Shotline Diving

Connecting You to the Depths of the Great Lakes

Gracie M. (aka Grace M.)

Explore the wreck of the Gracie M., a fishing tug sunk in 1905 after a collision with a Canadian patrol vessel, resulting in tragic loss of life.

Shotline Diving Wreck Profile

  • Name: Gracie M. (also recorded as Grace M.)
  • Type: Propeller-driven fishing tug
  • Year Built:
  • Builder:
  • Dimensions: Length ~45 ft (13.7 m); Beam; Depth of hold
  • Registered Tonnage: ~12 tons (~10.9 m)
  • Location: ~6 mi east of Middle Island, Lake Erie
  • Official Number: U.S. registry (unverified numeric)

Wreck Location Map

Vessel Type

  • Vessel Class: Steel fish tug engaged in commercial fishing operations
  • Construction: Steel hull, single propeller. Approximate dimensions 45 ft (13.7 m) length × ~12 tons displacement (~10.9 m)

Description

  • Function: Fishing in Lake Erie, operating from Lorain, Ohio (U.S.)
  • Legal Dispute: Operated in disputed Canadian waters; had been previously warned by Canadian Fisheries Patrol for illegal fishing operations

History

  • Final Incident: On 7 June 1905, Canadian Fisheries Patrol vessel CGS Vigilant fired three warning shots across its bow before intentionally ramming the Gracie M. attempting to evade toward the U.S.
  • Casualties: Three crew members died—two crushed in the collision; one crew escaped. Capt. William Galbraith (probable owner) later admitted ignoring warnings. Vigilant reported the contact accidental while attempting to stop tug.

Significant Incidents

  • Sinking: Sank immediately after being rammed, no salvage occurred
  • Fatalities: 3 crew members killed

Final Disposition

  • Sinking: Sank immediately after being rammed, no salvage occurred
  • Fatalities: 3 crew members killed

Current Condition & Accessibility

  • Site: Approx. 6 mi (10 km) east of Middle Island in eastern Lake Erie
  • Status: No known dive surveys or modern site documentation referenced; likely still on lake bottom in original sinking condition. Wreck not listed in major dive guides.

Resources & Links

[shotline_reference_links slug=”gracie-m-aka-grace-m” title=”References & Links”]

The Gracie M. represents a rare instance of a U.S. fishing vessel deliberately rammed by Canadian authorities—a testament to intense fisheries jurisdiction challenges in early 20th-century Great Lakes. Its sinking resulted in loss of life and remains an unstudied historical wreck on Lake Erie’s bottom. A thorough documentation including archival retrieval, legal inquiry review, and dive survey could illuminate both the legal maritime history and material culture of steel fish tugs from the era.

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 Type & Description

History & Operational Context

  • Function: Fishing in Lake Erie, operating from Lorain, Ohio (U.S.)
  • Legal Dispute: Operated in disputed Canadian waters; had been previously warned by Canadian Fisheries Patrol for illegal fishing operations (Great Lakes Shipwreck Files, Alchem Inc.)
  • Final Incident: On 7 June 1905, Canadian Fisheries Patrol vessel CGS Vigilant fired three warning shots across its bow before intentionally ramming the Gracie M. attempting to evade toward the U.S. (Alchem Inc.)
  • Casualties: Three crew members died—two crushed in the collision; one crew escaped. Capt. William Galbraith (probable owner) later admitted ignoring warnings. Vigilant reported the contact accidental while attempting to stop tug (Great Lakes Shipwreck Files)

Final Disposition

  • Sinking: Sank immediately after being rammed, no salvage occurred
  • Fatalities: 3 crew members killed (Alchem Inc.)

Involved Patrol Vessel – CGS Vigilant

  • Steel-built 175 ft fisheries patrol vessel with ram bow, commissioned 1904
  • Engaged in armed fisheries patrol, carried two QF 3-pounder guns and had ram bow (Wikipedia)
  • Responsible for collision on 7 June 1905 during Gracie M. incident (Wikipedia)

Wreck Location & Condition

  • Site: Approx. 6 mi (10 km) east of Middle Island in eastern Lake Erie
  • Status: No known dive surveys or modern site documentation referenced; likely still on lake bottom in original sinking condition. Wreck not listed in major dive guides.

Notices to Mariners & Advisories

  • None identified. No official Notices to Mariners recorded during or after the incident.

Suggested Next-Step Research

  • Archival documentation:
    • Canadian Fisheries Patrol logs (1905) – likely held in Library & Archives Canada
    • Court or inquiry records on the collision
  • Newspaper archives:
    • Local press (Lorain, OH; Canadian newspapers) dated June 1905 for casualty reports, legal outcomes
  • Gravesites/memorials:
    • Death records via Ohio cemeteries in Lorain County; possible obituaries in local Ohio papers

Dive & Archaeological Potential

  • Site Access: Likely in 10–20 m depth range (eastern Lake Erie typical bottom depth)
  • Survey Data: None found—divers or researchers could accurately locate based on collision coordinates at ~9.7 km offshore
  • Permits: Located in Canadian/U.S. boundary waters—dive regulations require binational coordination and provincial/Great Lakes management permissions

Conclusion

The Gracie M. represents a rare instance of a U.S. fishing vessel deliberately rammed by Canadian authorities—a testament to intense fisheries jurisdiction challenges in early 20th‑century Great Lakes. Its sinking resulted in loss of life and remains an unstudied historical wreck on Lake Erie’s bottom. A thorough documentation including archival retrieval, legal inquiry review, and dive survey could illuminate both the legal maritime history and material culture of steel fish tugs from the era.

Keywords

Lake Erie; fishing tug; Canadian Fisheries Patrol; CGS Vigilant; illegal fishing; steel hull; early 1900s; maritime boundary enforcement; uncharted wreck; historical dive site

gracie-m-aka-grace-m 1905-06-07 11:54:00