Shotline Diving Wreck Profile
- Name: Grape Shot
- Type: Wooden centerboard schooner
- Year Built: 1855
- Builder: B. B. Jones
- Dimensions: 131 ft (40 m) × 26.5 ft (8.1 m) × 9 ft (2.7 m)
- Registered Tonnage: ~300 gross tons
- Depth at Wreck Site: 1 m / 3 ft
- Location: Plum Island, Lake Michigan (north shore)
- Coordinates: ~0.3 km NW of Plum Island Coast Guard Station
- Official Number: Not listed
- Original Owners: A. Stewart (Chicago)
- Number of Masts: Two masts
Wreck Location Map
Vessel Type
Wooden centerboard schooner with two masts, fore-and-aft rigged. Designed for bulk freight transport of lumber, grain, and salt, with shallow draft enabling use of smaller ports.
Description
The Grape Shot was built at Buffalo, New York, in 1855. Typical of her type, she had a shallow draft and centerboard trunk for variable lake conditions. Owned by Chicago merchant A. Stewart, she primarily served in the lumber and salt trade on Lake Michigan.
History
- Final Cargo: ~50,000 board feet of lumber and salt.
- Voyage: Likely northbound to Chicago from a Michigan or Wisconsin port.
- Incident: Stranded in a severe November storm of 1867, grounding hard on Plum Island’s north shore. Attempts by the Leviathan to free her failed. The George Dunbar salvaged cargo and rigging before abandonment.
Significant Incidents
- No navigation hazards reported.
- Protected archaeological site: removal of artifacts prohibited under Wisconsin law and the U.S. Abandoned Shipwreck Act.
Final Disposition
Declared a total loss in November 1867. Insured for $7,500, appraised at $10,000. Abandoned in situ, her hull gradually settled but remained preserved.
Current Condition & Accessibility
- Depth: 2–3 m (6–10 ft).
- Preservation: Starboard hull, centerboard trunk, stempost, keelson, and framing intact.
- Substrate: Sand and flat rock.
- Visibility: Often high due to zebra mussel filtration.
Resources & Links
[shotline_reference_links slug=”grape-shot-1855″ title=”References & Links”]
The Grape Shot is a well-preserved example of a mid-19th century wooden schooner, accessible in shallow water near Plum Island. Recognized on the National Register of Historic Places, it provides a unique opportunity for divers and historians to study a typical lumber schooner of the era. Its accessibility makes it a popular and educational dive site.
Full Wreck Record — complete historical article, construction details, voyage logs, incident reports, dive conditions, and all research sources.
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