Shotline Diving Wreck Profile
- Name: Ella W.
- Type: Wooden screw-driven gas-powered fish tug
- Year Built: 1906
- Builder: Two Rivers, Wisconsin
- Dimensions: ~30 ft × 10 ft × 4 ft; Gross tonnage about 13 tons, net around 10 tons
- Registered Tonnage: 13 GRT / 10 NRT
- Location: Approximately 8 miles SSW of Manistique, Michigan
- Official Number: 208090
- Original Owners: Local fishing interests
Wreck Location Map
Vessel Type
Ella W. was a small powered fishing vessel, purpose-built for trapping and gear fishing on Lake Michigan. At loss she carried fishing gear.
Description
Built in 1906 at Two Rivers, Wisconsin. Powered by a gasoline engine driving a screw propeller. Dimensions: ~30 ft × 10 ft × 4 ft; Gross tonnage about 13 tons, net around 10 tons. Operated out of Grand Haven, Michigan, under local fishing interests.
History
On 27 October 1917, Ella W. encountered a violent fall gale while working her gear about 8 miles SSW of Manistique, MI. The vessel foundered amid the storm, capsized or sank rapidly; three of her four-person crew were lost; only one survivor rescued.
Significant Incidents
- Cause of Loss: Severe storm causing capsize or sinking while handling fishing gear.
- Casualties: 3 of 4 aboard perished.
- Rescue & Investigation: Survivor likely recovered by passing vessel or shore crew; no detailed rescue or inquiry records publicly available.
Final Disposition
No modern rediscovery or documented survey. Wreck presumed offshore in deep water near Manistique; likely lost to Lake Michigan’s depth and weather.
Current Condition & Accessibility
No formal Notices to Mariners issued; loss recorded in regional fishing and vessel databases, including the Great Lakes Shipwreck Files.
Resources & Links
[shotline_reference_links slug=”ella-w-us-208090″ title=”References & Links”]
The fishing tug Ella W., built in 1906, was lost on 27 October 1917, about 8 miles SSW of Manistique during a fall gale. Of her four-person crew, only one survived. The vessel foundered while hauling gear, with shifting conditions and storm seas causing capsize. No dive or archaeological rediscovery has been recorded.
If you’d like assistance investigating crew identities, survivor testimony, or regional newspaper documentation, I can help guide targeted archival research.
Full Wreck Record — complete historical article, construction details, voyage logs, incident reports, dive conditions, and all research sources.
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