Shotline Diving Wreck Profile
- Name: G. R. Roberts
- Type: Two-masted wooden schooner
- Year Built: 1847
- Builder: H. Varton (or Norton)
- Dimensions: Length 79 ft (24 m); Beam 21 ft (6.4 m); Depth of hold 7 ft (2.1 m)
- Registered Tonnage: approximately 82 tons
- Location: Big Sister Bay, Lake Michigan
- Official Number: 10210
- Number of Masts: Two
Wreck Location Map
Vessel Type
A compact two-masted wooden schooner designed for light cargo transport along Lake Michigan’s coast.
Description
Built in 1847 at Madison Dock, the G. R. Roberts measured roughly 79 ft in length on deck. By 1860, she was valued at US $1,200 (rated B2); her value rose to $2,000 (C1) by 1874 following repairs undertaken in 1868.
History
Through nearly three decades of service, she carried general cargoes along the Lake Michigan shoreline. On 25 September 1876, anchored in Big Sister Bay, she encountered a violent northwest gale. When her anchors failed to maintain position, she was driven ashore and wrecked during the storm—fortunately with no loss of life.
Significant Incidents
- 25 September 1876: Wrecked in Big Sister Bay during a northwest gale due to anchor failure; no fatalities reported.
Final Disposition
The schooner was irretrievably wrecked on shore and deemed a total loss. No evidence of salvage or recovery survives in archival records.
Current Condition & Accessibility
No modern rediscovery recorded; the remains were likely on or very near the shoreline, and no formal archaeological documentation has been made.
Resources & Links
[shotline_reference_links slug=”g-r-roberts-geo-r-roberts-us-10210″ title=”References & Links”]
The G. R. Roberts typifies small 19th-century coastal schooners operating on Lake Michigan—built sturdy but still susceptible to severe weather and anchorage failure. Her wreck in Big Sister Bay during an autumn gale is a testament to the vulnerabilities of such vessels. Though her remains faded into local memory, her story adds to the broader understanding of mid-1800s Great Lakes navigation and storm risk.
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: G. R. Roberts (also recorded as Geo. R. Roberts)
- Former Names: None
- Official Number: 10210 (greatlakesrex.wordpress.com)
- Date Built & Launched: 1847, Madison Dock, Ohio by H. Varton (or Norton) (wisconsinshipwrecks.org)
- Measurements: 24 m × 6.4 m × 2.1 m (79 ft × 21 ft × 7 ft); approximately 82 tons
- Type: Two‑masted wooden schooner
- Cargo at Loss: Not recorded
- Date Lost: 25 September 1876 (greatlakesrex.wordpress.com)
- Place of Loss: Big Sister Bay, Lake Michigan (greatlakesrex.wordpress.com)
- Circumstance: Unable to hold her anchors during a northwest gale; driven ashore and wrecked—no fatalities reported (greatlakesrex.wordpress.com)
Vessel Type
A compact two‑masted wooden schooner designed for light cargo transport along Lake Michigan’s coast.
Description
Built in 1847 at Madison Dock, the G. R. Roberts measured roughly 79 ft in length on deck. By 1860, she was valued at US $1,200 (rated B2); her value rose to $2,000 (C1) by 1874 following repairs undertaken in 1868 (wisconsinshipwrecks.org).
History
Through nearly three decades of service, she carried general cargoes along the Lake Michigan shoreline. On 25 September 1876, anchored in Big Sister Bay, she encountered a violent northwest gale. When her anchors failed to maintain position, she was driven ashore and wrecked during the storm—fortunately with no loss of life .
Final Disposition
The schooner was irretrievably wrecked on shore and deemed a total loss. No evidence of salvage or recovery survives in archival records.
Located By & Date Found
No modern rediscovery recorded; the remains were likely on or very near the shoreline, and no formal archaeological documentation has been made.
Notations & Advisories
Given she washed ashore, this site poses no underwater navigational hazards and lacks any formal markers or advisories.
Conclusion
The G. R. Roberts typifies small 19th‑century coastal schooners operating on Lake Michigan—built sturdy but still susceptible to severe weather and anchorage failure. Her wreck in Big Sister Bay during an autumn gale is a testament to the vulnerabilities of such vessels. Though her remains faded into local memory, her story adds to the broader understanding of mid‑1800s Great Lakes navigation and storm risk.
Suggested Keywords & Glossary Terms:
- two‑masted schooner
- anchor dragging
- Big Sister Bay wreck
- 19th‑century Lake Michigan trade
Suggested Categories:
Great Lakes shipwrecks | Lake Michigan schooners | storm‑driven wrecks | small cargo vessels