Shotline Diving Wreck Profile
- Name: Golden Fisher
- Type: Wooden fishing tug
- Year Built: 1943
- Builder:
- Dimensions:
- Registered Tonnage:
- Location: Lake Huron (offshore, precise coordinates not recorded)
- Original Owners: Not definitively recorded
Wreck Location Map
Vessel Type
The Golden Fisher was most probably a wooden fishing tug, common on the Great Lakes in the 1940s, built to service commercial fisheries with gillnets and trap nets. These vessels were generally single-decked, with a strong deckhouse and low freeboard for easy net handling.
Description
The Golden Fisher was relatively new, launched in 1943, and had only a brief operational period before its loss. These wooden fish tugs were essential to the war-era Great Lakes fishing trade, supplying fresh fish to both civilian markets and military provisioning.
History
On 5 June 1943, the Golden Fisher caught fire offshore on Lake Huron under unknown circumstances. The blaze consumed the wooden hull, which then sank. No specific salvage is recorded, and there is no confirmation of a total loss of crew, suggesting they may have escaped but no detailed report is available.
Significant Incidents
- No formal diver or survey documentation has confirmed the wreck’s precise location, and its remains are presumed to be in deeper water off the Lake Huron shoreline.
Final Disposition
No current Notices to Mariners (NOTMARs) are active for this site, and no recognized hazard warnings apply.
Current Condition & Accessibility
The Golden Fisher is an example of a World War II–era working fish tug lost to fire, a common risk for these wooden-hulled vessels with fuel and engine-room hazards. Its loss underscores the vulnerability of fish tugs even in relatively modern times.
Resources & Links
[shotline_reference_links slug=”golden-fisher1943″ title=”References & Links”]
For those interested in maritime history, the Golden Fisher represents a significant loss during a pivotal time in the Great Lakes fishing industry.
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: Golden Fisher
- Year Built: 1943
- Type: Wooden fishing tug (likely, based on name and era)
- Hull Material: Wood
- Owner: Not definitively recorded
- Final Resting Place: Lake Huron (offshore, precise coordinates not recorded)
- Date of Loss: 5 June 1943
- Cargo at Time of Loss: None reported (likely on a fishing run)
- Crew Casualties: Unknown, no deaths noted in summary references
Vessel Type Description
The Golden Fisher was most probably a wooden fishing tug, common on the Great Lakes in the 1940s, built to service commercial fisheries with gillnets and trap nets. These vessels were generally single-decked, with a strong deckhouse and low freeboard for easy net handling.
History
The Golden Fisher was relatively new, launched in 1943, and had only a brief operational period before its loss. These wooden fish tugs were essential to the war-era Great Lakes fishing trade, supplying fresh fish to both civilian markets and military provisioning.
Final Disposition
On 5 June 1943, the Golden Fisher caught fire offshore on Lake Huron under unknown circumstances. The blaze consumed the wooden hull, which then sank. No specific salvage is recorded, and there is no confirmation of a total loss of crew, suggesting they may have escaped but no detailed report is available.
Located By & Date
No formal diver or survey documentation has confirmed the wreck’s precise location, and its remains are presumed to be in deeper water off the Lake Huron shoreline.
Notmars & Advisories
No current Notices to Mariners (NOTMARs) are active for this site, and no recognized hazard warnings apply.
Resources & Links
- Maritime History of the Great Lakes
- Great Lakes Vessels Index (BGSU)
- David Swayze Shipwreck File
- NOAA Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary
Conclusion
The Golden Fisher is an example of a World War II–era working fish tug lost to fire, a common risk for these wooden-hulled vessels with fuel and engine-room hazards. Its loss underscores the vulnerability of fish tugs even in relatively modern times.
Keywords, Categories, Glossary Terms
- Golden Fisher
- fishing tug
- Lake Huron
- 1940s shipwreck
- Great Lakes fishing history
- fire loss
- World War II–era vessel