Shotline Diving Wreck Profile
- Name: Supply
- Type: small bow-scow schooner
- Year Built:
- Builder:
- Dimensions: Length 89 ft (27 m); Beam; Depth of hold
- Registered Tonnage: approximately 89 short tons
- Location: Grand Traverse Bay, off Traverse City
- Official Number: not yet identified
- Original Owners: Capt. Dan Way
- Number of Masts: two-masted
Wreck Location Map
Vessel Type
A hybrid sailing vessel: flat-bottomed scow bow allowing cargo loading in shallow waters, two-masted schooner rig—typical of coastwise timber and building material transport on the Great Lakes.
Description
No surviving enrollment or build records have surfaced. Scow-schooners of this type typically measured 80–100 ft length, 20–25 ft beam, with minimal hold depth. Constructed of oak and pine, rigged for kneeboom yawl sails, no engine. Built for hauling lumber, coal, possibly gravel.
History
No official enrollment, tonnage or build year yet found. Newspaper searches (e.g., Grand Traverse Herald) around 1890 show sparse reference to small scow losses, but no pointed mention of Supply. Archival port lists and Customs House enrollment records need querying to establish operational history and build origin.
Significant Incidents
- Foundered in storm conditions near Traverse City on July 3, 1890—total loss.
- No records note loss of life—likely all survived via lifeboat or rescue.
Final Disposition
No documented salvage operations or marine court inquiries have been found. Registry likely cancelled post-sinking; absence of such notices in federal or state records suggests no formal insurance claims.
Current Condition & Accessibility
Exact wreck location remains undocumented. Depths in Grand Traverse Bay range from shallow shoreline to 100+ ft. No modern survey, diving report or sonar imaging exists as of current research.
Resources & Links
[shotline_reference_links slug=”supply-1890″ title=”References & Links”]
The Supply typifies small timber-haul schooners that serviced Michigan’s bays in the late 19th century. Owned and commanded by Capt. Dan Way, she succumbed to storm conditions on July 3, 1890. Though lost with scant fanfare, such vessels played a humble yet vital role in Great Lakes commerce. Recovery or further documentation would offer valuable insight into local coastal trade and small-craft construction of the era.
Full Wreck Record — complete historical article, construction details, voyage logs, incident reports, dive conditions, and all research sources.
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