Shotline Diving Wreck Profile
- Name: Mary M. Scott
- Type: Wooden two-masted canal schooner
- Year Built: 1857
- Builder: Otis DeWolf, Conneaut, Ohio
- Dimensions: ~130 ft long × 26 ft beam × 11 ft depth; ~361 gross tons
- Registered Tonnage: 361 gross tons
- Depth at Wreck Site: 5 m / 15 ft
- Location: Near Sand Point / Grand Island, Lake Superior
- Coordinates: Approximately 500 ft off Sand Point channel buoy
- Official Number: 16424
- Number of Masts: Two
Wreck Location Map
Vessel Type
A traditional 19th-century wooden canal schooner, built to carry bulk cargo such as iron ore, using sail power to navigate between ports like Marquette on Lake Superior down the canal systems.
Description
At ~130 ft, Mary M. Scott would have featured a full-bodied hull appropriate for canal passage and heavy cargo. Loading iron ore for transport made her heavy-laden and susceptible to grounding in shallow coastal areas near points like Sand Point.
History
In early November 1870, the Mary M. Scott loaded with iron ore, grounded ashore near Sand Point or close to Grand Island. High autumn waves and shifting sandbars trapped and wrecked her hull. The vessel broke up on the shoal, settling on her bottom.
Significant Incidents
- No casualties reported.
Final Disposition
- Structure: Buried shallowly in shifting sands, with mostly bottom structure preserved.
- Location: Located about 500 ft offshore, lying in roughly 15 ft (5 m) of water near the Sand Point buoy.
- Modern Status: Exposed by natural sand movement and visible to snorkelers and divers; considered a recreational dive site.
Current Condition & Accessibility
The Sand Point channel buoy marks nearby hazards. No formal Notice to Mariners specifically mentions the wreck, but local navigation charts caution about shallow wreckage and shoals.
Resources & Links
[shotline_reference_links slug=”mary-m-scott-us-16424″ title=”References & Links”]
The Mary M. Scott is a valuable shallow-water dive site in Lake Superior, offering visible hull remains and cargo remnants. Despite its modest profile and burial, it offers historical insight into post-canal-era bulk transport. For underwater archaeologists and technical divers, it’s accessible and a tangible link to 19th-century maritime commerce on the Great Lakes.
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.
MARY M. SCOTT (Wooden Canal Schooner)
Shotline Diving Wreck Profile
- Name: Mary M. Scott (also recorded as Marien, May, Mary G., G. W. Scott)
- Official Number: 16424
- Built: 1857 by Otis DeWolf, Conneaut, Ohio
- Dimensions: ~130 ft long × 26 ft beam × 11 ft depth; ~361 gross tons (Great Lakes Shipwreck Files, National Park Service)
- Type: Wooden two-masted canal schooner
- Cargo at Loss: Iron ore from Marquette (Facebook, National Park Service)
- Date of Loss: November 2, 1870 (some sources list Nov 3) (Great Lakes Shipwreck Files)
- Location: Went aground near Sand Point / Grand Island, Lake Superior; approximately 500 ft off Sand Point channel buoy in ~15 ft (5 m) of water (National Park Service)
- Casualties: None reported (Midland Daily News)
Vessel Type & Function
A traditional 19th-century wooden canal schooner, built to carry bulk cargo such as iron ore, using sail power to navigate between ports like Marquette on Lake Superior down the canal systems.
Description
At ~130 ft, Mary M. Scott would have featured a full-bodied hull appropriate for canal passage and heavy cargo. Loading iron ore for transport made her heavy-laden and susceptible to grounding in shallow coastal areas near points like Sand Point.
Circumstances of Loss
In early November 1870, the Mary M. Scott loaded with iron ore, grounded ashore near Sand Point or close to Grand Island. High autumn waves and shifting sandbars trapped and wrecked her hull. The vessel broke up on the shoal, settling on her bottom (National Park Service).
Final Disposition & Wreck Site
- Structure: Buried shallowly in shifting sands, with mostly bottom structure preserved.
- Location: Located about 500 ft offshore, lying in roughly 15 ft (5 m) of water near the Sand Point buoy (NPS History).
- Modern Status: Exposed by natural sand movement and visible to snorkelers and divers; considered a recreational dive site (National Park Service, National Park Service).
Notmars & Navigational Warnings
The Sand Point channel buoy marks nearby hazards. No formal Notice to Mariners specifically mentions the wreck, but local navigation charts caution about shallow wreckage and shoals.
Resources & Links
- NPS – Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore diver information (National Park Service)
- Wrecksite.eu entry summarizing build and loss (wrecksite.eu)
- Great Lakes Shipwreck Files listing with technical specs and loss details (Great Lakes Shipwreck Files)
- Baillod.com Munising area shipwrecks listing (baillod.com)
Conclusion & Dive Significance
The Mary M. Scott is a valuable shallow-water dive site in Lake Superior, offering visible hull remains and cargo remnants. Despite its modest profile and burial, it offers historical insight into post-canal-era bulk transport. For underwater archaeologists and technical divers, it’s accessible and a tangible link to 19th-century maritime commerce on the Great Lakes.
Keywords & Categories
- Region: Lake Superior (Grand Island / Sand Point)
- Vessel Type: Canal schooner
- Cargo: Iron ore
- Cause: Grounding (storm and shifting sandbar)
- Dive Setting: Shallow (approx. 15 ft / 5 m); beginner-snorkel level