Ocean Wave (1860)

Shotline Diving Wreck Profile

• Name: Ocean Wave
• Type: Scow
• Year Built: 1860
• Builder: Not recorded
• Dimensions: 73 ft × 20 ft × 7 ft (22.3 × 6.1 × 2.1 m)
• Registered Tonnage:
• Depth at Wreck Site: 33.5 m / 110 ft
• Location: Two miles off Whitefish Point, Door County, Wisconsin
• Coordinates: Approx. two miles off Whitefish Point, Door County, Wisconsin
• Official Number: Not available
• Number of Masts: Not documented

Wreck Location Map

Vessel Type

The Ocean Wave was a wooden scow — a flat-bottomed cargo vessel used extensively throughout the 19th century on the Great Lakes for hauling bulk materials such as lumber, coal, and stone.
Its shallow draft and box-like hull design allowed access to smaller ports and shallow harbors where deeper vessels could not operate.

Description

Built in 1860, the Ocean Wave operated as a utilitarian cargo carrier serving the Lake Michigan region.
Scows of this type were critical to coastal development, transporting building materials and bulk goods to growing settlements along Wisconsin’s Door Peninsula and the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.

In 1869, the Ocean Wave sank off Whitefish Point, Door County, Wisconsin.
Although no detailed casualty report survives, the vessel likely succumbed to storm damage, overloading, or structural failure — all common hazards for wooden scows of the era.
No lives were lost in the incident.

History

Archaeological surveys by the Wisconsin Historical Society have mapped the site and recorded surviving timbers, hull framing, rigging, and cargo remnants.
Sand migration in the area causes cyclical exposure and coverage of the wreck structure.

Significant Incidents

• The Ocean Wave sank in 1869, likely due to storm damage, overloading, or structural failure.

Final Disposition

Current Condition & Accessibility

The Ocean Wave lies within recreational dive depth but requires intermediate-to-advanced cold-water diving experience.
Sand movement can alter visibility and wreck accessibility.
The site is legally protected; artifact removal is prohibited under Wisconsin state law.

Resources & Links

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Access to the wreck is available via boat charter from Door County harbors, with variable visibility conditions. The Ocean Wave remains an important site for maritime archaeology and a testament to the region’s shipping history.