Shotline Diving Wreck Profile
- Name: Galatea
- Type: Wooden 3-masted schooner-barge
- Year Built: 1882
- Builder: F. Wheeler’s yard, West Bay City, Michigan
- Dimensions: 180 × 33 × 12 ft; 606 GRT, 580 NRT
- Registered Tonnage: 606 GRT, 580 NRT
- Location: Near Grand Marais, Michigan
- Official Number: 85709
- Number of Masts: 3
Wreck Location Map
Vessel Type
Built as a high-capacity schooner-barge, the Galatea was part of a series designed for economical bulk transport under tow.
Description
The Galatea was a wooden 3-masted schooner-barge, measuring 180 feet in length, 33 feet in beam, and 12 feet in depth. It was constructed in 1882 at F. Wheeler’s yard in West Bay City, Michigan, and was registered with an official number of 85709.
History
Throughout its operational life, the Galatea was frequently used on the Lake Superior-Duluth corridor for transporting timber or ore. It was designed for high-capacity transport and was towed by steam tugs.
Significant Incidents
- Date of Loss: October 20, 1905
- Location: Near Grand Marais, Michigan, Lake Superior
- Circumstances: The Galatea was being towed upbound to Duluth by the propeller tug L.L. Barth, alongside her sister-barge Nirvana. In the midst of a sudden storm, Galatea was driven ashore so far that her crew could exit directly onto solid ground via the stern.
- Cargo: Light (empty or ballast only) — Galatea was not carrying commercial freight.
- Casualties: None — crew safely reached shore.
Final Disposition
The Galatea wrecked on the beach at Grand Marais. Efforts by the crew and salvors to float a 900 ft. channel to refloat her were unsuccessful, and she ultimately broke up over the winter due to wave action and exposure. Presently, no intact wreckage remains as they were lost to seasonal forces.
Current Condition & Accessibility
No formal Notices to Mariners or hazard buoys were deployed for the wreck of Galatea. The wreck was short-lived and did not pose long-term navigational risks.
Resources & Links
[shotline_reference_links slug=”galatea-1882″ title=”References & Links”]
The loss of Galatea exemplifies early 20th-century lake freight operations where sail rigs were towed by steam tugs. Her grounding and disintegration highlight the vulnerability of these vessels to sudden late-season storms. Although no wreckage remains, Galatea‘s demise adds to the broader narrative of Lake Superior’s maritime history and the strategic shift from sail to steam.
Full Wreck Record — complete historical article, construction details, voyage logs, incident reports, dive conditions, and all research sources.
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