Shotline Diving Wreck Profile
- Name: Sir Charles Metcalf
- Type: Wooden Schooner
- Year Built: 1851
- Builder: H. Metcalf, Milford, Ontario
- Dimensions: Not precisely recorded; original tonnage 150 tons, reduced to 126 tons by 1860
- Registered Tonnage: 126 tons
- Location: Near Main Duck Island, eastern Lake Ontario
- Original Owners: J. Doyle of Kingston, Ontario
- Number of Masts: Two-mast configuration
Wreck Location Map
Vessel Type
The Sir Charles Metcalf was a typical mid-19th century wooden Great Lakes schooner, with a two-mast configuration and a moderate cargo capacity. Such schooners were integral to regional bulk transport, especially of coal, lumber, and grain, using sail power to navigate the challenging lake systems.
Description
Constructed by the Milford-based shipbuilder H. Metcalf, the Sir Charles Metcalf was part of a wave of schooner-building efforts in response to growing demand for efficient lake trade vessels. She was built for resilience and general cargo transport. The ship underwent structural changes during her operational life, reflected in a reduction in registered tonnage from 150 to 126 tons by 1860.
History
- 1851: Launched in Milford, Ontario, entering service as a regional cargo schooner.
- 1860: Owned by J. Doyle of Kingston, Ontario; registry shows structural tonnage reduction.
- Cargo: Primarily coal, lumber, and agricultural commodities.
Throughout her decade of service, she contributed to the busy trans-lake commerce typical of Lake Ontario ports such as Kingston, Oswego, and Cobourg.
Significant Incidents
On October 11, 1861, while carrying 194 tons of coal, the Sir Charles Metcalf foundered near Main Duck Island. No cause for the foundering was officially recorded. Possible contributing factors may include structural fatigue, overloading, or sudden adverse weather.
Final Disposition
The wreck has not been officially discovered or surveyed. Its probable site remains in deep or remote water off Main Duck Island, which lies in a known hazardous area for 19th-century shipping.
Current Condition & Accessibility
None noted. No official Canadian Coast Guard or CHS warnings are currently issued for this wreck, though caution is always advised in the waters around Main Duck Island due to shoals and historical wreckage.
Resources & Links
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The Sir Charles Metcalf represents the utilitarian, workhorse schooners of Lake Ontario’s early shipping era. Her unknown fate and undocumented final resting place encapsulate the frequent losses on the inland seas during the 19th century, especially among unpowered sailing vessels operating near the unpredictable shoals of Main Duck Island. As of now, she remains one of many lost but not forgotten vessels contributing to the rich tapestry of Great Lakes maritime history.
Full Wreck Record — complete historical article, construction details, voyage logs, incident reports, dive conditions, and all research sources.
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