Shotline Diving Wreck Profile
- Name: Unknown 1920s Motor Yacht
- Type: Motor Yacht
- Year Built: circa 1920s
- Builder:
- Dimensions: Length: 48 ft (14.6 m); Beam; Depth of hold
- Registered Tonnage:
- Depth at Wreck Site: 3 m / 10 ft
- Location: St. Clair Flats, near the Michigan–Ontario border
- Original Owners: Unknown private owner
- Number of Masts: None
Wreck Location Map
Vessel Type
This was a privately owned wooden motor yacht, designed for leisure cruising on the Great Lakes during the height of the motor yachting boom of the 1920s.
Description
The vessel was powered by twin gasoline or diesel engines mounted side-by-side, unusually placed far forward, about 4.5–5.8 m (15–19 ft) aft of the bow. Long drive shafts and exhaust pipes extended to the stern to drive twin propellers. Despite its twin-screw configuration, it was fitted with only a single rudder, a somewhat unusual feature for twin-engine yachts.
Brass hardware fittings are scattered on the site, including probable decorative and functional elements, consistent with the high-end pleasure craft of the era.
History
This type of yacht reflects the 1920s trend among wealthy Great Lakes pleasure boaters, who prized fast, stylish cruisers equipped with powerful twin engines and ornate hardware. Although its ownership records are not confirmed, its design suggests it belonged to an affluent private owner.
No conclusive evidence ties the yacht to a specific incident or year of loss, but local divers and historians generally agree it burned and sank in the St. Clair Flats sometime between the late 1920s and 1930s, consistent with its construction style.
Significant Incidents
- Total loss after fire burned the vessel to the waterline, with the hull and machinery left on the lakebed in the St. Clair Flats.
Final Disposition
Total loss after fire burned the vessel to the waterline, with the hull and machinery left on the lakebed in the St. Clair Flats.
Current Condition & Accessibility
No formal survey recorded, but the site has been well known to local divers since at least the 1980s. Boaters should be cautious in the area and divers should mark the site with a surface marker buoy due to high recreational traffic.
Resources & Links
[shotline_reference_links slug=”st-clair-flats-motor-yacht” title=”References & Links” show_ref_button=”yes”]
This burned-out 1920s motor yacht wreck provides a fascinating look at Great Lakes leisure boating between the World Wars. Its rare twin-engine, single-rudder design, along with the presence of high-quality brass fittings, makes it a valuable site for divers and historians interested in early personal motor yachts. Despite its deterioration, it remains a local dive highlight in the St. Clair Flats.
Full Wreck Record — complete historical article, construction details, voyage logs, incident reports, dive conditions, and all research sources.
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