Unidentified Buried Schooner

Shotline Diving Wreck Profile

• Name: Unidentified Buried Schooner
• Type: Schooner
• Year Built:
• Builder:
• Dimensions: 70-85 ft (21.3-25.9 m); Beam; Depth of hold
• Registered Tonnage:
• Depth at Wreck Site: 21.3 m / 70 ft
• Location: Off Cleveland, Ohio
• Number of Masts: Two

Wreck Location Map

Vessel Type

Vessel Type Inferred: Two-masted wooden schooner, estimated length of 70-85 ft, possibly a small coastal cargo boat or converted barge.

Description

Site Characteristics: The wreck features a port-side railing, deadeyes, metal catheads, carrick bits, and a windlass assembly, with a horizontal bowsprit. The structure is trench-buried and visible under approximately 2 ft of silt. Visibility is very low below the thermocline, and no zebra mussels were observed, indicating anaerobic burial.

Preservation: The vessel is highly buried with minimal vertical relief, suggesting long-term sedimentation and limited disturbance.

Era Estimate: The vessel is likely constructed between 1870 and 1910 based on the rigging style and hardware type.

History

Historical Incident Candidates: Several historical incidents near Cleveland or eastern Lake Erie involve two-masted schooners. Notable candidates include:

• Abbey – A wooden schooner of ~117 tons wrecked on October 5, 1851, at the mouth of Black River near Lorain, OH, carrying coal. This match is compelling due to the small schooner size, coal cargo, and similar geography.
• Union – A two-masted schooner of ~71 ft, demasted and driven ashore on September 17, 1886, near Rondeau, Ontario, carrying lumber. This match is less compelling due to cargo mismatch.
• Frank Morris – A schooner-scow of 52 tons wrecked on December 5, 1887, at Point Pelee, Ontario, carrying gravel. This match is less likely due to cargo type.
• Tartar – A wooden schooner of ~110 ft stranded in a storm on December 1, 1870, off Point Pelee. This match is less likely due to size and location.
• David Morris / Globe – Schooner barges of ~140 ft that broke loose under tow and wrecked on October 21, 1873, at Pigeon Bay, Ontario. This match is less likely due to being tied to tow operations.

Significant Incidents

Identification Assessment: The Abbey and Union are structurally closer in length and rigging style, lost near the Cleveland-Lorain corridor. Abbey aligns with the buried coal vessel interpretation, while Union’s cargo mismatch makes it less compelling. Tartar and David Morris are larger and further afield, making them less likely matches.

Final Disposition

The Abbey appears to be the most promising match for the buried schooner, being a coal-carrying, two-masted schooner lost in a storm off Lorain, within the Cleveland region. This may explain the near-absence of vertical structure and lack of mussel growth due to long silt coverage.

Current Condition & Accessibility

The wreck is deeply buried in a trench, with no mussels observed, indicating a long-buried condition. The site is accessible for diving, but visibility is low, and care should be taken due to the silt cover.

Resources & Links

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Based on structural alignment, cargo correspondence, and loss location, the Abbey is the strongest candidate for identification of the buried schooner discovered on September 30, 2007. While not definitive without excavation data or direct documentation, the match is historically justified and warrants further investigation.