Shotline Diving Wreck Profile
- Name: Wave
- Type: Two-masted wooden schooner
- Year Built: 1835
- Builder: Swan Creek, Michigan
- Dimensions: Length X ft (Y m); Beam; Depth of hold
- Registered Tonnage: 44.32 tons
- Location: Saugatuck, Michigan, Kalamazoo River, Lake Michigan
- Number of Masts: 2
Wreck Location Map
Vessel Type
Early 19th-century wooden schooner, designed for light general freight and regional trade on the Great Lakes.
Description
The Wave was a traditional two-masted wooden schooner, single-decked, built for carrying light bulk cargos along the rapidly developing western Great Lakes routes. Her modest tonnage and shallow draft allowed her to serve small harbours and river mouths.
History
Enrolled at Detroit in 1836, the Wave carried mixed cargoes between Michigan, Ohio, and other Lake Michigan ports. In November 1841, she was driven ashore during a gale near Chicago but apparently recovered and returned to service.
On 17 March 1844, while lightly loaded and bound for Grand River, Ohio, Wave stranded near Saugatuck, Michigan, in the mouth of the Kalamazoo River during a spring storm. Five to thirteen people are reported to have died during the wreck, making this a significant early loss on the Michigan shoreline. Local sources note the rigging was salvaged, and what remained of the wreck was later brought to Chicago by the vessel Fur Trader.
Significant Incidents
- November 1841: Driven ashore during a gale near Chicago but recovered.
- 17 March 1844: Stranded near Saugatuck, Michigan, during a spring storm, resulting in significant loss of life.
Final Disposition
Declared a total loss; rigging and fittings salvaged, hull abandoned.
Current Condition & Accessibility
No modern survey has confirmed any remains, which are presumed buried or lost near the Kalamazoo River mouth.
Resources & Links
[shotline_reference_links slug=”wave-1835″ title=”References & Links”]
The Wave illustrates the hazards of early schooner operations in the Great Lakes, serving small ports with limited navigation aids. Its loss in 1844, with significant loss of life, underscores the deadly power of spring storms on Lake Michigan even for relatively experienced captains.
Legacy Notes & Full Historical Record
This section preserves the original unedited Shotline content for this wreck so that no historical detail is lost as we transition to the new logbook format.
Shotline Diving Wreck Profile
- Name: Wave
- Year built: 1835
- Builder: Swan Creek, Michigan
- Vessel type: Two-masted wooden schooner
- Hull material: Wood
- Number of decks: 1
- Number of masts: 2
- Tonnage (old style): 44.32 tons
- Date lost: 17 March 1844
- Final location: Saugatuck, Michigan, Kalamazoo River, Lake Michigan
Vessel Type
Early 19th-century wooden schooner, designed for light general freight and regional trade on the Great Lakes.
Description
The Wave was a traditional two-masted wooden schooner, single-decked, built for carrying light bulk cargos along the rapidly developing western Great Lakes routes. Her modest tonnage and shallow draft allowed her to serve small harbours and river mouths.
History
Enrolled at Detroit in 1836, the Wave carried mixed cargoes between Michigan, Ohio, and other Lake Michigan ports. In November 1841, she was driven ashore during a gale near Chicago but apparently recovered and returned to service.
On 17 March 1844, while lightly loaded and bound for Grand River, Ohio, Wave stranded near Saugatuck, Michigan, in the mouth of the Kalamazoo River during a spring storm. Five to thirteen people are reported to have died during the wreck, making this a significant early loss on the Michigan shoreline. Local sources note the rigging was salvaged, and what remained of the wreck was later brought to Chicago by the vessel Fur Trader.
Final Dispositions
Declared a total loss; rigging and fittings salvaged, hull abandoned.
Located By & Date Found
No modern survey has confirmed any remains, which are presumed buried or lost near the Kalamazoo River mouth.
Notmars & Advisories
None noted.
Resources & Links
- Maritime History of the Great Lakes
- Great Lakes Vessels Online Index – Bowling Green State University
- David Swayze Shipwreck File
Conclusion
The Wave illustrates the hazards of early schooner operations in the Great Lakes, serving small ports with limited navigation aids. Its loss in 1844, with significant loss of life, underscores the deadly power of spring storms on Lake Michigan even for relatively experienced captains.
Keywords, Categories, Glossary Terms
- schooner
- wooden hull
- Lake Michigan
- Saugatuck
- Kalamazoo River
- 19th century
- stranded
- shipwreck
- Great Lakes commerce