Shotline Diving

Connecting You to the Depths of the Great Lakes

Wasp (pre 1811)

Explore the story of the Wasp, a small wooden schooner lost in a storm on Lake Erie in November 1811, with a possible recovery that highlights early maritime salvage efforts.

Shotline Diving Wreck Profile

  • Name: Wasp
  • Type: Small wooden schooner
  • Year Built: Operational by 1811
  • Dimensions: Unknown
  • Location: Likely driven ashore on the shores of Lake Erie
  • Number of Masts: Two-masted

Wreck Location Map

Vessel Type

A modest-sized two-masted wooden vessel, typical of early 19th-century schooners used on Lake Erie—for bulk goods, passengers, or general trade. Crew and tonnage details aren’t recorded, but the vessel appears small enough to have been subsequently refloated.

Description

The Wasp was reportedly driven ashore during a November storm on Lake Erie around mid-month. Sources indicate the vessel was bilged—her hull breached on rocks or shoals, causing flooding and initial wrecking. Compared to other incidents, Wasp was eventually recovered (“if she was the vessel shown parenthetically above…she was recovered”), suggesting salvage and perhaps a return to service.

No firsthand newspaper accounts or maritime registry notes have surfaced to confirm precise location, skipper, cargo, or recovery details.

History

The Wasp reflects the everyday workhorse schooners that plied the Great Lakes in the early 1800s. Though damaged in a November storm on Lake Erie, her recovery marks a resilient chapter in maritime salvage history. While archaeology has yet to document her remains, she exemplifies early storm-related losses—and recovery efforts—in a still-developing inland maritime domain.

Significant Incidents

  • Driven ashore during a storm in November 1811.
  • Reportedly bilged, leading to flooding and wrecking.
  • Likely all crew survived, as reports indicate recovery.

Final Disposition

  • Outcome: Beached and bilged.
  • Possible Recovery: Records suggest that the vessel may have been refloated or salvaged and returned to service.

Current Condition & Accessibility

  • No modern archaeological survey or dive records have surfaced.
  • Current fate of the wreck (post-recovery) is undocumented.

Resources & Links

References are being reviewed for this wreck.

The Wasp reflects the everyday workhorse schooners that plied the Great Lakes in the early 1800s. Though damaged in a November storm on Lake Erie, her recovery marks a resilient chapter in maritime salvage history. While archaeology has yet to document her remains, she exemplifies early storm-related losses—and recovery efforts—in a still-developing inland maritime domain.