Shotline Diving Wreck Profile
- Name: Rollo
- Type: Wooden gas-powered fish tug
- Year Built: 1911
- Builder: Bois Blanc Island, Michigan
- Dimensions: 34 × 11 × 4 ft (15 gross / 13 net tons)
- Registered Tonnage: 15 gross / 13 net tons
- Location: Near Bois Blanc Island, Straits of Mackinac
- Official Number: 208819
- Original Owners: Registered in Grand Haven, Michigan
Wreck Location Map
Vessel Type
Type: Wooden gas-powered fish tug
Description
Built in 1911 on Bois Blanc Island, Michigan, the Rollo was a wooden gas-powered fish tug measuring 34 feet in length, 11 feet in beam, and 4 feet in depth. It had a registered tonnage of 15 gross tons and 13 net tons.
History
The Rollo was registered in Grand Haven, Michigan, and served as a fish tug until its loss on November 28, 1919. During a storm in the Straits of Mackinac, the vessel was driven aground near Bois Blanc Island, suffering extensive hull damage.
Significant Incidents
- Stranded during a storm on November 28, 1919, near Bois Blanc Island.
- Strong winds and waves caused the vessel to break free of command and suffer extensive damage.
- No casualties reported; the crew safely reached shore.
Final Disposition
The crew was rescued without loss of life, and the Rollo was declared a total loss. In 1921, two years after the wreck, the vessel was officially struck from the Great Lakes Shipping registries. No salvage efforts were recorded, and the wooden hull remains near the shoreline as a shallow wreck.
Current Condition & Accessibility
The wreck of the Rollo likely still lies near the shoreline, with no recorded salvage or recovery efforts. A shoreline dive or ROV survey could confirm the wreck’s condition and any extant structure.
Resources & Links
[shotline_reference_links slug=”rollo-us-208819″ title=”References & Links”]
The small wooden fish tug Rollo foundered in a November 1919 storm, stranding off Bois Blanc Island in Lake Huron. No lives were lost, but the vessel was a complete loss. As a gas-powered tug built in 1911 and locally registered in Grand Haven, she embodies the maritime and cultural history of early motorized fishing craft in the Great Lakes.
Full Wreck Record — complete historical article, construction details, voyage logs, incident reports, dive conditions, and all research sources.
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