Shotline Diving Wreck Profile
- Name: Prince Eugene
- Type: Double-masted wooden schooner
- Year Built: 1832
- Builder:
- Dimensions: Length X ft (Y m); Beam; Depth of hold
- Registered Tonnage: Under 50 tons
- Location: Shoreline of Lake Michigan, ~8 miles (13 km) north of the Manistee River mouth, Michigan
- Number of Masts: 2
Wreck Location Map
Vessel Type
A modest wooden schooner with two masts, designed for regional freight hauling across the Upper Great Lakes—flexible and manoeuvrable for coastal cargo like lumber, produce, and general merchandise.
Description
No detailed shipyard records available. As a small schooner built in 1832, she likely featured a timber-framed hull, fore-and-aft sails on both masts, and a shallow draft suited for near-shore navigation and harbour calls. No rebuilds recorded.
History
Commissioned in 1832 amid early Lake Michigan trade, Prince Eugene was among the earliest American-built schooners structured for emerging settlements such as Milwaukee, Racine, and Manitowoc. She carried mixed merchandise, though specifics are lacking; a November 1834 gale overtook her, and reports record her loss alongside cargo valued at US $70,000 (a vast sum for that timeframe).
Significant Incidents
- Lost in a severe storm in November 1834.
- Reported loss of cargo valued at approximately US $70,000.
Final Disposition
Driven ashore by a storm, she was wrecked and became a total loss. No records indicate loss of life or rescue difficulties—given remoteness, surviving crew probable, though details are unverified.
Current Condition & Accessibility
There is no record of an official wreck discovery. As a grounding in surf zone near Manistee, remnants likely washed ashore or were later submerged; the site remains unidentified and unmarked.
Resources & Links
[shotline_reference_links slug=”prince-eugene-1832″ title=”References & Links”]
Prince Eugene represents one of the earliest recorded schooner losses on Lake Michigan, her loss in November 1834 starkly demonstrating the perilous shipping conditions of that era. Carrying a significant cargo of general merchandise (valued at approx. US $70,000), she was driven ashore near Manistee amid a powerful storm. No formal remains have been located, and the site lies uncharted—leaving her story rooted in 19th-century coastal loss rather than modern dive exploration.
Full Wreck Record — complete historical article, construction details, voyage logs, incident reports, dive conditions, and all research sources.
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