Shotline Diving Wreck Profile
- Name: O.M. Nelson
- Type: Two-masted wooden schooner
- Year Built: 1882
- Builder: L.E. Bahle’s shipyard, Suttons Bay, Michigan
- Dimensions: Length X ft (Y m); Beam; Depth of hold
- Registered Tonnage: 167 GRT
- Depth at Wreck Site: 18.3 m / 60 ft
- Location: South side of Pilot Island, Green Bay–Lake Michigan junction
- Official Number: 155066
- Original Owners: Peter Hanson of Washington Island, Wisconsin, among others
- Number of Masts: 2
Wreck Location Map
Vessel Type
Two-masted wooden schooner, often used in lumber trade.
Description
The O.M. Nelson was a wooden schooner built in 1882, primarily engaged in the lumber trade. It was registered with a gross tonnage of 167 GRT.
History
Built at L.E. Bahle’s shipyard in Suttons Bay, Michigan, the O.M. Nelson served in the Great Lakes shipping industry until its loss in 1899.
Significant Incidents
- Date: June 4, 1899
- Location: South side of Pilot Island, Green Bay–Lake Michigan junction
- Conditions: Thick fog during early-season navigation
- Incident: The schooner ran on a reef southwest of Pilot Island and jammed fast in dense fog
- Crew Rescue: The crew was rescued by the Porte des Mortes lighthouse keeper. U.S. Life-Saving Service took them off with no injuries reported.
- Salvage Attempts: Tugs Monarch, Elsie, and car ferry Ann Arbor No. 3 took part, but the vessel remained jammed and was declared a total loss by December 1899.
Final Disposition
Declared a constructive total loss; documentation surrendered June 13, 1899, in Milwaukee. The wreck remains in shallow water (~60 ft) broken and scattered on a reef southwest of Pilot Island; still visited by divers.
Current Condition & Accessibility
The wreck of the O.M. Nelson is partially preserved and remains a site of interest for divers and maritime archaeologists.
Resources & Links
[shotline_reference_links slug=”o-m-nelson-us-155066″ title=”References & Links”]
Built in 1882 at Suttons Bay, the wooden schooner O.M. Nelson went aground in dense fog on June 4, 1899, on a reef southwest of Pilot Island. Rescued by the lighthouse keeper, her crew survived uninjured. Despite multiple salvage efforts by tugs and a car ferry, the vessel was abandoned and declared a total loss. The partially preserved wreck remains at the site, in roughly 60 ft of water, and draws interest from divers and maritime archaeologists.
Full Wreck Record — complete historical article, construction details, voyage logs, incident reports, dive conditions, and all research sources.
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