Shotline Diving Wreck Profile
- Name: Gibralter
- Type: Wooden three-masted schooner-barge
- Year Built: 1854
- Builder: L. Shickluna, St. Catharines, Ontario
- Dimensions: 138 × 26 × 11 ft (42 × 8 × 3.4 m); 289 gross / 270 net tons
- Registered Tonnage: 289 gross / 270 net tons
- Location: Near White Rock, Michigan
- Official Number: C83149
- Number of Masts: Three
Wreck Location Map
Vessel Type
Gibralter was a large wooden schooner-barge, lacking its own propulsion and relying on steam tugs to move bulk freight along the Great Lakes—standard practice in the late 19th century.
Description
Measuring approximately 42 m in length, she was sturdy enough to haul substantial freight, although vulnerable to sudden storms. The 1877 conversion from bark to schooner-barge indicates adaptation to the evolving Great Lakes cargo economy.
History
On 3 October 1888, while under tow during a Lake Huron storm near White Rock, Michigan, Gibralter dragged onto a shoal, grounded, and was battered into pieces by waves. Her crew reportedly evacuated without loss of life.
Significant Incidents
- On 3 October 1888, Gibralter was caught in a storm, stranded, and broke up on the shoal near White Rock, Michigan.
- No casualties were reported among the crew during the incident.
Final Disposition
The vessel was broken apart on the shoal and declared a total loss. Its remains likely lie scattered across the shoal area, either submerged or buried depending on changing lakebed conditions since 1888.
Current Condition & Accessibility
No formal wreck surveys or GPS-based site identifications have been recorded. The exact resting spot remains uncharted.
Resources & Links
[shotline_reference_links slug=”gibralter-c-83149″ title=”References & Links”]
Gibralter, a large three-masted schooner-barge built in 1854 and converted in 1877, was grounded and destroyed in a storm on 3 October 1888 near White Rock, Michigan, Lake Huron. The crew escaped unharmed. The wreck remains uncharted, offering a potentially significant but unclaimed historical artifact in shallow shoal waters.
Full Wreck Record — complete historical article, construction details, voyage logs, incident reports, dive conditions, and all research sources.
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