Shotline Diving Wreck Profile
- Name: Montauk
- Type: Sidewheel Steamer
- Year Built: 1891
- Builder: Harlan & Hollingsworth
- Dimensions: 175 ft (53.3 m); Beam: 31 ft (9.45 m); Depth of hold: 9.6 ft (2.93 m)
- Registered Tonnage: 570 tons (gross), 448 tons (net)
- Location: Bay City, Michigan, Saginaw Bay, Lake Huron
- Official Number: 92294
- Original Owners: Montauk Steamboat Co., Algoma Central & Hudson Bay Railway, Lyons Construction Co.
Wreck Location Map
Vessel Type
The MONTAUK was a sidewheel steamer originally designed for passenger service. As the last beam-engine sidewheeler to operate on the Great Lakes, she played a significant role in maritime transportation for both leisure and commercial purposes.
Description
Constructed in Wilmington, Delaware, by Harlan & Hollingsworth, MONTAUK was built with an iron hull and equipped with four watertight bulkheads for added durability. The vessel’s walking beam engine produced 700 horsepower at 20 revolutions per minute, and it was powered by two Scotch marine boilers.
Over the years, the vessel underwent several modifications, including the addition of 20 staterooms in 1905 and a complete rebuild in 1924, making it more suited for the Great Lakes excursion trade.
History
The MONTAUK’s service history is extensive and varied, spanning from the East Coast of the United States to the Great Lakes.
Originally built for the Montauk Steamboat Co., she served ports in New York and Long Island before being damaged in a storm in 1895. She later operated on the New York – New Haven route under the River & Harbor Transportation Co.
In 1902, the vessel transitioned to the Great Lakes, purchased by the Algoma Central & Hudson Bay Railway, and was renamed KING EDWARD. To avoid Canadian import duties, she was registered in St. John, Newfoundland but operated out of Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, to Cleveland, Ohio.
Her Great Lakes career included various owners and functions, including passenger transport, excursion service, and tourism. Notable events include:
- 1908: Stranded on Chantry Shoal near Southampton, Ontario, but was successfully refloated and repaired.
- 1910: Renamed FOREST CITY and operated between Cleveland, Ohio, and Port Stanley, Ontario.
- 1912-1914: Served the Silver Islet summer resort under different owners.
- 1922: Reacquired the name MONTAUK, running Lake Michigan day excursions out of Chicago, Illinois.
- 1924: Underwent a major rebuild in Duluth, Minnesota, by Marine Iron & Ship Building Co., modified for the excursion trade.
- 1942: Dismantled in Duluth, reduced to a deck barge.
Later in her life, MONTAUK was converted for industrial use, owned by Lyons Construction Co. in 1944, and used for stone and sand transport. By 1969, she was used occasionally for dredging in Bay City, Michigan.
Final Disposition
By 1972, MONTAUK was abandoned in Bay City, Michigan, in Saginaw Bay. No further salvage or restoration efforts were recorded, and the remains of the vessel likely deteriorated over time.
Current Condition & Accessibility
No official records indicate the exact location or modern discovery of MONTAUK’s remains.
No official maritime advisories or obstruction notices exist for the vessel.
Resources & Links
[shotline_reference_links slug=”montauk-us-92294-king-edward-forest-city” title=”References & Links”]
The MONTAUK had an extensive and diverse career, from a sidewheel passenger steamer on the East Coast to a Great Lakes excursion vessel and eventually a stone transport barge. Though abandoned in Saginaw Bay, her historical significance remains as one of the last beam-engine sidewheelers to operate on the Great Lakes.
Historical Photo Gallery
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 & Site Information
- Vessel Name: MONTAUK
- Former Names: KING EDWARD, FOREST CITY
- Official Number: 92294
- Date Built & Launched: March 31, 1891
- Measurements:
- Original Dimensions: 175 ft (53.3 m) length, 31 ft (9.45 m) beam, 9.6 ft (2.93 m) depth
- Gross Tonnage: 570 tons
- Net Tonnage: 448 tons
- Rebuilt (1924): 418 gross tons / 241 net tons, 2 decks
- Date Lost/Abandoned: 1972
- Final Location: Bay City, Michigan, Saginaw Bay, Lake Huron
Vessel Type
The MONTAUK was a sidewheel steamer originally designed for passenger service. As the last beam-engine sidewheeler to operate on the Great Lakes, she played a significant role in maritime transportation for both leisure and commercial purposes.
Description
Constructed in Wilmington, Delaware, by Harlan & Hollingsworth, MONTAUK was built with an iron hull and equipped with four watertight bulkheads for added durability. The vessel’s walking beam engine produced 700 horsepower at 20 revolutions per minute, and it was powered by two Scotch marine boilers.
Over the years, the vessel underwent several modifications, including the addition of 20 staterooms in 1905 and a complete rebuild in 1924, making it more suited for the Great Lakes excursion trade.
History
The MONTAUK’s service history is extensive and varied, spanning from the East Coast of the United States to the Great Lakes.
Originally built for the Montauk Steamboat Co., she served ports in New York and Long Island before being damaged in a storm in 1895. She later operated on the New York – New Haven route under the River & Harbor Transportation Co.
In 1902, the vessel transitioned to the Great Lakes, purchased by the Algoma Central & Hudson Bay Railway, and was renamed KING EDWARD. To avoid Canadian import duties, she was registered in St. John, Newfoundland but operated out of Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, to Cleveland, Ohio.
Her Great Lakes career included various owners and functions, including passenger transport, excursion service, and tourism. Notable events include:
- 1908: Stranded on Chantry Shoal near Southampton, Ontario, but was successfully refloated and repaired.
- 1910: Renamed FOREST CITY and operated between Cleveland, Ohio, and Port Stanley, Ontario.
- 1912-1914: Served the Silver Islet summer resort under different owners.
- 1922: Reacquired the name MONTAUK, running Lake Michigan day excursions out of Chicago, Illinois.
- 1924: Underwent a major rebuild in Duluth, Minnesota, by Marine Iron & Ship Building Co., modified for the excursion trade.
- 1942: Dismantled in Duluth, reduced to a deck barge.
Later in her life, MONTAUK was converted for industrial use, owned by Lyons Construction Co. in 1944, and used for stone and sand transport. By 1969, she was used occasionally for dredging in Bay City, Michigan.
Final Disposition
By 1972, MONTAUK was abandoned in Bay City, Michigan, in Saginaw Bay. No further salvage or restoration efforts were recorded, and the remains of the vessel likely deteriorated over time.
Located By & Date Found
No official records indicate the exact location or modern discovery of MONTAUK’s remains.
Notmars & Advisories
No official maritime advisories or obstruction notices exist for the vessel.
Resources & Links
For additional details, you may explore:
Conclusion
The MONTAUK had an extensive and diverse career, from a sidewheel passenger steamer on the East Coast to a Great Lakes excursion vessel and eventually a stone transport barge. Though abandoned in Saginaw Bay, her historical significance remains as one of the last beam-engine sidewheelers to operate on the Great Lakes.
Historical Photo Gallery
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