Shotline Diving Wreck Profile
- Name: Victoria
- Type: Wooden steambarge
- Year Built: 1870
- Builder: Thomas Fairbairn Jr., Detroit, Michigan
- Dimensions: 77.8 ft (23.7 m) × 21.6 ft (6.6 m) × 9 ft (2.7 m)
- Registered Tonnage: 64.18 gross tons (U.S.); 88 gross / 69 net tons (Canada)
- Location: Kettle Point, northeast of Sarnia, Ontario
- Coordinates: Approximate Kettle Point area
- Official Number: 28354 (U.S.); C61161 (Canada)
- Original Owners: Thomas Fairbairn Sr. & Jr. (1870); C. McElroy (1872); Canadian owners from 1873 onward
- Number of Masts: 0 (steambarge, not rigged as sailing vessel)
Wreck Location Map
Vessel Type
The Victoria was a wooden-hulled screw steambarge designed for cargo transport on the lower Great Lakes. She was fitted with a single-cylinder high-pressure steam engine rated at 50 hp.
Description
The Scotia, later renamed Victoria in 1873, was a small utility vessel measuring 77.8 feet in length. She was primarily used in the bulk and lumber trade, as well as for passenger and general cargo service.
History
Launched in 1870, the Scotia initially operated in the Detroit–Toledo trade, carrying general cargo such as timber products. In 1872, she was sold to C. McElroy of New Baltimore, Michigan. By 1873, she was transferred to Canadian registry (C61161), renamed Victoria, and listed at 88 gross / 69 net tons with revised hull depth.
Throughout the 1870s and early 1880s, the vessel operated from Sarnia, Ontario, servicing regional trade to Wallaceburg, Detroit, and other Lake Huron and Lake St. Clair ports. She was owned successively by Alex Tronie of Dresden (1877) and R.M. Jax of Sarnia (1884).
On October 27, 1884, the Victoria stranded at Kettle Point, Lake Huron, northeast of Sarnia. Declared a total wreck, she was abandoned, ending a 14-year career.
Significant Incidents
- Stranded and wrecked at Kettle Point on October 27, 1884.
Final Disposition
The Victoria was wrecked and abandoned at Kettle Point, Lake Huron, on October 27, 1884. She was declared a constructive total loss, with no casualties reported. The wreck was likely broken up by storms or salvaged for materials.
Current Condition & Accessibility
The wreck is presumed to be near Kettle Point, Ontario, but no modern archaeological survey has been reported. The site is not charted and is presumed to contain scattered remains nearshore.
Resources & Links
[shotline_reference_links slug=”victoria-scotia-us-28354-c-61161″ title=”References & Links”]
Access to the wreck is limited, and it is not considered an established dive site. Divers should be aware that permits are required for any archaeological disturbance.
Full Wreck Record — complete historical article, construction details, voyage logs, incident reports, dive conditions, and all research sources.
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