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