Gracie M. (aka Grace M.)

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

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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.