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.
Full Wreck Record — complete historical article, construction details, voyage logs, incident reports, dive conditions, and all research sources.
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