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.

FLYING DUTCHMAN (1867–1886, Schooner)

Shotline Diving Wreck Profile

• Name: Flying Dutchman
• Official Number: 37297
• Registry: United States
• Year Built: 1867
• Builder: Pine River, Michigan
• Vessel Type: Two-masted wooden schooner
• Hull Materials: Wood
• Number of Decks: 1
  • Length: 12.2 metres (40.1 feet)
  • Beam: 3.7 metres (12.1 feet)
  • Depth: 0.76 metres (2.5 feet)
• Gross Tonnage: 8.03 tons
• Propulsion: Sail
• Final Cargo: Unknown
• Date Lost: September 14, 1886
• Final Location: Straits of Mackinac, Lake Michigan / Lake Huron
• Coordinates: Unknown
• Depth: Unknown

Vessel Type Description

The Flying Dutchman was a small two-masted schooner built in 1867 at Pine River, Michigan. Measuring just over 12 metres long and of modest tonnage, the vessel was well suited to the protected trade routes around the Straits of Mackinac, carrying small cargos or general goods in shallow water ports.

History

The Flying Dutchman saw service under several Michigan owners over nearly two decades, reflecting the flexible and mobile character of small Great Lakes schooners of the era. In 1876, she was registered in Banks, Michigan. By 1879 she was registered at Bay City, and by 1880 was owned by H. Durand, also of Bay City. By 1882 she was operating from Detroit, consistent with a trading pattern around lower Lake Huron and the upper lakes.

On September 14, 1886, the vessel disappeared during a gale while in transit through the Straits of Mackinac. No wreckage was recovered at the time, and no survivors were reported. On October 13, 1886, a bottle washed ashore on St. Martin’s Island in Lake Michigan, bearing a note reading:

“Schooner FLYING DUTCHMAN wrecked on Lake Huron Sep 14, 1886, all hands perish.”

This message is believed to have been written by one of the crew shortly before the vessel was lost. It was assumed three persons were on board, but exact numbers were never confirmed.

Final Disposition

Presumed lost with all hands in a Lake Huron gale on September 14, 1886. No confirmed wreck site has ever been located.

Located By & Date

The wreck of the Flying Dutchman remains undiscovered.

NOTMARs & Advisories

There are no current Notices to Mariners regarding this wreck.

Current Condition & Accessibility

Unknown, as the wreck has not been found. Given its small wooden hull, it is likely to have broken up or been buried under lake sediment.

Resources & Links

• Maritime History of the Great Lakes
• Great Lakes Ships Database (BGSU)
• David Swayze Shipwreck File
• Save Ontario Shipwrecks
• Chronicling America – search “Flying Dutchman 1886”
• Newspapers.com – search “Flying Dutchman schooner 1886”
• Steamboat Era in the Muskokas by Richard Tatley
• C.E. Feltner Enrollments Database
• C. Patrick Labadie Collection

Conclusion

The Flying Dutchman’s loss is a poignant story of the many small schooners that plied the Great Lakes and fell victim to sudden storms. The bottle note found at St. Martin’s Island gives a final, haunting glimpse into the tragedy. As one of many modest trading schooners whose records have been lost to time, the Flying Dutchman’s disappearance reminds us of the daily perils faced by mariners in the age of sail.

Keywords

Flying Dutchman, Lake Huron, Straits of Mackinac, Wooden Schooner, Note in a Bottle, Maritime Disaster, 1886 Storm, Great Lakes Shipwreck

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