Fleetwing (shipwreck)

Fleetwing (shipwreck)
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
Location	Lake Michigan off the coast of Liberty Grove, Wisconsin
Coordinates	45°17′15″N 87°2′59″W / 45.28750°N 87.04972°W / 45.28750; -87.04972Coordinates: 45°17′15″N 87°2′59″W / 45.28750°N 87.04972°W / 45.28750; -87.04972
NRHP Reference #	01000734
Added to NRHP	July 11, 2001

The Fleetwing was a schooner that sank in Lake Michigan off the coast of Liberty Grove, Wisconsin, United States. In 2001 the shipwreck site was added to the National Register of Historic Places.^[1]

History

The Fleetwing was constructed in Manitowoc, Wisconsin in 1867 by what is now known as the Burger Boat Company.^[2] Its finished cost was $30,000. She was rebuilt in 1885.

On September 26, 1888, the Fleetwing departed from Menominee, Michigan carrying lumber en route to Chicago, Illinois.^[3] Later that night, as the ship approached Porte des Morts, a gale began to form. Reports of what happened later would be conflicting, but what is known is that at 11:00 p.m., the ship struck a rocky beach that apparently sheared off a mast. Initially, efforts were made to save the vessel, but another gale began to form during the process and the tugboat that had been attempting to retrieve the Fleetwing was forced to evacuate the area.^[4] By the time the tugboat was able to return, the second gale had caused irreparable damage to the Fleetwing.

The remnants of the Fleetwing are owned by the State of Wisconsin and the site is managed by the Wisconsin Historical Society and the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources.^[5] She lies in 10 to 30 feet (3.0 to 9.1 m) of water in Garrett Bay.^[6]

References