R. Kanters US 125223 (City of Woodstock)

Shotline Diving Wreck Profile

• Name: R. Kanters
• Type: Two-masted wooden schooner
• Year Built: 1873
• Builder: Larson & Christianson, Manitowoc, Wisconsin
• Dimensions: 112-113 ft (34.14-34.44 m); 25-26 ft; ~8 ft
• Registered Tonnage: 165 GRT / 156 NRT
• Location: Approximately 7 miles south of Manistique, Michigan
• Official Number: 125223
• Original Owners: Capt. Peter Blake, Tremaine & Weeks, Detroit
• Number of Masts: Two

Wreck Location Map

Vessel Type

R. Kanters was a standard wooden two-masted schooner, originally named City of Woodstock, serving Great Lakes coastal trade. At ~112 ft length and two sails, she carried various bulk cargoes and had a well-balanced hull for mixed lake conditions.

Description

During a gale on 7 September 1903, R. Kanters was blown ashore south of Manistique. Being aged and exposed on a rocky bottom, she was stranded and abandoned in situ, stripping occurring as the vessel degraded over days. No salvage effort was made; she broke up naturally on site.

History

• Built in 1873 at Manitowoc, Wisconsin as City of Woodstock, later renamed R. Kanters in 1882 after Captain Van Ry’s silent partner Rokus Kanters of Holland, MI.
• Operated out of Holland and Grand Haven, hauling grain and general cargo across the Great Lakes.
• In 1896, struck rocks off Gravel Island (near Door Peninsula, WI), was declared a total loss, yet later refloated, refurbished, and returned to service by Capt. Blake.
• In 1901, Capt. Blake and a crew member sailed her over 500 miles under poor weather after a crew strike—evidence of the vessel’s durability and high-risk trade operations.
• Final loss occurred 7 September 1903, near Manistique, Michigan, as noted above.

Significant Incidents

• No casualties reported; crew walked to Manistique for assistance.

Final Disposition

R. Kanters was abandoned after storm-driven stranding. Given exposure to wave action, she broke up on the rocks, with hull and structure fragmenting over subsequent days. No formal salvage or registry recovery was undertaken.

Current Condition & Accessibility

• In April 2020, a section of the wreck (including keelson, deadwood, bolt remnants) re-emerged from shifting sands near Manistique, positively identified as R. Kanters via matching size, location, and local historical records.
• Measurements suggest the stern deadwood remains, allowing approximate reconstruction of original length (~112 ft) and rudder height (~9 ft).
• No formal archaeological site plan published yet; the wreck site is covered or exposed intermittently based on lake level and sand movement.

Resources & Links

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Built in 1873, the R. Kanters was a well-traveled wooden schooner operating across Lake Michigan. After decades in trade and surviving past incidents (notably 1896 grounding), she succumbed to a storm-driven stranding on 7 September 1903, approximately seven miles south of Manistique, Michigan. The crew survived with no casualties, and the vessel was left to break apart. A re-emergence of structural remains in 2020 confirmed the wreck’s identity via historical records and MSRA documentation. The R. Kanters serves as a representative example of aging schooners that met their end along the treacherous northern Lake Michigan shoreline.