Shotline Diving Wreck Profile
- Name: La Rabida
- Type: Schooner
- Year Built: 1876
- Builder: Laughlin, Sheboygan, WI
- Dimensions: 75 ft (22.86 m) X 16 ft (4.88 m); Depth of hold 6 ft (1.83 m)
- Registered Tonnage: 56 grt / 54 nrt
- Location: Near Naubinway, Michigan
- Official Number: 75850
- Original Owners: Paradie (Montreal owner after 1903)
- Number of Masts: Three-masted
Wreck Location Map
Vessel Type
A three-masted wooden schooner, typical of small freighters and scows carrying seasonal cargoes in Great Lakes trade.
Description
A relatively small wooden schooner (75 ft LOA), built for cargo in near-shore waters. Ships of this class often had shallow drafts and a simple rig suitable for coastal hauling.
History
Built in 1876 as Jesse Winter at Sheboygan, Wisconsin, the vessel served in Great Lakes trade until renamed La Rabida in 1903 under Montreal owner Paradie. Captained by Arthur E. Dow of Manitowoc by her final decade, she carried Christmas trees from Michigan’s Upper Peninsula toward Chicago each November. On November 25, 1906, during a powerful Lake Michigan gale, she sprang a leak and was driven ashore amid storm-swept seas.
Significant Incidents
- Grounded during a gale on November 25, 1906.
- Surviving crew of three endured a frigid night on the beach after the ship was pounded to pieces.
Final Disposition
The ship was pounded to pieces by the storm after grounding. No lives were lost; her crew of three made it ashore after a harrowing scramble, enduring a frigid night on the beach.
Current Condition & Accessibility
Wreck never formally located; remains likely scattered ashore, and not documented as a diveable site.
Resources & Links
[shotline_reference_links slug=”la-rabida-us-75850-jessie-winter” title=”References & Links”]
La Rabida was a modest three-masted wooden schooner built in 1876, renamed in 1903, and lost during a severe gale on 25 November 1906 near Naubinway, Michigan. Her famous cargo of approximately 10,000 Christmas trees washed ashore, salvaged by the survivors who spent a gruelling winter night on the shore. The vessel’s remains have never been formally located, and there is no known dive site marked today.
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.
Shotline Diving Wreck Profile
- Former names: Originally Jesse Winter (built 1876, Laughlin, Sheboygan, WI), renamed La Rabida in 1903 (greatlakesrex.wordpress.com).
- Official number: 75850 (greatlakesrex.wordpress.com)
- Year built: 1876; no major rebuilds noted.
- Vessel dimensions: 23 m × 4.9 m × 1.8 m (75 ft × 16 ft × 6 ft); tonnage ~56 grt / 54 nrt (greatlakesrex.wordpress.com).
- Date lost: 25 November 1906.
- Location of loss: Driven ashore near Naubinway, Michigan on Lake Michigan (doorcountypulse.com, greatlakesrex.wordpress.com).
Vessel Type
A three-masted wooden schooner, typical of small freighters and scows carrying seasonal cargoes in Great Lakes trade.
Description
A relatively small wooden schooner (75 ft LOA), built for cargo in near-shore waters. Ships of this class often had shallow drafts and a simple rig suitable for coastal hauling.
History
Built in 1876 as Jesse Winter at Sheboygan, Wisconsin, the vessel served in Great Lakes trade until renamed La Rabida in 1903 under Montreal owner Paradie (greatlakesrex.wordpress.com). Captained by Arthur E. Dow of Manitowoc by her final decade, she carried Christmas trees from Michigan’s Upper Peninsula toward Chicago each November (doorcountypulse.com). On November 25, 1906, during a powerful Lake Michigan gale, she sprang a leak and was driven ashore amid storm-swept seas (greatlakesrex.wordpress.com).
Final Dispositions
The ship was pounded to pieces by the storm after grounding. No lives were lost; her crew of three made it ashore after a harrowing scramble, enduring a frigid night on the beach (greatlakesrex.wordpress.com).
Located By & Date Found
Wreck never formally located; remains likely scattered ashore, and not documented as a diveable site.
Notmars & Advisories
None noted historically.
Resources & Links
- Great Lakes Shipwreck Files — concise wreck record (shotlinediving.com, greatlakesrex.wordpress.com)
- The Risky Careers of Christmas Schooner Captains — detailed narrative on the 1906 gale and crew survival (doorcountypulse.com)
Summary
La Rabida was a modest three-masted wooden schooner built in 1876, renamed in 1903, and lost during a severe gale on 25 November 1906 near Naubinway, Michigan. Her famous cargo of approximately 10,000 Christmas trees washed ashore, salvaged by the survivors who spent a gruelling winter night on the shore. The vessel’s remains have never been formally located, and there is no known dive site marked today.
Keywords, Categories, Glossary Terms
Christmas tree schooner; Lake Michigan; 1906 gale; wooden schooner; near-shore grounding; Manitowoc captain; seasonal cargo.
la-rabida-us-75850-jessie-winter 1906-11-25 13:49:00