Nellie A. Duff – Lake Erie Schooner Shipwreck (1895)

Shotline Diving Wreck Profile

• Name: Nellie A. Duff
• Type: Wooden two-masted schooner
• Year Built: 1885
• Builder: Port Clinton, Ohio
• Dimensions: Approx. 77 ft × 20 ft × 6 ft
• Registered Tonnage: 54 grt / 51 nrt
• Depth at Wreck Site: 15.24 m / 50 ft
• Location: Approximately 2 miles off Lorain, OH
• Official Number: 130334
• Number of Masts: 2

Wreck Location Map

Vessel Type

A mid-sized schooner used for bulk freight, specifically gravel during her final voyage.

Description

Crafted with standard wooden framing and decking of her era, the Nellie A. Duff was built to transport dense materials like gravel, but narrow beams and modest draft made her vulnerable to instability if cargo shifted.

History

Departed Pelee Island en route to Cleveland, laden with gravel. On Oct 14, 1895, while attempting to reach shelter near Lorain harbor during a gale, her cargo shifted amid rough seas. She diverted to avoid another vessel in distress but capsized and sank approximately 2 miles offshore. Out of four crew, three perished; only one survived.

Significant Incidents

• Total loss, sinking below wave base; survivors retrieved by passing steamer or rescue crew.
• No cargo or vessel salvage efforts documented; sank in ~50 ft of water.

Final Disposition

The wreck likely lies buried in lakebed mud, with potential structural remains intact. No modern survey or dive documentation is known.

Current Condition & Accessibility

Site: Lake Erie, ~2 miles off Lorain, OH. Likely lies buried in lakebed mud, with potential structural remains intact. No modern survey or dive documentation known.

Resources & Links

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The Nellie A. Duff exemplifies cargo stability risks during late 19th-century bulk transport in storms and offers archaeological potential, as intact sections of the wooden hull could survive in deep, calm lakebed sediment.