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: Good Intent
• Other Names: None documented
• Vessel Type: Sloop
• Date Built: 1799
• Builder: William and R.S. Reed
• Place Built: Mill Creek, near Erie, Pennsylvania
• Dimensions:
• Estimated Length: ~40-50 feet (12-15 metres), typical of Great Lakes sloops of the era
• Tonnage: 15 tons
• Registry Number: None recorded (early unregistered vessel)
• Date Lost: 1806
• Final Location: Point Abino, Lake Erie
• Coordinates: Exact coordinates unknown, estimated near 42°49’N, 79°00’W
• Depth at Wreck Site: Unknown — presumed relatively shallow water near the shoreline.

Vessel Type

Sloop

The Good Intent was a single-masted sloop, a vessel type common to the Great Lakes at the turn of the 19th century. Sloops were small, nimble vessels typically used for local trade, fishing, and short-haul cargo transportation. In the early years of European settlement and commerce around the Lakes, sloops were essential workhorses, able to access shallow harbours and creeks where larger brigs and schooners could not.

At 15 tons, the Good Intent was modest in size but perfectly suited for local freight and passenger service, likely carrying goods between Erie, the Niagara frontier, and other emerging settlements along the shores of Lake Erie.

History

The Good Intent was constructed in 1799 at Mill Creek, near Erie, Pennsylvania, a location known for early Great Lakes shipbuilding. Built by William and R.S. Reed, she was part of a growing fleet of small vessels critical to the early development of lake commerce at a time when overland transport was still slow and unreliable.

She likely operated along the southern shore of Lake Erie, transporting a mix of passengers, trade goods, and supplies between Erie, Buffalo, and smaller frontier settlements on both the American and British (Canadian) sides of the lake.

In 1806, Good Intent was lost with all hands near Point Abino, a treacherous section of Lake Erie’s north shore. This area, notorious for its shifting shoals, fog, and unpredictable weather, posed significant dangers to early mariners, especially in poorly charted waters.

The specific circumstances of her loss remain undocumented, but the complete loss of vessel and crew suggests either a severe storm, a navigational error, or a combination of both.

Final Disposition

• Cause of Loss: Unknown; likely a foundering in storm conditions or a grounding on Point Abino’s shoals.
• Date Lost: 1806.
• Final Resting Place: Near or offshore from Point Abino, along the north shore of Lake Erie.
• Status: Presumed broken apart and scattered, given the passage of over two centuries and the often-destructive lake conditions in this area.

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Site Description

No confirmed archaeological discovery of the Good Intent has ever been made.

If any part of the wreckage survives, it would likely consist of:

• Scattered timbers, fastenings, and iron hardware, widely dispersed.
• Possibly some ballast stones or cargo remnants, if non-perishable goods were aboard.
• Likely buried in sediment or obscured by shoreline changes over time.

Experience Rating

Not a recreational dive site — Historical Archive Listing Only

Without a positively identified wreck site, this entry is maintained strictly as historical documentation.

NOTMARs & Advisories

• No official NOTMARs apply to this specific wreck.
• Any future discovery would fall under the jurisdiction of the Ontario Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Sport, as well as the Province of Ontario’s heritage laws protecting underwater cultural heritage.

Located By & Date Found

• Never officially located.
• Presumed lost and dispersed along the lake bottom near Point Abino.

Current Condition & Accessibility

• Depth: Unknown, but likely within 5 to 15 metres (15 to 50 feet) based on the proximity to shore and typical nearshore depths off Point Abino.
• Bottom Composition: Sand, gravel, and limestone ledges, typical of Point Abino’s underwater topography.
• Visibility: Variable, typically 5 to 10 metres (15 to 30 feet), depending on season and weather.
• Condition: Presumed heavily fragmented and widely dispersed.

Resources & Links

• Maritime History of the Great Lakes
• David Swayze Great Lakes Shipwreck File
• Library and Archives Canada
• Historical Collections of the Great Lakes – Bowling Green

Conclusion

The loss of Good Intent is a reminder of the perilous conditions faced by early Great Lakes mariners, navigating largely uncharted waters with only rudimentary navigational tools. Although small and often overlooked in modern shipwreck lore, vessels like Good Intent formed the backbone of frontier trade and transportation, helping knit together the early settlements of the Great Lakes.

Her story, even if her remains are never found, belongs firmly in the evolving narrative of Great Lakes maritime history, a testament to the risk and courage required to open up the lakes to commerce and settlement.

Keywords & Categories

Good Intent, Sloop, Lake Erie, Point Abino, Early Great Lakes Shipping, Maritime History, Shipwreck, Lost with All Hands, Great Lakes Shipwrecks, Colonial Trade Vessels, Early Shipbuilding in Erie

Good Intent was a single-masted sloop, a vessel type common to the Great Lakes at the turn of the 19th century. Sloops were small, nimble vessels typically used for local trade, fishing, and short-haul cargo transportation good-intent-1799 1806-12-31 07:56:00