Morning Light US 16410

Shotline Diving Wreck Profile

• Name: Morning Light
• Type: Wooden-hulled schooner
• Year Built: 1857
• Builder: Presley & Stevens
• Dimensions: ~128 ft × 26 ft × 11 ft (39.0 × 7.9 × 3.4 m)
• Registered Tonnage: Approximately 256 tons (old-style)
• Location: Approximately 5 miles south of Ludington, Michigan
• Official Number: US 16410
• Number of Masts: Two masts

Wreck Location Map

Vessel Type

A mid-19th century Great Lakes schooner dedicated to carrying lumber and other bulk freight, built with a single deck and rigging suited for inland lake navigation. Her moderate tonnage and dimensions reflect her primary role in coastal trade.

Description

The Morning Light was a wooden-hulled schooner, characterized by her two masts and single deck, designed for the transportation of lumber and other goods across the Great Lakes.

History

• 1857: Registered in Chicago; engaged in coastal lumber and freight operations.
• Notable incidents:
  • 1860 – Aground at Point Pelee, Lake Erie, and released.
  • 1860 – Collision in Detroit River, requiring salvage.
  • 1861 – Collision with brig Queen of the North in Detroit.
  • 1867–1880 – Multiple repairs and grounding events across the Great Lakes.
  • July 1882 – Sank at St. Helena Island, but was refloated and repaired.
• 23 November 1882: Laden with lumber and en route from Manistee to Chicago, Morning Light was caught in a late-November storm and driven ashore on the clay banks about 5 miles south of Ludington, MI. She became a total wreck.

Significant Incidents

• 1860 – Aground at Point Pelee, Lake Erie, and released.
• 1860 – Collision in Detroit River, requiring salvage.
• 1861 – Collision with brig Queen of the North in Detroit.
• 1867–1880 – Multiple repairs and grounding events across the Great Lakes.
• July 1882 – Sank at St. Helena Island, but was refloated and repaired.

Final Disposition

The schooner was irreparably damaged ashore in the storm. Her hull likely broke up in the surf and remains scattered along the shoreline. There was no salvage of major structure.

Current Condition & Accessibility

No dives or wreck surveys have documented her remains. Given the dynamic shoreline, any physical evidence has likely been buried or dispersed.

Resources & Links

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The Morning Light illustrates the perilous nature of late-season Great Lakes navigation. After decades of service and surviving multiple incidents, her final journey ended under a powerful November storm that wrecked her on the Ludington shore. Despite the loss of the vessel, her crew escaped unscathed, and her story adds to the region’s rich maritime history.