Shotline Diving Wreck Profile
- Name: J.C. Davis (J.A. Davis)
- Type: Wooden two-masted schooner
- Year Built: 1847 or earlier
- Builder: Not documented
- Dimensions: Estimated 97 tons (gross) – precise length, beam, depth unknown
- Registered Tonnage: 97 tons
- Location: Off Grand Haven, Michigan
- Coordinates: Not documented
- Official Number: None recorded
- Original Owners: Not recorded
- Number of Masts: Two
Wreck Location Map
Vessel Type
The J.C. Davis was a mid-19th-century wooden schooner, utilizing a two-masted sailing rig typical of the era. Built in or before 1847, her estimated 97-ton capacity places her among small coastal freight carriers serving Great Lakes ports such as Chicago, Detroit, and Buffalo.
Description
The J.C. Davis was a mid-19th-century wooden schooner, utilizing a two-masted sailing rig typical of the era. Built in or before 1847, her estimated 97-ton capacity places her among small coastal freight carriers serving Great Lakes ports such as Chicago, Detroit, and Buffalo.
History
Documentation of her operational life is limited. Like many contemporary schooners, the J.C. Davis would have carried general merchandise between regional ports. The absence of registry or ownership records online underscores her modest profile in maritime commerce.
Significant Incidents
On the night of 4 November 1868, the J.C. Davis encountered a severe storm off Grand Haven, Michigan. The gale “blew her down” and she capsized, resulting in total loss by foundering. No salvage attempts were documented, and no survivors or casualties are recorded.
Final Disposition
The wreck has never been located or surveyed. It remains uncharted and undiscovered, likely resting in deep waters given the open-lake capsizing scenario.
Current Condition & Accessibility
No diving information exists due to the wreck’s unknown location and condition. Conditions off Grand Haven in that era—and currently—would have involved cold, potentially turbulent waters and likely significant depth.
Resources & Links
[shotline_reference_links slug=”j-c-davis-j-a-davis-1847″ title=”References & Links”]
There are no personal or casualty records associated with the loss. No memorials, obituaries, or crew-profiles are documented in accessible sources.
Full Wreck Record — complete historical article, construction details, voyage logs, incident reports, dive conditions, and all research sources.
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