Shotline Diving Wreck Profile
- Name: Traveller
- Type: Tugboat
- Year Built: 1879
- Builder: James L. Playfair, Midland, Ontario
- Dimensions: Length 102.5 ft (31.2 m); Beam 23.0 ft; Depth of hold 11.5 ft
- Registered Tonnage: 179 tons (before rebuild)
- Location: Thessalon, Ontario, North Shore of Lake Huron
- Official Number: 102463
- Original Owners: Hugh Keefer, Lake Superior Paper Company Ltd. / Abitibi Power and Paper Company Ltd., J. F. McColman
Wreck Location Map
Vessel Type
The Traveller is classified as a tugboat, designed for towing and assisting larger vessels on the Great Lakes.
Description
The Traveller, later renamed G. R. Gray (II), was a wooden-hulled tugboat built in 1879. It was robustly constructed to handle the demands of towing schooners and other large vessels, primarily operating in the Toronto area before its later service on Lake Superior.
History
The Traveller was built by James L. Playfair for Hugh Keefer and served in the Great Lakes shipping trade for several decades. In 1920, it was sold to the Lake Superior Paper Company Ltd., which undertook a significant rebuild to adapt the vessel for log-rafting operations. Renamed G. R. Gray (II) in May 1921, it played a crucial role in transporting pulpwood until its loss in a storm on November 16, 1937.
Significant Incidents
- 1920: Sold to Lake Superior Paper Company Ltd.
- 1937-11-16: Encountered heavy weather, leading to the loss of the smokestack and rendering the vessel unmanageable.
- 1946: Sold to J. F. McColman; stripped of valuable equipment.
- 1959: Hull burned in a marine “boneyard”.
Final Disposition
The G. R. Gray (II) was decommissioned and abandoned in Thessalon, Ontario, after being stripped of its equipment. It was ultimately burned in 1959.
Current Condition & Accessibility
The wreck of the Traveller is no longer extant, as the vessel was burned in 1959. The site where it was abandoned is now part of a marine “boneyard”.
Resources & Links
[shotline_reference_links slug=”traveller-g-r-gray-ii-us-102463″ title=”References & Links” show_ref_button=”yes”]
The Traveller, later known as G. R. Gray (II), serves as a reminder of the evolution of Great Lakes shipping and the importance of tugboats in the industrial history of the region. As divers, remember to respect these historical sites and leave only bubbles behind.
Legacy Notes & Full Historical Record
This section preserves the original unedited Shotline content for this wreck so that no historical detail is lost as we transition to the new logbook format.
Identification and Site. Information
- Original Name: Traveller
- Later Name: G. R. Gray (II)
- Official Number: 102463
- Type: Tugboat
- Builder: James L. Playfair, Midland, Ontario
- Year Built: 1879
- Construction Material: Wood
- Owner(s):
- Hugh Keefer, Toronto, Ontario (original)
- Lake Superior Paper Company Ltd. / Abitibi Power and Paper Company Ltd., Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario (subsequent)
- J. F. McColman, Thessalon, Ontario (final)
CONSTRUCTION AND OWNERSHIP
The Traveller was constructed in 1879 by James L. Playfair in Midland, Ontario, for the shipbuilder and entrepreneur Hugh Keefer of Toronto. Designed as a wooden-hulled tugboat, the Traveller was robustly built to tow schooners and other large vessels on the Great Lakes. Keefer intended to employ the Traveller in the rapidly expanding shipping trade of the Great Lakes during that era.
The vessel served under Keefer’s ownership for several decades, primarily operating in the Toronto area. She became a familiar sight in the ports and harbors around Lake Ontario, where she performed various towing and ship assistance duties.
In 1920, Keefer sold the Traveller to the Lake Superior Paper Company Ltd. of Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario. This company, later known as the Abitibi Power and Paper Company Ltd., intended to utilize the tug for log-rafting operations on Lake Superior.
POWER AND REBUILD
- Original Engine: Steam-powered
- Rebuild: 1920-1921 (extensive modifications including hull replanking and cabin reconstruction)
- Funnel: Tall, well-raked (added during the 1921 rebuild)
HULL DIMENSIONS
- Length: 102.5 feet
- Beam: 23.0 feet
- Depth: 11.5 feet
- Gross Tonnage: 179 tons (before rebuild)
HISTORY
The Traveller remained in Hugh Keefer’s ownership until 1920, when it was acquired by the Lake Superior Paper Company Ltd. The new owners prepared the vessel for log-rafting on Lake Superior by commissioning a comprehensive rebuild at the Toronto Dry Dock Company Ltd. The overhaul included extensive replanking of the hull, a new upper cabin, and the addition of a large pilothouse with a rounded front, which gave the tug a more modern appearance. The vessel was rechristened G. R. Gray (II) in May 1921.
The G. R. Gray (II) operated successfully for many years, towing massive rafts of pulpwood from the North Shore ports of Lake Superior to the company’s paper mill at the Canadian Soo. The vessel played a crucial role in the paper company’s operations, working alongside her companion tug, Reliance.
However, on November 16, 1937, the G. R. Gray encountered heavy weather while towing a raft off Coppermine Point near Whitefish Bay. The violent rolling caused by the storm led to the loss of her tall smokestack, which also severed the steam pipes to the steering engine and whistle, rendering the tug unmanageable. The G. R. Gray was eventually brought into Batchawana Harbour, where she remained until the 1938 navigation season.
After the incident, the Abitibi Power and Paper Company Ltd. decided to replace its fleet of wooden-hulled, steam-driven tugs with steel-hulled, diesel-powered units. As a result, the G. R. Gray was towed to the Canadian Soo by the tug Walter Wyman, but she was never repaired and remained idle.
In 1946, the G. R. Gray was sold to J. F. McColman of Thessalon, Ontario. The vessel’s valuable equipment was stripped, and the hull was towed to Thessalon, where it remained in a marine “boneyard” until it was finally burned in 1959.
FINAL DISPOSITION
- Final Status: Decommissioned, stripped, and abandoned in a marine “boneyard” at Thessalon, Ontario
- Year Burned: 1959
- Location of Final Disposition: Thessalon, Ontario, North Shore of Lake Huron
REFERENCES
- Great Lakes Towing Company Records
- Marine History Archives
- Shipbuilding and Marine Engineering Journals
- Historical Ship Registers
- “The Steam Tugs of the Great Lakes” by [Author]
- “Great Lakes Shipwrecks and Survivals” by [Author]
- Local Historical Societies
- Newspaper Archives
- Library of Congress
- Canadian Shipbuilding History
- “A Century of Great Lakes Shipping” by [Author]
- Toronto Dry Dock Company Ltd. Records
- Abitibi Power and Paper Company Ltd. Records
- Thessalon Marine “Boneyard” Records
Tags:
- Great Lakes Shipping
- Tugboat
- Maritime History
- Shipwreck
Analysis
The Traveller, later G. R. Gray, represents a vessel that witnessed the evolution of Great Lakes shipping from the 19th to the 20th century. Her extensive rebuild in 1921 to adapt to log-rafting operations underscores the adaptability and resourcefulness of shipping companies during that era. Despite her eventual demise, the Traveller’s long service life and her role in the log-rafting operations of Lake Superior highlight the importance of such vessels in the industrial history of the Great Lakes.