Shotline Diving Wreck Profile
- Name: O. Wilcox
- Type: Wooden schooner
- Year Built: 1869
- Builder:
- Dimensions: Approximately 130 ft (39.6 m); Beam; Depth of hold
- Registered Tonnage:
- Depth at Wreck Site: 46 m / 150 ft
- Location: 10 miles above Sable, Lake Huron
- Official Number: Not recorded
- Number of Masts: Likely two- or three-masted
Wreck Location Map
Vessel Type
A grain or general cargo schooner, around 130 ft long—characteristic of mid-19th-century freighters on the Upper Great Lakes.
Description
The O. Wilcox was a wooden schooner that typically carried barley or ballast. It sank on April 16, 1893, after developing a leak, with the crew abandoning ship and making it to East Tawas, Michigan.
History
- One source reports the O. Wilcox sprang a leak and sank on 16 April 1893, with her crew abandoning ship and making it to East Tawas, Michigan.
- The sinking occurred in 150 ft (46 m) of water, providing a possible deep-water wreck site.
- No mention is made of sawlogs, Georgian Bay, or a crew complement of 13.
- No other records reference a capsizing or storm-related loss on 29 August 1893 bound for Georgian Bay.
Significant Incidents
- The O. Wilcox foundered after leaking below decks, sank with her crew rescued, and now presumably rests in deep Lake Huron.
Final Disposition
The O. Wilcox foundered after leaking below decks, sank with her crew rescued, and now presumably rests in deep Lake Huron. No salvage or rediscovery is documented.
Current Condition & Accessibility
Not located. The wreck, if extant, would lie in deep, remote water and has no known coordinates or dive survey records.
Resources & Links
[shotline_reference_links slug=”o-wilcox-1869″ title=”References & Links” show_ref_button=”yes”]
No navigational markers or published dive warnings. At this depth and remote location, it’s unlikely to pose a hazard. Remember to leave only bubbles and take only memories when diving.
Legacy Notes & Full Historical Record
This section preserves the original unedited Shotline content for this wreck so that no historical detail is lost as we transition to the new logbook format.
Shotline Diving Wreck Profile
- Name: O. Wilcox
- Official Number: Not recorded
- Date Built & Launched: 1869
- Type: Wooden schooner, likely two- or three-masted
- Cargo at Loss: Typically carried barley or ballast in records; your mention of sawlogs is unconfirmed
- Crew at Loss: Not documented
- Date Lost: 16 April 1893 (some sources list this date)
- Place of Loss: Lake Huron–Ontario waters — specifically “10 mi above Sable” in 150 ft (~46 m) of water (en.wikipedia.org, chicago.suntimes.com, greatlakesrex.wordpress.com, lloyds-production.s3.amazonaws.com)
Vessel Type
A grain or general cargo schooner, around 130 ft long—characteristic of mid–19th-century freighters on the Upper Great Lakes.
History & Loss
- One source reports the O. Wilcox sprang a leak and sank on 16 April 1893, with her crew abandoning ship and making it to East Tawas, Michigan (en.wikipedia.org).
- The sinking occurred in 150 ft (46 m) of water, providing a possible deep-water wreck site.
- No mention is made of sawlogs, Georgian Bay, or a crew complement of 13.
- No other records reference a capsizing or storm-related loss on 29 August 1893 bound for Georgian Bay.
Final Disposition
The O. Wilcox foundered after leaking below decks, sank with her crew rescued, and now presumably rests in deep Lake Huron. No salvage or rediscovery is documented.
Located By & Date Found
Not located. The wreck, if extant, would lie in deep, remote water and has no known coordinates or dive survey records.
Notations & Advisories
No navigational markers or published dive warnings. At this depth and remote location, it’s unlikely to pose a hazard.
Discrepancies & Uncertainties
Your description—sawlogs, Georgian Bay, capsizing on Aug 29, 1893, with 13 aboard—is inconsistent with the single documented sinking in April 1893, with crew rescued. There is no other record of a second loss or a hull wrecked in Georgian Bay.
- If your info stems from a secondary source or oral account, it may conflate different vessels or incidents.
- It’s also possible a similar-named schooner was lost under different circumstances; however, current registries contain no such entry.
Recommendation
If you can provide:
- The original source (e.g., Great Lakes Shipwreck Files) referencing Aug 29, 1893, Georgian Bay, sawlogs, or 13 crew,
- Exact quote or citation—I can investigate further through period newspapers, registry entries, or life-saving logs.
Without this, the April 1893 sinking remains the only verifiable loss of O. Wilcox.
Conclusion:
The verified O. Wilcox sank on 16 April 1893 after developing a leak in Lake Huron and was rescued; there’s no documented sawlog cargo or Georgian Bay incident. The story you’ve provided may be a different or misattributed vessel. With more detail, I can dig deeper into archives or newspaper archives to resolve the discrepancy.