HMS Confiance (Ex‑USS Scorpion)

Shotline Diving Wreck Profile

• Name: HMS Confiance (Ex‑USS Scorpion)
• Type: Schooner (armed)
• Year Built: 1813
• Builder: U.S. Navy yard (Lake Erie theater)
• Dimensions: Length X ft (Y m); Beam; Depth of hold
• Registered Tonnage: ~60–70 tons burthen
• Location: Penetanguishene Harbour, Georgian Bay, Lake Huron (Ontario)
• Original Owners: United States Navy (1813–1814), Royal Navy (1814)
• Number of Masts: 2 (fore-and-aft rigged)

Wreck Location Map

Vessel Type

Original Name: Scorpion (United States Navy)
Captured Name: Confiance (Royal Navy, Lake Huron squadron)

Description

HMS Confiance was an armed schooner built for the United States Navy during the War of 1812. It was constructed at the U.S. Navy yard in the Lake Erie theater and launched in 1813. The vessel was designed for naval operations on the upper Great Lakes, featuring a wooden hull, two masts, and an estimated tonnage of 60–70 tons.

History

In 1813, HMS Confiance was built for the United States Navy as part of the post-Perry flotilla, likely intended for blockades and convoy duties. On September 6, 1814, it was captured by British forces on Lake Huron during the Mackinac/Nottawasaga River operations, marking the end of U.S. naval presence in the upper lakes. Following its capture, the vessel was renamed HMS Confiance and commissioned into the Royal Navy Lake Huron squadron, operating primarily from Penetanguishene and Drummond Island. By 1817, it was listed as ‘in ordinary’ at the Penetanguishene naval base, and in 1831, it was officially ordered to be broken up, although records indicate it sank in the naval basin instead.

Significant Incidents

• 1813 – Built for the United States Navy during the War of 1812.
• 6 Sept 1814 – Captured by the British on Lake Huron.
• Renamed HMS Confiance and commissioned into the Royal Navy.
• 1817 – Listed as ‘in ordinary’ at Penetanguishene.
• 1831 – Officially ordered broken up but sank in the naval basin.

Final Disposition

The date of loss is circa 1831, attributed to abandonment and sinking. The vessel is believed to be located in Penetanguishene Harbour, Georgian Bay, Lake Huron, where it sank due to neglect and deterioration. Its current condition likely consists of buried timbers or a partial hull in the soft mud of the historic naval basin. It may survive as part of the Penetanguishene Historic Naval & Military Complex underwater archaeological footprint. The heritage status of HMS Confiance may be protected under the Parks Canada/Ontario Heritage Act as a War of 1812 relic.

Current Condition & Accessibility

HMS Confiance is likely buried in soft mud, with only timbers or a partial hull remaining. It may be part of the underwater archaeological footprint of the Penetanguishene Historic Naval & Military Complex.

Resources & Links

[shotline_reference_links slug=”hms-confiance-ex-uss-scorpion” title=”References & Links”]

HMS Confiance represents a significant historical transition from U.S. dominance to British control of the upper Great Lakes post-1814. It is one of the few vessels captured by the British during the War of 1812 that survived into the 1830s, forming part of the Penetanguishene ‘ship graveyard’ alongside other laid-up vessels.