Shotline Diving Wreck Profile
- Name: Herring King (originally Fish Hawk)
- Type: Wooden gas screw tug / fish tug
- Year Built: Before 1909 (reconstructed winter 1909–1910)
- Builder: Likely Bayfield or La Pointe, Wisconsin (exact yard unknown)
- Dimensions: Approx. 50–60 ft (after lengthening)
- Registered Tonnage: Unknown
- Location: Sand Island, Apostle Islands, Lake Superior
- Coordinates: N 44° 47.619′, W 087° 14.275′
- Official Number: [Not recorded]
- Original Owners: Boutin Fish Company, Bayfield, WI
- Number of Masts: Unknown
Wreck Location Map
Vessel Type
Vessel Type
The Herring King was a wooden gas screw tug, originally launched as the Fish Hawk. It served primarily in the fishing industry, transporting fish and supplies between the Apostle Islands and the mainland.
Description
Description
The Herring King was a locally built Apostle Islands wooden fish tug, originally launched as the Fish Hawk. In the winter of 1909–1910, the vessel was cut in half, lengthened, and re-engined with a gasoline motor from the Superior. She was then renamed Herring King and placed into service by the Boutin Fish Company of Bayfield. Like other Apostle Islands fish tugs, she was used as a multipurpose working boat, carrying fish, lumber, supplies, mail, and groceries between island fish camps and the mainland.
History
History
By 1911, the Herring King had already experienced sinking in Chequamegon Bay due to leaks, but she was raised and returned to service. Through the 1910s, she was a familiar sight carrying fish from the Moe Fishery on Sand Island to Bayfield packing houses. The tug also provided essential freight and passenger service to isolated fishing communities on the Apostle Islands.
Significant Incidents
Significant Incidents
- 1911: Experienced sinking in Chequamegon Bay due to leaks, raised and returned to service.
- 29 November 1917: Caught fire due to a backfiring gasoline engine, leading to her sinking.
- 1 fatality: Captain Gordon drowned during the incident.
Final Disposition
Final Disposition
The wreck was later towed to Sand Island’s East Bay for potential salvage. Some timbers and engine parts were removed. Remaining hull structure was abandoned nearshore. For many years, the vessel’s burned hull was repurposed as a makeshift cabin by local residents, inverted as a roof with walls built beneath it. Today, little survives at the shoreline site; fragments remain buried in sand and vegetation.
Current Condition & Accessibility
Current Condition & Accessibility
Access is available from the shoreline site at Sand Island East Bay. The entry point is the NPS Sand Island East Bay dock. Conditions are shallow water with minimal wreckage remains. The depth range is nearshore, and permits are required for excavation as per National Park Service regulations.
Resources & Links
[shotline_reference_links slug=”herring-king-fish-hawk” title=”References & Links”]
Closing Summary
The Herring King serves as a reminder of the maritime history of the Apostle Islands. While little remains of the vessel today, its story continues to be a part of the local heritage.
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.
Identification Card (Site Style)
Description
The Herring King was a locally built Apostle Islands wooden fish tug, originally launched as the Fish Hawk. In the winter of 1909–1910, the vessel was cut in half, lengthened, and re-engined with a gasoline motor from the Superior. She was then renamed Herring King and placed into service by the Boutin Fish Company of Bayfield. Like other Apostle Islands fish tugs, she was used as a multipurpose working boat, carrying fish, lumber, supplies, mail, and groceries between island fish camps and the mainland.History
By 1911, the Herring King had already experienced sinking in Chequamegon Bay due to leaks, but she was raised and returned to service. Through the 1910s, she was a familiar sight carrying fish from the Moe Fishery on Sand Island to Bayfield packing houses. The tug also provided essential freight and passenger service to isolated fishing communities on the Apostle Islands.Final Voyage
On November 29, 1917, the Herring King was returning from the Moe Fishery on Sand Island, carrying a full load of fish. As she approached Shaw’s Landing on Sand Island, her gasoline engine backfired and ignited fuel leaking from a broken line in the bilge. Fire spread instantly. The two crewmen, Captain Gordon and engineer Clarence Russell, attempted to abandon ship, but the fire prevented them from launching the lifeboat. The nearby steamer Goldfish was anchored close enough to assist. Clarence Russell jumped overboard and swam to safety, but Captain Gordon drowned in the attempt. The vessel, valued at $1,500, burned to the waterline and sank with her $1,000 fish cargo.Final Disposition
The wreck was later towed to Sand Island’s East Bay for potential salvage. Some timbers and engine parts were removed. Remaining hull structure was abandoned nearshore. For many years, the vessel’s burned hull was repurposed as a makeshift cabin by local residents, inverted as a roof with walls built beneath it. Today, little survives at the shoreline site; fragments remain buried in sand and vegetation.Located By & Date Found
Known since 1917 loss. Remains documented at Sand Island East Bay, Apostle Islands National Lakeshore.Notmars & Advisories
None issued. Nearshore wreck not a navigation hazard.Dive Information
Access: Shoreline site at Sand Island East Bay Entry Point: NPS Sand Island East Bay dock Conditions: Shallow water, minimal wreckage remains Depth Range: Shoreline Emergency Contacts: USCG Station Bayfield, WI Permits: Required for excavation (National Park Service) Dive Support: Apostle Islands National Lakeshore visitor accessCrew & Casualty Memorials
1 casualty: Captain Gordon drowned. Clarence Russell, engineer, survived. No formal memorial known.Documented Statements & Extracts
“The tug Herring King was in use as a freighter by the Boutin Company, making regular trips to the fishing stations at Sand Island and bringing the product of the lake to the packing plant here.” — *Bayfield County Press*, 3 Dec 1909.
“Mere yards from the dock, tucked into the woods, is a tumbled down shack made from the hull of a boat… One practical island family put the remains (of the charred Herring King) to use. Turning the hull upside down, they built walls beneath it and made the wreck into a cabin.” — *Lake Superior Magazine*.
Registry, Enrollment & Insurance Trails
Originally enrolled as Fish Hawk. Rebuilt 1909–1910, lengthened, and renamed Herring King. Official registration details incomplete. Ownership recorded under Boutin Fish Company, Bayfield, WI. Insurance value at loss estimated at $1,500 vessel, $1,000 cargo.Site Documentation & Imaging
Hull remains near Sand Island East Bay, Apostle Islands. No formal archaeological survey published. Remains largely salvaged and repurposed.Image Gallery
Resources & Links
- Wisconsin Historical Society – Maritime Preservation Program
- Apostle Islands National Lakeshore (NPS)
- Great Lakes Vessels Database (BGSU/HCGL)
- Keller, James M. *The Unholy Apostles: Tales of Chequamegon Shipwrecks*
- *Lake Superior Magazine*, feature on Sand Island cabin
References
- *Bayfield County Press*, 3 Dec 1909 (operational report).
- Keller, James M. *The Unholy Apostles: Tales of Chequamegon Shipwrecks* (loss account).
- *Lake Superior Magazine* (Sand Island cabin built from hull remains).
- Wisconsin Historical Society vessel database (Herring King entry).