Shotline Diving Wreck Profile
- Name: Uarda
- Type: Iron-hulled propeller-driven passenger and freight steamer
- Year Built: 1881
- Builder: D. Bell, Buffalo, New York
- Dimensions: 93 ft x 12 ft x 8 ft (28.3 m x 3.7 m x 2.4 m)
- Registered Tonnage: 93 gross tons
- Depth at Wreck Site: 6 m / 20 ft
- Location: Ripley, Michigan (near Hancock), Lake Superior
- Official Number: 25243
- Original Owners: Scott & Werner, Hancock, Michigan
Wreck Location Map
Vessel Type
The Uarda was an iron-hulled propeller steamer, originally built as a yacht but later converted for passenger and freight service on Lake Superior. Small steamers like this were used for short-haul transportation, likely servicing coastal towns and mining operations in the Keweenaw Peninsula region.
Description
Built in 1881 by D. Bell in Buffalo, New York, the Uarda was initially a yacht but was later repurposed into a commercial steamer. By 1912, it was operating out of Hancock, Michigan, under Scott & Werner, with Captain Werner as its master.
On June 4, 1912, while undergoing repairs at Seager’s wood dock in Ripley, Michigan, the vessel caught fire late in the evening. The skipper believed the fire was intentionally set, suggesting possible arson. The flames completely gutted the vessel, reducing it to a burnt-out shell.
The remains were later towed to West Hancock, where the hull was left in the water. The following spring, shifting ice forced the wreck underwater, where it remains to this day.
History
The Uarda sank under ice pressure in early 1913 at West Hancock, Michigan in 20 feet (6 meters) of water.
Significant Incidents
- June 4, 1912: Caught fire while undergoing repairs, suspected arson.
- Early 1913: Sank under ice pressure.
Final Disposition
The Uarda sank under ice pressure in early 1913 at West Hancock, Michigan in 20 feet (6 meters) of water.
Current Condition & Accessibility
The wreck was discovered by divers in 1970 and remains in shallow water, accessible for diving.
The wreck lies in 20 feet of water at West Hancock, making it a known dive site.
No modern navigational hazards linked to this wreck exist.
Resources & Links
The Uarda was a small yet versatile steamer, originally built as a yacht before being converted for passenger and freight transport. Its destruction by fire in 1912—potentially due to arson—ended its career. The hull, later sunk by ice in West Hancock, remains a notable shallow-water wreck in Lake Superior, offering a glimpse into the region’s maritime past.