Munster – Lake Huron Barge Shipwreck (1936)

Shotline Diving Wreck Profile

• Name: MUNSTER
• Type: Propeller-driven work barge / small tug
• Year Built: 1909
• Builder:
• Dimensions: Length X ft (Y m); Beam; Depth of hold
• Registered Tonnage:
• Location: Lake Huron, off Harbor Beach
• Official Number: C71112
• Original Owners: Dunbar & Sullivan Dredging Co., Buffalo

Wreck Location Map

Vessel Type

MUNSTER appears to have been a small propeller-driven dredging barge or tug, operated by Dunbar & Sullivan out of Buffalo, supporting dredging operations and material transport on the Great Lakes.

Description

While specific dimensions aren’t recorded, her classification suggests a shallow-draft work vessel—built around 1909, she was likely robustly constructed for dredging support but not for high seas.

History

Operated by the prominent Dunbar & Sullivan Dredging Co. (originally Buffalo-based in 1844), MUNSTER was active in lumber or material transport during winter dredging seasons. On 6 December 1936, she encountered a storm in Lake Huron waters off Harbor Beach (per database classification) and ultimately foundered well offshore, breaking away from tow and sinking.

Significant Incidents

• 6 December 1936: Encountered a storm in Lake Huron, separated from tow, and foundered.

Final Disposition

She foundered and sank far from shore, with no record of salvage. The vessel was declared a total loss, and any flotsam likely drifted toward Lake Huron shores over ensuing days.

Current Condition & Accessibility

No wreck site has been located; no underwater survey or dive identified the wreck. The exact sinking location remains uncharted.

• No known navigational hazard markers or chart advisories related to the wreck.
• Being a foundered vessel in deep waters, it poses no navigational risks today.
• As the sinking was offshore during winter, MUNSTER may rest in deep, cold Lake Huron waters, well below recreational diving depths.

Resources & Links

[shotline_reference_links slug=”munster-c-71112″ title=”References & Links”]

MUNSTER (1909–1936), a Dunbar & Sullivan dredging support vessel, sank on 6 December 1936 during a winter storm in Lake Huron after drifting away from tow. No casualties were reported, and the wreck remains unlocated—resting in deep offshore waters beyond typical diving or survey operations.