. Redfield
• Dimensions: Approximately 93 ft (28.3 m) length × 24 ft beam × 8 ft depth; ~132 tons displacement (~161 tons old measurement)
• Registered Tonnage: 132 tons
• Location: Approximately 15 miles east of Point Pelee, Ontario
• Coordinates: Approximately 15 miles east of Point Pelee
• Official Number: 7238
• Number of Masts: Two

Wreck Location Map

Vessel Type

Type: Two-masted wooden schooner, fore-and-aft rigged

Description

The E.K. Gilbert was a two-masted wooden schooner built in 1855. She was designed for cargo transport and was capable of carrying up to 200 tons of cargo.

History

The E.K. Gilbert was constructed by Wm. S. Redfield at St. Clair, Michigan. She was primarily used for transporting goods across the Great Lakes.

Significant Incidents

• Date of loss: Night of November 23–24, 1868
• Route: Underway from Cleveland, Ohio, bound for Detroit, Michigan, with 200 tons of coal
• Location of loss: Lake Erie, approximately 15 miles east of Point Pelee, near the U.S.–Canadian shipping lanes
• Cause: Sprung a leak and foundered in deep water; crew escaped safely in the yawl and were rescued
• Losses: Full loss of vessel and cargo, estimated value approximately $10,000

Final Disposition

The wreck location is presumed at the sinking point, approximately 15 miles east of Point Pelee, in deep Lake Erie waters. The wreck is likely intact in cold freshwater, but its depth and precise position are unknown. It has not been salvaged and is noted only as ‘sunk’ with no documented recovery or survey.

Current Condition & Accessibility

The wreck is presumed to lie intact in cold freshwater, which may have preserved its structure. The exact depth and condition remain unknown, but the site could be of interest to technical dive teams or maritime archaeologists.

Resources & Links

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The E.K. Gilbert, a modest two-masted schooner, sank during her final voyage on November 23–24, 1868, after steaming from Cleveland to Detroit with a full load of coal. She sprang a leak and foundered in deep water about 15 miles east of Point Pelee, but her crew managed to escape without loss of life. The total loss was assessed at roughly $10,000. While the wreck site remains unexamined, it lies in freshwater that may have preserved the vessel’s wooden structure well, offering an intriguing, undocumented underwater archaeological possibility.