Legacy Notes & Full Historical Record

This section preserves the original unedited Shotline content for this wreck so that no historical detail is lost as we transition to the new logbook format.

Shotline Diving Wreck Profile

• Name: Express
• Built: 1828 at Evans, New York by William Willard
• Type: Single‑masted wooden sloop, single deck
• Original Owner: William Willard, Evans, NY
• Dimensions:
  • Length: 41 ft 6 in (12.65 m)
  • Beam: 14 ft 9 in (4.50 m)
  • Depth: 4 ft 9 in (1.45 m)
  • Tonnage (old style): 24 9⁄95 tons

Vessel Type

A small lake‐sloop built for coastal cargo, suitable for navigating shallower inlets and harbours on Lake Erie, carrying light freight or supplies.

Description

Wood‑planked hull with concise profile, designed for one mast and fore‑and‑aft sail rig, ideal for short coastal voyages with limited cargo. Compact and easily managed, yet vulnerable in rough seas.

History

• 1828 (May 1): Enrolled at Buffalo, NY—entered service.
• 1830–31: Changed hands; by July 1831, rebuilt under John F. Wight in Erie, PA. Enrolled at Detroit and later Presque Isle, Michigan—registered at 28 old tons (greatlakesrex.wordpress.com, linkstothepast.com, greatlakesscuttlebutt.com).
• 1835 (Sept 28): While bound for Buffalo, struck Dunkirk breakwater attempting entry during a storm; sunk and battered for days, becoming a total loss .

Final Disposition

• Date: 28 September 1835
• Location: Dunkirk, NY breakwater, Lake Erie
• Fate: Wrecked on harbour pier; hull pounded to pieces by subsequent waves.

Located By & Date Found

No underwater site exists; wreck remained above water, likely salvaged or decomposed—no dive records.

Notmars & Advisories

Not listed in navigation hazard advisories; incident was local, pre-dated modern charting.

Resources & Links

• History of the Great Lakes entry noting Express’s rebuilding and wreck at Dunkirk .
• Erie Wrecks East: A Guide to Shipwrecks of Eastern Lake Erie — lists Dunkirk breakwater wrecks, including small sloops .

Conclusion

The Express exemplifies early‑19th‑century small‑craft trading on Lake Erie—simple, functional sloops apt for light freight and frequent port calls. After about seven productive years and a rebuild, she was lost attempting entry to Dunkirk in foul weather. The wreck, washed ashore, offers no dive potential but is part of the region’s maritime narrative of evolving coastal trade and harbour development.

Keywords, Categories, Glossary Terms

Lake Erie sloop • Coastal freight vessel • Breakwater wreck • Dunkirk 1835 • William Willard, Evans NY • 19th‑century maritime trade.

express-1828 1835-09-28 22:48:00