Shotline Diving Wreck Profile

• Name: F.T. Barney
• Type: Two-masted wooden schooner
• Year Built: 1856
• Builder: W. Cheney, Vermilion, Ohio
• Dimensions: 126 ft × 26 ft × 11 ft (38.4 m × 7.9 m × 3.4 m)
• Registered Tonnage: 255 gross tons
• Depth at Wreck Site: 51 m / 160 ft
• Location: Nine Mile Point, Lake Huron
• Coordinates: N45°29.150′ W83°50.550′
• Official Number: 9535
• Original Owners: Lewis Wells, Vermilion, Ohio
• Number of Masts: Two

Wreck Location Map

Vessel Type

The F.T. Barney was a two-masted wooden schooner representative of the robust cargo carriers that dominated mid-19th-century Great Lakes trade.
Built for versatility and stability, she was capable of carrying bulk freight such as lumber, grain, and iron products across the inland seas.

Description

The F.T. Barney exemplifies 19th-century wooden schooner design and craftsmanship.
Her intact preservation offers historians, archaeologists, and divers a rare opportunity to study original rigging, deck layout, and hull form from the sail era of Great Lakes commerce.

History

Constructed in 1856 by W. Cheney of Vermilion, Ohio, the F.T. Barney entered service under owner Lewis Wells.
She regularly traded between Lake Erie and Lake Huron ports, carrying general cargo and raw materials.

• 1857: Aground near Goderich, Ontario, with a cargo of railroad iron; successfully towed to Detroit and repaired.
• 1862: Stranded near Bayfield, Lake Huron; damage valued at $6,500; returned to active service after repair.

Significant Incidents

Final Voyage & Loss:
On October 23, 1868, the F.T. Barney departed Cleveland bound for Milwaukee.
While passing below Nine Mile Point near Rogers City, Michigan, she collided with the schooner T.J. Bronson.
The F.T. Barney sank within two minutes. Remarkably, all crew survived.

Final Disposition

The wreck remained unlocated until its discovery in 1987.
It now rests upright and largely intact in 160 ft (51 m) of water near Nine Mile Point.
The F.T. Barney was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1991 and is among the best-preserved schooners in the Great Lakes.

Current Condition & Accessibility

No current Notices to Mariners are issued for this wreck.
Diving conditions include cold thermoclines and low light beyond 130 ft (40 m); suitable only for trained technical divers.

Resources & Links

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Access to the F.T. Barney is available via boat charter from Rogers City or Presque Isle. The dive site features clear freshwater with visibility ranging from 30 to 60 ft (9 to 18 m) and light current. Recreational diving is permitted, but artifact removal is prohibited.