Shotline Diving Wreck Profile
- Name: Lizzie Doak
- Type: Wood-hulled schooner
- Year Built: 1868
- Builder: Gibson
- Dimensions: 75 ft × 20 ft × 6 ft (22.9 × 6.1 × 1.8 m); gross tonnage ~64 ft, net tonnage ~60 ft
- Registered Tonnage: 64 ft
- Location: Beached in storm about ½ mile south of Ludington piers, Lake Michigan
- Official Number: 15640
- Original Owners: Wallace & Barnes of St. Joseph, Michigan
- Number of Masts: Two-masted
Wreck Location Map
Vessel Type
A regional two‐masted schooner used in mid‐ to late 19th-century Great Lakes trade, likely hauling bulk goods like lumber, grain, or stone.
Description
Standard wooden schooner construction for the period, featuring two masts and one deck, built for efficiency in lake trade.
History
- Built in 1868 (or 1871) by Gibson at Winneconne or Milwaukee.
- By 1871, owned by Wallace & Barnes, St. Joseph, MI.
- In 1874, struck the St. Joseph bridge.
- In November 1889, stranded near Muskegon but refloated.
Significant Incidents
- Struck the St. Joseph bridge in 1874.
- Stranded near Muskegon in November 1889 but was refloated.
Final Disposition
On 30 August 1892, the LIZZIE DOAK sprang a leak during a storm near Ludington. To avoid sinking in the open lake, the captain beached the vessel approximately 0.5 mile south of the piers. However, incoming waves broke her apart, resulting in a total wreck. The entire crew survived.
Current Condition & Accessibility
No modern discovery or archaeological survey is recorded. Wreckage was likely dismantled or dispersed in shallow shore zones near Ludington; no remnants accessible today.
Resources & Links
[shotline_reference_links slug=”lizzie-doak-us-15640″ title=”References & Links”]
The LIZZIE DOAK typifies mid‐19th-century regional schooners navigating the volatile conditions of Lake Michigan. Her end near Ludington—running aground to save her crew, then breaking apart in surf—was a common fate for similar vessels. Though no physical remains exist today, her story, drawn from official registry and incident reports, highlights the ever-present risks of Great Lakes sailing.
Full Wreck Record — complete historical article, construction details, voyage logs, incident reports, dive conditions, and all research sources.
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