Shotline Diving Wreck Profile
- Name: Lily Dancey
- Type: Wooden two-masted schooner
- Year Built: 1856
- Builder: Marlton (Goderich), Ontario
- Dimensions: Approx. 92 ft × 21 ft × 10 ft (ca. 28 m × 6.4 m × 3 m)
- Registered Tonnage: ~132 gross tons, ~125 net tons
- Location: Driven ashore between Port Elgin and Kincardine
- Coordinates: Not precisely known
- Official Number: Not registered (none noted)
- Original Owners: Dancey & Marlton, Goderich, Ontario
- Number of Masts: 2
Wreck Location Map
Vessel Type
Wooden two-masted schooner.
Description
Lily Dancey was a mid-19th-century wooden schooner built in the Goderich area—specifically in Marlton—in 1856. Measuring approximately 92 feet in length and rated at about 132 gross tons, she operated on Lake Huron routes transporting bulk grain. She served Dancey & Marlton’s mercantile interests out of Goderich.
History
Commissioned by Dancey & Marlton of Goderich, Ontario, Lily Dancey served as a cargo schooner in the Lake Huron grain trade. Though specific career details remain limited, she was engaged in commercial upbound traffic as late as November 1865.
Significant Incidents
- On 7 November 1865, while transporting grain upbound on Lake Huron, Lily Dancey encountered a violent gale.
- She was driven ashore between Port Elgin and Kincardine and declared a total loss.
- The vessel and cargo were initially unrecoverable; however, her grain was later salvaged, and the hull was abandoned.
- By 27 November, contemporary reports confirmed she had broken up completely.
Final Disposition
No modern discovery has occurred. The location was publicly documented at the time of the incident, with no known surviving remnants.
Current Condition & Accessibility
Access: Not applicable (shore wreck)
Entry Point: Not applicable
Conditions: Not applicable
Depth Range: N/A
Emergency Contacts: Not applicable
Permits: Not required
Dive Support: Not applicable
Resources & Links
[shotline_reference_links slug=”lily-dancey-1856″ title=”References & Links”]
No crew fatalities were reported. Further details may reside in local newspaper collections including the Port Elgin Times and Signal-Star, which are indexed within the John Weichel Research Files at the Bruce County Archives.
Full Wreck Record — complete historical article, construction details, voyage logs, incident reports, dive conditions, and all research sources.
Join Shotline to read more →