Shotline Diving Wreck Profile
- Name: Petrel
- Type: Two-masted wooden schooner
- Year Built: 1867
- Builder:
- Dimensions: Not specified
- Registered Tonnage: $1,500
- Location: Sheboygan, Wisconsin
- Number of Masts: Two
Wreck Location Map
Vessel Type
A small to mid-sized two-masted schooner typical of mid-to-late 19th-century Great Lakes freight traffic, carrying fuel wood and other small bulk cargoes to growing ports such as Milwaukee and Sheboygan.
Description
The Petrel had a wooden hull and was rigged for sail only. On her final voyage she was laden with cordwood. During the gale, her hull split (“broke open”) as she broached into the pier—a common fate for weakened wooden schooners in sudden storms.
History
Built in 1867, the Petrel spent over a decade carrying timber products across Lake Michigan. Insufficient insurance (valued at only $1,500) and common small-cargo routes characterized her service. No other mishaps appear in surviving records until her 1883 wreck.
Significant Incidents
- On October 17, 1883, Petrel was departing Burnham’s Pier loaded with cordwood, bound for Milwaukee.
- A strong southeasterly gale struck as she attempted harbor entry off Sheboygan.
- She collided with the North Pier, broached, split open, and sank within the harbor entrance.
- All six crew members (five men and one woman) survived by climbing into the rigging and were rescued by the U.S. Life-Saving Service.
Final Disposition
The schooner sank just inside the Sheboygan North Pier. Her hull remained a navigation hazard for years—most notably, in 1894, the schooner Guido struck the remains of Petrel, indicating parts remained protruding from the lakebed.
Current Condition & Accessibility
The wreck was an immediate surface event in 1883. As it lies under the entrance to Sheboygan harbor and was struck later, it’s not a stand-alone dive site and never formally surveyed or designated by maritime archaeologists.
Resources & Links
[shotline_reference_links slug=”petrel-1867″ title=”References & Links”]
The Petrel (built 1867) sank tragically during a sudden southeast gale on October 17, 1883, off Sheboygan, Wisconsin. Colliding with the harbor pier, she broke apart and sank in the entrance channel. All six crew members were rescued. Her remains posed a navigational hazard for over a decade. Though now gone or buried, Petrel‘s story remains a testament to the perils small schooners faced on the Great Lakes in the 19th century.
Full Wreck Record — complete historical article, construction details, voyage logs, incident reports, dive conditions, and all research sources.
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