Vesta – Lake Huron Schooner Shipwreck (1905)

Explore the wreck of the Vesta, a wooden schooner-barge lost in a fire while under tow in Lake Huron.

Shotline Diving Wreck Profile

  • Name: Vesta
  • Type: Schooner-barge
  • Year Built: 1873
  • Builder:
  • Dimensions: Approx. 135 ft (41.15 m); Beam; Depth of hold
  • Registered Tonnage: 260 tons
  • Location: Michael Bay, off Manitoulin Island
  • Official Number: Not recorded in available sources
  • Original Owners: W. J. Pulling of Windsor, Ontario

Wreck Location Map

Vessel Type

  • A wooden schooner-barge, built 1873, commonly towed by steamers as part of lumber transport operations.

Description

  • Constructed of timber, measuring approximately 135 ft in length with a gross tonnage near 260 tons. Built specifically for lumber carrying in consort with tow-steamers.

History

  • Ownership: Owned by W. J. Pulling of Windsor, Ontario at time of loss.
  • Operational use: Employed in lumber transport operations on Lake Huron, carried in tow behind the steamer JUNO, seeking shelter in gale conditions when incident occurred.

Significant Incidents

  • On October 17, 1905, while sheltering from a gale in Michael Bay, the schooner-barge Vesta caught fire and was completely destroyed. The towing steamer Juno had brought her into the bay for protection, but the fire consumed her entirely, resulting in total loss.
  • No injuries; vessel was declared a total loss immediately.

Final Disposition

  • On October 17, 1905, while sheltering from a gale in Michael Bay, the schooner-barge Vesta caught fire and was completely destroyed. The towing steamer Juno had brought her into the bay for protection, but the fire consumed her entirely, resulting in total loss.
  • No injuries; vessel was declared a total loss immediately.

Current Condition & Accessibility

  • No confirmed wreck surveys or dive records associated with Vesta are documented. The wreck site is not listed in major wreck databases (e.g., NOAA Thunder Bay, 3DShipwrecks).

Resources & Links

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  • Further research is needed to uncover more details about the Vesta, including crew records, operational logs of the steamer Juno, and potential site surveys in Michael Bay.
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Full Wreck Record — complete historical article, construction details, voyage logs, incident reports, dive conditions, and all research sources.

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