Shotline Diving

Mark H. Sibley US 16449

Explore the wreck of the Mark H. Sibley, a wooden schooner lost in 1869 during a storm on Lake Erie, with one life claimed and no modern rediscovery.

Shotline Diving Wreck Profile

  • Name: Mark H. Sibley
  • Type: Wooden two-masted schooner
  • Year Built: 1847
  • Builder: W. Jones
  • Dimensions: Approximately 115 × 24 × 10 ft; Beam; Depth of hold
  • Registered Tonnage: 252 tons
  • Location: Near Avon Point, about 18 miles west of Cleveland, Ohio
  • Official Number: 16449
  • Number of Masts: 2

Wreck Location Map

Vessel Type

  • Wooden two-masted schooner built for freight, commonly transporting merchandise or bulk commodities such as brick or grain

Description

  • The Mark H. Sibley lost her way during heavy seas and poor visibility and struck rocks off Avon Point. She was battered by waves and reported to have been “pounding to pieces” on the rocks. The crew abandoned ship and one life was lost during the incident.
  • The vessel was abandoned to underwriters and declared a total loss. Her cargo is listed in some sources as bricks—a shift-prone, heavy bulk load that likely affected stability in the storm conditions.

History

  • This vessel and incident are entered in Great Lakes casualty lists (e.g. HGL, MV, NSP, WL, RSL, MDWL) and the Great Lakes Shipwreck Files with technical summary and casualty figures.
  • No formal Notices to Mariners or hazard bulletins from the period appear to survive.

Significant Incidents

  • Loss of life: 1 crew member perished; others survived or were rescued.

Final Disposition

  • No known modern rediscovery, sonar survey, or dive site documentation exists. The wreck likely lies dispersed on the rocky shoal near Avon Point, and, given the passage of time and wave action, remains are not documented.

Current Condition & Accessibility

  • The schooner Mark H. Sibley, built in 1847 at Buffalo, was lost in a gale on 7 July 1869, after grounding near Avon Point, Lake Erie, while carrying bricks. One crew member died. The vessel was abandoned and not salvaged, with no modern rediscovery.

Resources & Links

[shotline_reference_links slug=”mark-h-sibley-us-16449″ title=”References & Links”]

  • The loss underscores the significant hazard of poor visibility and shifting cargo across rocky shoals in Lake Erie during summer storms.
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Full Wreck Record — complete historical article, construction details, voyage logs, incident reports, dive conditions, and all research sources.

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