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.
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
- Vessel type: Wooden, 3‑mast schooner‑barge (auxiliary salvage or tow‑vessel)
- Built: 1872 by L. McDermott (or McDermand) at Port Burwell, Ontario (Great Lakes Shipwreck Files)
- Dimensions: 41.1 m × 7.3 m × 3.4 m (135′ × 24′ × 11′); 356 gross register tons (Great Lakes Shipwreck Files)
- Official number: Unrecorded (“C?”) (Great Lakes Shipwreck Files)
Description
Constructed of oak and pine, rigged with three masts and reportedly equipped with an unusual spritsail even as late as 1882 (Great Lakes Shipwreck Files). 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 (Great Lakes Shipwreck Files). 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 (Great Lakes Shipwreck Files, Ramblin’ Boy, Facebook).
- Outcome: Total loss; no casualties reported (Great Lakes Shipwreck Files, Facebook).
Final Disposition
- 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” (Great Lakes Shipwreck Files).
Located By & Date Found
No known underwater survey or dive exploration has documented either wreck site. No records from maritime museums or sonar groups confirm rediscovery.
Notices & Advisories
No official Notices to Mariners or contemporaneous navigational bulletins have been located referencing the wreck, aside from inland wreck registers.
Resources & Links
- Great Lakes wreck register summary (Great Lakes Shipwreck Files)
- Inland newspapers of Georgian Bay (late Oct 1886) – further archival deep-dive recommended
- Caribou Island wreck details from 1884 incident (Great Lakes Maritime collections)
- Tug W.B. Hall records (steam vessel logs, possible Hudson’s Bay records)
Research Gaps & Next Steps
- Archive Dive: Local Georgian Bay newspapers, tug manifests, and Marine Department wreck files for October 1886.
- Caribou Island Survey: Seek sonar or ROV scans from historical societies; check Thunder Bay NOAA and local dive logs.
- Museum Consultation: HMGLS (Hamilton) or Brown University’s Great Lakes archives for potential salvage or insurance files.
Conclusion
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.
Keywords: Great Lakes, schooner‑barge, Lady Dufferin, Caribou Island, Georgian Bay, 1886 grounding, W.B. Hall, archival research, wreck register.
lady-dufferin-1872 1886-10-24 10:49:00