Shotline Diving Wreck Profile
- Name: Kate Richmond
- Type: Wooden schooner
- Year Built: 1855
- Builder:
- Dimensions: Length X ft (Y m); Beam; Depth of hold
- Registered Tonnage:
- Location: Lake Huron (precise site not documented)
- Original Owners: Not conclusively documented
- Number of Masts: 2
Wreck Location Map
Vessel Type
The Kate Richmond was a wooden two-masted schooner, built for the Great Lakes lumber, grain, and general cargo trades of the mid-19th century.
Description
She was constructed with oak framing and pine planking, with a single deck, moderate depth of hold, and fore-and-aft sails. The schooner’s shallow draft allowed her to operate in smaller harbours around Lake Huron.
History
Launched in 1855, the Kate Richmond operated for thirty years in the busy shipping corridors of Lake Huron. On 5 December 1885, while battling a late-season storm, she was driven ashore. Pounded by the surf and grounded hard, she was abandoned by her crew, who escaped safely in the vessel’s yawl (ship’s boat).
Subsequent efforts were made to salvage or refloat the schooner, but contemporary reports suggest these were unsuccessful, and the vessel was considered a total loss.
Significant Incidents
- Grounded during a storm on 5 December 1885.
- All crew survived by escaping in the yawl.
- Considered a total loss after unsuccessful salvage attempts.
Final Disposition
Declared a total constructive loss after the stranding; no confirmed record of successful salvage or return to service.
Current Condition & Accessibility
No modern diver or archaeological documentation of the wreck has been reported.
Resources & Links
[shotline_reference_links slug=”kate-richmond-1855″ title=”References & Links”]
The Kate Richmond‘s grounding during a December storm is typical of the seasonal risks faced by Great Lakes schooners, especially late in the shipping year. While her crew survived by taking to the yawl, the ship was lost, reflecting how these wooden vessels could be destroyed even close to shore.
Full Wreck Record — complete historical article, construction details, voyage logs, incident reports, dive conditions, and all research sources.
Join Shotline to read more →