Shotline Diving Wreck Profile
- Name: Lochiel (formerly Three Seas)
- Type: Schooner
- Year Built: 1852
- Builder: Robert Steel, Port Sarnia, Canada West
- Dimensions: Unknown (no documented length/beam)
- Registered Tonnage: 223 tons (old measure)
- Location: Approx. 15 miles northeast of Genesee Light, Lake Ontario
- Coordinates: Unknown
- Official Number: Unknown
- Original Owners: James Coleman & Co.
- Number of Masts: Two-masted
Wreck Location Map
Vessel Type
Lochiel was a wooden-hulled schooner, designed for carrying general cargo or bulk commodities, such as wheat, across Lake Ontario. Her two-masted design was typical for mid-19th century Great Lakes vessels.
Description
Lochiel, originally named Three Seas, was a wood-built schooner typical of her era. She featured a conventional hull form designed to balance cargo capacity with handling in open waters. The vessel was equipped with two masts, shrouds, and stays for sail support.
History
Launched in 1852 in Port Sarnia by Robert Steel, Lochiel was registered at 223 tons and classified as B 1 under the Board of Lake Underwriters, indicating a standard of construction and insurance eligibility. Before 1854, she was renamed from Three Seas. In or before 1861, she underwent repairs documented in local accounts. On her final voyage under Captain Scott, she was carrying 9,000 bushels of wheat from Dundas to Oswego when she encountered a severe gale. Approximately 15 miles northeast of Genesee Light, she foundered, and the crew abandoned ship in small boats, successfully reaching Genesee by 9 a.m. All aboard survived.
Significant Incidents
- Launched in 1852 and originally named Three Seas.
- Renamed Lochiel before 1854.
- Foundered in a gale on March 14, 1861, while carrying wheat.
- All crew members survived the incident.
Final Disposition
Lochiel was lost by foundering in a gale, likely exacerbated by heavy cargo and structural limits. The vessel and her cargo were lost to the lake, and she has not been located. Her present condition remains unknown, but the durability of wooden remains under Lake Ontario conditions is typically poor.
Current Condition & Accessibility
Lochiel has not been located, and no published survey, sonar detection, or dive identification is evident in the sources consulted. The site is not marked and is not documented as a hazard.
Resources & Links
[shotline_reference_links slug=”lochiel-three-seas” title=”References & Links” show_ref_button=”yes”]
As a diver, remember to respect the underwater heritage of Lochiel. Leave only bubbles and take only memories. If you encounter any debris or garbage at dive sites, consider removing it to leave the site better than you found it.
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
Description
*Lochiel* was a wood-built schooner, originally named *Three Seas*. Typical of mid-19th century Great Lakes schooners, she was designed to carry general cargo or bulk commodities (here wheat) across Lake Ontario. Her structure was likely conventional for her time: two masts, shrouds and stays for sail support, and a hull form balancing cargo capacity with handling in open lake waters.History
Launched in 1852 in Port Sarnia by Robert Steel, *Lochiel* (then *Three Seas*) was later renamed (before 1854, per ship registers). :contentReference[oaicite:2]{index=2} She was registered at 223 tons and classed as B 1 under the Board of Lake Underwriters, indicating a certain standard of construction and insurance eligibility. In or before 1861, she underwent repairs (documented in local accounts). On her final voyage under Captain Scott, carrying 9,000 bushels of wheat from Dundas to Oswego, she encountered a severe gale. Rough seas overwhelmed her; roughly 15 miles northeast of Genesee Light, she foundered. The crew abandoned ship in small boats and made their way to Genesee, arriving by 9 a.m. All aboard survived.Final Disposition
Loss was by **foundering in gale**, likely exacerbated by heavy cargo and structural limits. The vessel and her cargo were lost to the lake. Because she has not been located, her present condition is unknown; in over 150 years, durability of wooden remains under Lake Ontario conditions is typically poor.Located by & Date Found
**Not located.** No published survey, sonar detection, or dive identification of *Lochiel* is evident in the sources consulted.Notmars & Advisories
No Notices to Mariners (NOTMAR) or charted hazard designations appear linked to *Lochiel*. The site is not marked and is not documented as a hazard.Dive Information
Access: N/A (site unconfirmed) Entry Point: — Conditions: Unknown (likely moderate to deep, silt, low visibility) Depth Range: Unknown Emergency Contacts: U.S. Coast Guard (Lake Ontario area) + New York maritime authorities Permits: Unknown (would be subject to U.S./Canadian laws on underwater heritage) Dive Support: None knownCrew & Casualty Memorials
No crew names or memorials were found in the sources reviewed. Surviving crew reportedly made it to Genesee in small boats. Local Rochester / Oswego / Dundas newspapers or county records may record names, statements, or claims.Documented Statements & Extracts
“In *History of the Great Lakes* appears the entry: ‘Lochiel, 223 tons, foundered in Lake Ontario.’”
“In the Great Lakes ship files: *Lochiel*, other name *Three Seas*, built 1852, R. Steel, Port Sarnia, lost as schooner, wood, 2-mast.”
Registry, Enrollment & Insurance Trails
I found *Lochiel* listed in the Great Lakes shipwreck file compilation with origin and tonnage, but no detailed registry or enrollment documents in the publicly accessible sources so far. :contentReference[oaicite:3]{index=3} No insurance policy records or claims were located in contemporary newspapers or in digitized maritime archives.Site Documentation & Imaging
None known. No known sonar surveys, underwater imaging, or public 3D mapping linked to *Lochiel* in terrestrial or maritime databases.Image Gallery
Resources & Links
- Great Lakes Shipwreck Files – Lochiel entry
- History of the Great Lakes – index of losses (Lochiel listing)
- Maritime History of the Great Lakes
- Chronicling America (LC newspaper archive)
- Newspapers.com (for 19th century newspapers)
References
- “Lochiel, 223 tons, foundered in Lake Ontario,” *History of the Great Lakes* (index) :contentReference[oaicite:4]{index=4}
- Great Lakes Shipwreck Files – Lochiel / Three Seas listing :contentReference[oaicite:5]{index=5}