Shotline Diving Wreck Profile
- Name: Mystic
- Type: wooden-hulled sailing vessel
- Year Built: 1866
- Builder:
- Dimensions: Length X ft (Y m); Beam; Depth of hold
- Registered Tonnage:
- Location: East side of an unspecified Lake Michigan island
- Number of Masts: Likely two-masted
Wreck Location Map
Vessel Type
A wooden-hulled sailing vessel, likely a schooner or ketch typical of 1860s Lake Michigan coastal trade. Exact classification (e.g. schooner, barge) is not provided.
Description
- Hull Material: Wood
- Rig: Likely two-masted
- Tonnage: Not specified
- Decks: Typically one deck for coastal freighters of the period
Built mid-century, Mystic would have been functional for cargo—such as lumber, stone, or produce—common for Great Lakes commerce.
History
Insufficient documentation exists beyond the final incident:
- 17–18 October 1895: A gale-force storm struck while Mystic navigated near a Lake Michigan island. The vessel was lifted and cast high onto coastal rocks on the island’s east side.
- The crew evacuated by hand, suggesting calm seas at grounding, and reached shore without injury.
No earlier records of enrollment, ownership, or voyages were available in this dataset.
Significant Incidents
- 17–18 October 1895: Mystic was driven high onto rocks by a gale, resulting in a total loss.
Final Disposition
Mystic was declared a total loss after grounding high on island rocks. Given her wooden structure and elevated position, salvage was impractical and the hull was abandoned in place.
Current Condition & Accessibility
No known modern rediscovery or archaeological surveys—likely the remains, if still extant, have deteriorated or been submerged over time.
Resources & Links
[shotline_reference_links slug=”mystic-1866″ title=”References & Links”]
Mystic succumbed to the classic risk of late-season storms on Lake Michigan, being driven onto rocks and wrecked without loss of life. Though basic in information, this incident typifies the vulnerability of wooden merchant vessels to sudden autumn gales. The crew’s safe abandonment underscores the seafarers’ resilience; the wreck remains another untold maritime casualty of the era.
Full Wreck Record — complete historical article, construction details, voyage logs, incident reports, dive conditions, and all research sources.
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