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.

Marie Annette (built 1867 – lost August 15, 1898 • hull failure)

Shotline Diving Wreck Profile

• Name: Marie Annette
• Year Built: 1867
• Final Disposition: Hull failure; foundered off Long Point, Lake Ontario on August 15, 1898
• Cargo: Lumber
• Voyage: Outbound from Port Hope, Ontario

Vessel Type & Description

A wooden-hulled sailing vessel—likely a schooner—custom-built to transport lumber along Lake Ontario’s busy trade routes. Exact dimensions and tonnage remain undocumented and require further archival review.

Operational History

• Until 1898: Regularly engaged in outbound lumber transport from Port Hope throughout her operational lifespan (Great Lakes Shipwreck Files).
• August 15, 1898: While setting out from Port Hope, Marie Annette “sprang a serious leak off Long Point, Lake Ontario. She settled to her decks, but was picked up by a tug and towed to Ogdensburg.” (Great Lakes Shipwreck Files).
• Post-salvage: Towed from Ogdensburg to Kingston; her hull was deemed “seriously strained” during transit and she was “abandoned without rebuilding.” (Great Lakes Shipwreck Files).

Despite repeated references, there is no detailed publicly accessible Canadian steamer record listing her loss in 1898, and little additional detail survives beyond this summary (Great Lakes Shipwreck Files).

Final Disposition

• Immediate fate: Temporary salvage via tug tow to Ogdensburg.
• Aftermath: Moved to Kingston but ultimately abandoned due to irreparable hull damage. No formal reconstruction was attempted.

Wreck Status

• Location: While hull failure occurred off Long Point, the final resting site of the abandoned vessel is unknown.
• Site condition: Presumably broken up or scuttled near Kingston post-abandonment; no documented dive or survey data as found in major Great Lakes wreck databases.

Action Steps for Research:

• Delve into Kingston and Ogdensburg port registries, 1898 insurance files, and Board of Steamboat Inspection records to identify hull condition assessments.
• Examine local Kingston newspapers (August–October 1898) for news of vessel condemnation, scrapping notices, or salvage operations.
• Review hydrographic survey maps from the era to locate possible wreck chart entries.
• Contact regional marine museums (e.g., Marine Museum of the Great Lakes at Kingston) for unindexed photographs or artifacts.

Notmars & Navigation

No official Notices to Mariners or hazard designations have been located referencing Marie Annette. The lack of recorded wreck location suggests the wreck did not persist as a navigational hazard or that it remained near harbour areas and was cleared.

Resources & Next Steps

• GreatLakesRex blog – initial wreck description and incident details (Great Lakes Shipwreck Files)
• Local archives:
  • Kingston and Ogdensburg port authority logs (1880s–1890s)
  • Board of Steamboat Inspection annual reports (Ontario/US)
  • Regional newspapers from August–December 1898 (Port Hope, Kingston, Ogdensburg)

Conclusion

The Marie Annette represents a typical late-19th-century merchant schooner essential to the lumber trade on Lake Ontario. Her loss occurred due to structural failure in transit, followed by partial salvage but eventual abandonment due to severe hull damage. The absence of detailed records highlights a common fate for mid-sized working craft of the era. Locating archival documentation in Kingston or Ogdensburg may enable a fuller reconstruction of her final days—or perhaps even uncover remains of her hull.

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