Shotline Diving Wreck Profile
- Name: Miss East Tawas
- Type: Tugboat (harbor/service)
- Year Built: 1951
- Builder: Likely Michigan yard (exact location unverified)
- Dimensions: Approx. 40–60 ft (12–18 m) in length; beam/depth not recorded
- Registered Tonnage: Not recorded
- Location: Tawas Municipal Dock, East Tawas, Michigan
- Coordinates: Not recorded
- Official Number: Not available
- Original Owners: Unknown (further archival research required)
- Number of Masts: Unoccupied at time of loss
Wreck Location Map
Vessel Type
The Miss East Tawas was a steel-hulled harbor tug constructed in 1951, designed for dockside maneuvers, lightering work, and short-haul towing. Such vessels were common on the Saginaw Bay and eastern Lake Huron shoreline, where they assisted larger freighters in confined ports and supported industrial and municipal operations.
Description
The tug served primarily around East Tawas, Michigan, handling harbor operations typical of the post-war Great Lakes economy. Small service tugs like the Miss East Tawas were indispensable in maneuvering ore boats and bulk freighters, especially in harbors with limited turning basins.
History
On the night of 16 July 1963, the tug was moored and chained at the Tawas Municipal Dock. A fire broke out aboard the vessel, quickly spreading through the tug’s superstructure and hull. The vessel was unattended at the time, and no casualties were reported. The blaze consumed the tug entirely, reducing her to a total constructive loss.
Significant Incidents
- Fire consumed the Miss East Tawas at the Tawas Municipal Dock last night. No one was aboard, and the tug is considered a total loss. — Iosco County News-Herald, July 1963 (archival reference).
Final Disposition
The Miss East Tawas burned to destruction at her moorings. Contemporary accounts suggest she was later removed or scrapped; no physical remains of the hull are believed to survive.
Current Condition & Accessibility
No dive site; wreck was destroyed dockside. Location is now an active harbor facility.
Resources & Links
[shotline_reference_links slug=”miss-east-tawas-1951-tug” title=”References & Links”]
No casualties reported. No known crew memorials directly associated with the tug.
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 recorded
Official Number: Not available
Registry: United States
Vessel Type: Tugboat (harbor/service)
Builder: Likely Michigan yard (exact location unverified)
Year Built: 1951
Dimensions: Approx. 40–60 ft (12–18 m) in length; beam/depth not recorded
Tonnage: Not recorded
Hull Material: Steel
Cargo on Final Voyage: None (moored, out of service)
Date of Loss: 16 July 1963
Location: Tawas Municipal Dock, East Tawas, Michigan (Lake Huron)
Coordinates: Not recorded
Depth: N/A (dockside fire, vessel destroyed)
Home Port: East Tawas, Michigan
Owners: Unknown (further archival research required)
Crew: Unoccupied at time of loss
Casualties: None reported
Description
The Miss East Tawas was a steel-hulled harbor tug constructed in 1951, designed for dockside maneuvers, lightering work, and short-haul towing. Such vessels were common on the Saginaw Bay and eastern Lake Huron shoreline, where they assisted larger freighters in confined ports and supported industrial and municipal operations.
History
The tug served primarily around East Tawas, Michigan, handling harbor operations typical of the post-war Great Lakes economy. Small service tugs like the Miss East Tawas were indispensable in maneuvering ore boats and bulk freighters, especially in harbors with limited turning basins.
On the night of 16 July 1963, the tug was moored and chained at the Tawas Municipal Dock. A fire broke out aboard the vessel, quickly spreading through the tug’s superstructure and hull. The vessel was unattended at the time, and no casualties were reported. The blaze consumed the tug entirely, reducing her to a total constructive loss.
Final Disposition
The Miss East Tawas burned to destruction at her moorings. Contemporary accounts suggest she was later removed or scrapped; no physical remains of the hull are believed to survive.
Located By & Date Found
Not applicable. Vessel destroyed by fire and removed. No underwater remains have been documented.
Notmars & Advisories
None noted.
Dive Information
No dive site; wreck was destroyed dockside. Location is now an active harbor facility.
Crew & Casualty Memorials
No casualties reported. No known crew memorials directly associated with the tug.
Documented Statements & Extracts
“Fire consumed the Miss East Tawas at the Tawas Municipal Dock last night. No one was aboard, and the tug is considered a total loss.” — Iosco County News-Herald, July 1963 (archival reference).
Registry, Enrollment & Insurance Trails
No official number has been located for this vessel. Registry and insurance files may exist in Michigan State archives or U.S. Coast Guard records; further research required.
Site Documentation & Imaging
No remains are known to exist. Photographs of the tug prior to loss may survive in regional newspapers or Iosco County historical archives.
Resources & Links
- Maritime History of the Great Lakes
- Great Lakes Vessels Database (BGSU/HCGL)
- Michigan Department of Natural Resources Archives
- Iosco County News-Herald Archives
References
- Iosco County News-Herald, July 1963 fire coverage (local newspaper archive).
- Maritime History of the Great Lakes — general tug references.
NOAA/WHS Shipwreck Record Card
Other Names: None
Official Number: Not recorded
Coordinates: Not applicable (dockside fire)
Depth: N/A
Location Description: Tawas Municipal Dock, East Tawas, Michigan
Vessel Type: Harbor tug
Material: Steel
Dimensions: Estimated 40–60 ft length; beam/depth unrecorded
Condition: Destroyed by fire; no remains
Cause of Loss: Fire, dockside, 16 July 1963
Discovery Date: Not applicable
Discovered By: N/A
Method: N/A
Legal Notes: Presumed struck from registry after 1963
Hazards: None; vessel removed
Permits Required: Not applicable