John F. Warner (1855)

Shotline Diving Wreck Profile

• Name: John F. Warner
• Type: Wooden three-masted schooner (converted to barge)
• Year Built: 1855
• Builder: Quayle & Martin, Cleveland, Ohio
• Dimensions: Length ~126 ft (38.4 m); Beam 26 ft (7.9 m); Depth of hold
• Registered Tonnage: ~200 GRT
• Depth at Wreck Site: 2.7 m / 9 ft
• Location: Near the mouth of the Thunder Bay River, Alpena, Lake Huron
• Coordinates: Approximately N 45° 03.050′, W 83° 26.128′
• Official Number: Not listed
• Original Owners: Not specified
• Number of Masts: Three

Wreck Location Map

Vessel Type

• Three-masted wooden sailing schooner, later used as a sail-barge.
• Designed for bulk freight like lumber and lath.

Description

• Length: ~126 ft (38.4 m)
• Beam: 26 ft (7.9 m)
• Gross Tonnage: ~200 GRT
• Cargo at Final Voyage: Lumber & lath

History

• Built in 1855 and spent early years trading between the Great Lakes and European ports.
• After 1860, focused on regional lumber hauling on Lake Huron and Lake Michigan.
• No specific master or ownership data cited in available sources.

Significant Incidents

• Anchored off Alpena’s harbor entrance when a severe northeasterly storm struck.
• Anchor chains parted; the vessel was driven onto the river mouth bar.
• The Alpena Weekly Argus reported: “the heaviest sea ever known here…broke her in two,” and crew evacuated safely.
• To prevent navigation hazard, tugs towed the broken hulk south and abandoned her.

Final Disposition

• Today, the remains lie in ~9 ft (2.7 m) of shallow water, marked for recreational divers.
• Vessel is broken in two, with frames and hull timbers visible and coated in invasive mussels.
• Scientifically documented by NOAA Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary; mooring buoy installed for preservation and diver access.

Current Condition & Accessibility

• No official navigational hazards were issued at the time; local action was taken to move the wreck to clear the harbor channel.

Resources & Links

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The John F. Warner is a well-attested wreck of a mid-19th-century wooden schooner-barge, lost in October 1890 during a sudden storm off Alpena. The crew survived; the vessel was intentionally towed away to clear the river mouth. Its remains are documented, buoyed, and accessible, making it a principal heritage dive site within the Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary.