Shotline Diving Wreck Profile
- Name: Lua
- Type: Wooden sloop (sailboat)
- Year Built: 1905
- Builder: Likely Skipper Wesley Boutin
- Dimensions: Not recorded (likely under 25 ft)
- Registered Tonnage: Unknown (small unregistered vessel)
- Location: Bayfield Harbor, Lake Superior
- Coordinates: N 46° 48.527′, W 090° 47.559′
- Official Number: Not registered
- Original Owners: Skipper Wesley Boutin
- Number of Masts: Not recorded
Wreck Location Map
Vessel Type
The Lua was classified as a wooden sloop, a type of small sailing vessel typically used for recreation and light utility.
Description
The Lua was a small wooden sailing sloop built in Bayfield or La Pointe, Wisconsin, in 1905. Constructed by Skipper Wesley Boutin, a member of the well-known Apostle Islands fishing and maritime family, the vessel was intended for private use, possibly as a personal sailboat or light utility craft. Named in honor of Miss Lua Hoxie of Hampton, Iowa—a guest at the Island View Hotel—the vessel was meant to be christened shortly after completion, but fate intervened before the ceremony could take place.
History
The Lua was one of many small craft constructed in Bayfield and La Pointe around the turn of the 20th century. Boats of this type served dual purposes: recreation for summer visitors and practical use for island residents, who often built their own sail and fish boats. Skipper Boutin, its builder, was part of the prominent Boutin family, long associated with fishing, tug operations, and local shipbuilding in Bayfield.
Significant Incidents
On 1 September 1905, just three days before her planned christening, the Lua was caught in a storm at Bayfield. The vessel was wrecked in the harbor before it had even officially entered service. Contemporary reports suggest she had not yet been properly outfitted or launched for extended voyages, meaning her sinking was a premature end to a vessel barely completed. Fortunately, no lives were lost.
Final Disposition
The Lua was a total loss at Bayfield Harbor in 1905. No salvage records are known, and as a small unregistered craft, she left little trace in maritime registries. Her wreckage likely dispersed in shallow harbor waters and has not been documented by archaeological surveys.
Current Condition & Accessibility
Not located. No archaeological surveys have confirmed remains in Bayfield Harbor. The wreck is presumed lost in shallow nearshore waters.
Resources & Links
[shotline_reference_links slug=”lua-1905″ title=”References & Links”]
No lives were lost in the incident, and there are no known memorials for the Lua. The wreck has long since dispersed, and it is not considered a dive site.
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.
Identification Card (Site Style)
Other Names: None
Official Number: Not registered
Registry: United States
Vessel Type: Wooden sloop (sailboat)
Builder: Likely Skipper Wesley Boutin
Year Built: 1905
Location Built: Bayfield or La Pointe, Wisconsin (unconfirmed)
Dimensions: Not recorded (likely under 25 ft)
Tonnage: Unknown (small unregistered vessel)
Propulsion: Sail
Date of Loss: 1 September 1905
Cause of Loss: Storm (pre-christening)
Final Location: Bayfield Harbor, Lake Superior
Coordinates: N 46° 48.527′, W 090° 47.559′ (Google Maps link)
Depth: Nearshore, shallow
Home Port: Bayfield, WI
Owners: Skipper Wesley Boutin
Crew: Not recorded
Casualties: None
Description
The Lua was a small wooden sailing sloop built in Bayfield or La Pointe, Wisconsin, in 1905. Constructed by Skipper Wesley Boutin, a member of the well-known Apostle Islands fishing and maritime family, the vessel was intended for private use, possibly as a personal sailboat or light utility craft.
Named in honor of Miss Lua Hoxie of Hampton, Iowa—a guest at the Island View Hotel—the vessel was meant to be christened shortly after completion, but fate intervened before the ceremony could take place.
History
The Lua was one of many small craft constructed in Bayfield and La Pointe around the turn of the 20th century. Boats of this type served dual purposes: recreation for summer visitors and practical use for island residents, who often built their own sail and fish boats. Skipper Boutin, its builder, was part of the prominent Boutin family, long associated with fishing, tug operations, and local shipbuilding in Bayfield.
Final Voyage
On 1 September 1905, just three days before her planned christening, the Lua was caught in a storm at Bayfield. The vessel was wrecked in the harbor before it had even officially entered service.
Contemporary reports suggest she had not yet been properly outfitted or launched for extended voyages, meaning her sinking was a premature end to a vessel barely completed. Fortunately, no lives were lost.
Final Disposition
The Lua was a total loss at Bayfield Harbor in 1905. No salvage records are known, and as a small unregistered craft, she left little trace in maritime registries. Her wreckage likely dispersed in shallow harbor waters and has not been documented by archaeological surveys.
Located By & Date Found
Not located. No archaeological surveys have confirmed remains in Bayfield Harbor.
Notmars & Advisories
None. Wreck long since dispersed.
Dive Information
Not a dive site. Wreck presumed lost in shallow nearshore waters.
Crew & Casualty Memorials
No lives lost. No known memorial.
Documented Statements & Extracts
“This sailboat, the Lua, named in honor of Miss Lua Hoxie of Hampton, IA, a visitor to the Island View Hotel, was likely recently built since she had not been christened at the time of her loss. The Lua was wrecked in a storm three days prior to her christening in Lake Superior at Bayfield. 09/01/1905.” — Holden, *Lake Superior Casualty Notes*
Registry, Enrollment & Insurance Trails
No enrollment located. Vessel likely exempt due to small size (<20 tons). Not listed in federal registries.
Site Documentation & Imaging
No site documentation or surveys. Wreck presumed scattered in Bayfield Harbor.
Resources & Links
- Wisconsin Historical Society – Maritime Preservation Program
- Great Lakes Vessels Database (BGSU/HCGL)
- Maritime History of the Great Lakes
References
- Holden, *Lake Superior Casualty Notes* – entry for Lua.
- Bayfield County Press, September 1905 (local maritime coverage).
- Wisconsin Historical Society – Boutin family maritime records.
NOAA/WHS Shipwreck Record Card
Other Names: None
Official Number: None (small vessel, unregistered)
Coordinates: N 46° 48.527′, W 090° 47.559′ (Google Maps link)
Depth: Nearshore shallow
Location Description: Bayfield Harbor, Lake Superior
Vessel Type: Wooden sloop
Material: Wood
Dimensions: Not recorded (likely <25 ft)
Condition: Wrecked and lost in storm, 1905; remains unlocated
Cause of Loss: Storm, 1 Sept 1905
Discovery Date: 1905 (loss recorded)
Discovered By: N/A
Method: Casualty record
Legal Notes: Within Bayfield jurisdiction; NPS Apostle Islands National Lakeshore authority may apply if remains survive
Hazards: None
Permits Required: Yes, if remains found (state/NPS jurisdiction)