Shotline Diving Wreck Profile
- Name: Lady Dufferin
- Type: Wooden, 3-mast schooner-barge (auxiliary salvage or tow-vessel)
- Year Built: 1872
- Builder: L. McDermott (or McDermand) at Port Burwell, Ontario
- Dimensions: 135 ft × 24 ft × 11 ft (41.1 m × 7.3 m × 3.4 m); 356 gross register tons
- Registered Tonnage: 356 gross register tons
- Location: Dufferin Point, near Cabot Head, Georgian Bay
- Official Number: Unrecorded ("C?")
- Number of Masts: 3
Wreck Location Map
Vessel Type
Wooden, 3-mast schooner-barge designed for towing and salvage operations.
Description
Constructed of oak and pine, rigged with three masts and reportedly equipped with an unusual spritsail even as late as 1882. Designed to be towed by a steam tug and to carry salvage gear or cargo, her broad beam suggests stability rather than speed.
History
After launching, Lady Dufferin operated out of Hamilton, Ontario, likely on the Great Lakes.
- 1884 Incident: Heavily damaged after wrecking on Caribou Island, Lake Superior. That strike likely impacted her hull and, while record details are sparse, it rendered her unseaworthy.
- 1886 Final Voyage:
- Date: October 24, 1886
- Tow: Under tow of propeller tug W.B. Hall
- Incident: Lost her tow in storm conditions off Georgian Bay; went ashore on what is now known as Dufferin Point, near Cabot Head.
- Outcome: Total loss; no casualties reported.
Significant Incidents
- 1884 Hull damage: Likely severe water ingress or structural failure from grounding on Caribou Island.
- 1886 Wreck: Driven ashore and broken up back on Georgian Bay shore; vessel deemed a total constructive loss.
- Storm recorded: Official cause in wreck register notes “storm”.
Final Disposition
The Lady Dufferin was deemed a total loss after being driven ashore during a storm. The wreck was broken up on the Georgian Bay shore.
Current Condition & Accessibility
No known underwater survey or dive exploration has documented either wreck site. No records from maritime museums or sonar groups confirm rediscovery.
Resources & Links
[shotline_reference_links slug=”lady-dufferin-1872″ title=”References & Links”]
Lady Dufferin is emblematic of lesser-known Great Lakes schooner-barges whose careers ended in plain accident but left minimal trace. Despite two serious incidents—one on Caribou Island and her final grounding—no full archaeological record exists. Further archival inquiry and remote survey work might yet reveal her remains and clarify the scope of her final wrecking.
Full Wreck Record — complete historical article, construction details, voyage logs, incident reports, dive conditions, and all research sources.
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