Willie Keller US 80315

Shotline Diving Wreck Profile

• Name: Keller, Willie
• Type: Schooner
• Year Built: 1871
• Builder: Jasper Hanson, Manitowoc, Wisconsin
• Dimensions: 134 ft (40.8 m); Beam: 25 ft (7.6 m); Depth of hold: 9 ft (2.7 m)
• Registered Tonnage: 236 GT / 224 NT
• Location: Southwest of Big Sable Point, Michigan
• Official Number: 80315
• Original Owners: Ripson et al. in Oswego, NY (after 1876)
• Number of Masts: Three masts (likely topsail schooner)

Wreck Location Map

Vessel Type

A large three-masted wooden schooner, constructed for high-capacity grain transport and typical of Great Lakes cargo sailing vessels of the era.

Description

• Hull: Wooden, single-deck
• Sail Plan: Three masts (likely topsail schooner)
• Dimensions: 40.8 m (134 ft) length × 7.6 m (25 ft) beam × 2.7 m (9 ft) depth
• Tonnage: 236 GT / 224 NT
• Built robustly for cross-lake voyages with bulk cargo

History

• 1871, Apr: Launched in Manitowoc; financed at US 20,000
• 1876: Ownership transferred to Ripson et al. in Oswego, NY
• 1877, Sep: Stranded in Detroit River, suffering severe keel damage (“broke her back”)
• 1885, Jul: Sank once in Port Colborne, Ontario
• 1888, Jun 15: Final sinking—collision off Big Sable Point with propeller vessel Robert Mills; sank swiftly

Significant Incidents

Significant incidents include:

• Stranded in Detroit River in 1877, resulting in severe keel damage.
• Previous sinking in Port Colborne, Ontario in 1885.
• Final collision with Robert Mills leading to sinking in 1888.

Final Disposition

Struck in collision with the Robert Mills and sank southwest of Big Sable Point. Records on crew survival and salvage are minimal; the vessel was declared a total loss.

Current Condition & Accessibility

No known dive surveys or wreck rediscovery. The site remains uncharted, though historical coordinates place it in offshore waters near Big Sable Point.

Resources & Links

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The Keller, Willie was emblematic of Great Lakes grain schooners: sturdy, high-volume freight carriers facing frequent wear or accidents. After multiple mishaps—river grounding, previous sinking—her end in 1888 by collision marks a final chapter. No visible remains persist, but her operational history illustrates both the persistence and peril of wooden cargo sailers.