North Shore – Lake Michigan Steamer Shipwreck (1930)

Shotline Diving Wreck Profile

• Name: North Shore (formerly Bon Ami)
• Type: Fruit Steamer
• Year Built: 1890
• Builder: R. Rogers, Saugatuck, Michigan
• Dimensions: Length 108 ft (33 m); Beam; Depth of hold
• Registered Tonnage: 227 gross / 150 net tons
• Location: Lake Michigan, last seen north of Racine, Wisconsin; presumed mid-lake
• Official Number: 3226
• Original Owners: William J. Lawrie

Wreck Location Map

Vessel Type

Originally built in 1890 as a passenger/package freighter, the North Shore was later repurposed in 1930 as a fruit boat, carrying cargoes like grapes from Michigan to Wisconsin ports. At the time of loss, she represented an early example of electrically welded steel construction on the lakes, significant in maritime engineering history.

Description

No modern archaeological surveys, dive reports, or sidescan imagery have been documented for this wreck. The vessel is believed to have foundered mid-lake, with little to no debris recovered aside from cargo baskets washing ashore on the east coast. As the wreck has not been located, its condition and dive accessibility remain uncharted.

History

• Built in 1890 at Saugatuck, Michigan, by R. Rogers.
• Renamed and reconfigured in around 1922 to transport fruit after serving as an excursion and package steamer.
• Final Voyage: Departed St. Joseph, Michigan on 26 September 1930 with ~10,000 baskets of grapes bound for Milwaukee. A fall gale struck around 30 September. The vessel was last reported north of Racine, WI, before disappearing. Only cargo washed ashore later confirmed the loss. No wreck location could be established despite coast guard search operations.

Significant Incidents

• Loss of Vessel: The North Shore was presumed to capsize and sink during the gale, foundering with total loss of life (6 or 7 aboard). No survivors, and the vessel apparently went down quickly without distress signals or rescue.

Final Disposition

The North Shore was presumed to capsize and sink during the gale, foundering with total loss of life (6 or 7 aboard). No survivors, and the vessel apparently went down quickly without distress signals or rescue.

Current Condition & Accessibility

• Not located. No dives or surveys have confirmed its position on the lake bottom.
• Evidence of sinking: only grape baskets and scattered wreckage washed ashore, identified by owner William Lawrie.

Resources & Links

[shotline_reference_links slug=”north-shore-us-3226-bon-ami” title=”References & Links”]

The North Shore was a steel-hulled fruit steamer carrying grapes when she disappeared during a gale on 30 September 1930. Last seen north of Racine, WI, she is presumed to have foundered mid-lake in Lake Michigan. Six or seven lives were lost, and only cargo debris washed ashore. Despite search efforts, no wreck has been located. While limited to index and secondary sources, this vessel’s sinking remains one of the few documented fruit-boat losses of its kind in the Great Lakes. Further research into local archives or underwater survey efforts could reveal more.