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

• Vessel Name: George Hand
• Official Number: 10998
• Year Built: 1868
• Builder: Hitchcock & Gibson, Buffalo, NY
• Hull Material: Wood
• Vessel Type: Tug (Towboat)
• Propulsion: Single screw, high-pressure steam engine
• Engine Details:
  • 14″ x 14″ cylinder
  • 8′6″ x 21′8″ tubular boiler, 70 lb working pressure
  • Built by David Bell
• Length: 16.5 m (54.2 ft)
• Beam: 3.2 m (10.6 ft)
• Depth: 1.9 m (6.1 ft)
• Gross Tonnage: 24.79
• Net Tonnage: 12.40
• Date Lost: 9 August 1886
• Final Location: Rock Harbor, Isle Royale, Lake Superior
• Coordinates: Not precisely documented

Vessel Type

Small wooden-hulled single-screw steam tug, used for general towing services, salvage assistance, and harbour operations on the Great Lakes.

Description

The George Hand was a compact high-pressure tug with a single vertical cylinder steam engine, tubular boiler, and traditional single-screw propulsion. Designed for versatility, she was able to assist with tows, salvage lifting, and harbor tasks.

History

Construction and Early Service
Built in Buffalo in 1868 for George Hand & Co., she was among a class of wooden steam tugs supporting the booming lumber, ore, and grain trades.

Ownership Chronology

• 1871: Owned at Buffalo
• 1871, February: Purchased by Thomas Hubbell, Saginaw, MI
• 1878, April: Owned by John H. Robertson, Toledo, OH
• 1884: Returned to Thomas Hubbell, et al., East Saginaw, MI
• 1886, July 30: Under Gilbert & Curry, Algonac, MI, working to raise the wreck of steamer Algoma off Isle Royale

Final Voyage & Loss

On 9 August 1886, while working salvage operations near Rock Harbor, Isle Royale, the George Hand was caught in a severe blow and went ashore, breaking up beyond practical repair. Underwriters declared her a total loss, and she was abandoned on site. The following October (1887), her engine and boiler were salvaged and purchased by Henry McMorran & D.N. Runnel for use in another vessel, with all documentation surrendered at Port Huron.

Final Disposition

• Wreck: Broken up and left near Rock Harbor
• Machinery: Sold in 1887
• Hull: No confirmed wreckage located or documented today

Located By & Date Found

No modern discovery or survey; presumed fully broken up or scattered.

Notmars & Advisories

No current Notices to Mariners apply for this historic site.

Current Condition & Accessibility

There are no known remains accessible for diving. Isle Royale’s clear, rocky shoreline may still hold fastenings or trace wreckage under sediment, but no formal surveys have confirmed this.

Resources & Links

• Maritime History of the Great Lakes
• Great Lakes Vessels (BGSU)
• David Swayze Shipwreck File
• Isle Royale National Park Shipwreck Inventory

Conclusion

The George Hand is a good example of 19th-century Great Lakes tug service: a small, powerful vessel with a flexible career in harbor work, salvage, and towing. Her final loss at Isle Royale during salvage duty highlights both the hazards of that area and the adaptability of wooden steam tugs, which often had their machinery recycled even after being wrecked.

Keywords, Categories, Glossary Terms

• Keywords: George Hand, steam tug, Isle Royale, Rock Harbor, Lake Superior, 19th-century shipwreck, salvage tug, wooden steam vessel
• Categories: Lake Superior Shipwrecks, Tugboats, Wooden Steam Vessels, 19th-Century Great Lakes History
• Glossary: towboat, high-pressure steam, single-screw tug, constructive total loss

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