SHIPWRECK REPORT – ALETHA B.

IDENTIFICATION & SITE INFORMATION

  • Vessel Name: Aletha B.
  • Type: Fishing Tug
  • Rig: Single Screw, Steel Hull
  • Built: 1945 by Russel Brothers Ltd., Owen Sound, Ontario
  • Official Number: C 175992
  • Registry: Canada
  • Length: 41 ft (12.5 m)
  • Beam: 12 ft (3.7 m)
  • Draft: 3 ft 4 in (1 m)
  • Builder: Russel Brothers Ltd.
  • Initial Owner: William T. Cochrane, Dunnville, ON (1945)
  • Subsequent Owners:
    • William Siddall, Lowbanks, ON (1948)
    • Charlie Weaver, Nanticoke, ON (1954)
    • Allan D. Perry, Port Dover, ON (~1969)
  • Modifications: Extended length prior to 1972
  • POWER
    • Propulsion: Steam (assumed converted diesel)
    • Engine Type: Unknown
    • horsepower: Unknown
  • Date of Loss: March 14, 1974
  • Cause: Foundered
  • Location: Off Nanticoke, Pennsylvania Lake Erie
  • Coordinates: Unknown
  • Depth: Unknown
  • Casualties: 2 crew lost
  • The vessel was eventually raised and returned to service as the Glen L.

HISTORY

Aletha B. was a sturdy steel-hulled Tug, built for the rugged commercial fishing trade on the Canadian side of Lake Erie. After changing ownership multiple times over three decades, the vessel met her fate on a cold March day in 1974 off Nanticoke, Ontario. Despite being lengthened at some point before 1972, she succumbed to the lake—likely a victim of weather, equipment failure, or shifting loads common to the trade.

Though not as widely recognized as some of the region’s grander wrecks, Aletha B.’s story is woven into the heritage of working vessels that powered the Great Lakes’ fishing economy.

CURRENT CONDITION & ACCESSIBILITY

  • Wreck Status: Undocumented; presumed lost
  • Salvage: Unknown
  • Diving Suitability: Not known as a dive site

LEGACY & SIGNIFICANCE

The Aletha B. represents a class of vessels essential to Canada’s Great Lakes maritime economy. Her sinking serves as a somber reminder of the risks faced by the men and women of the fishing industry.

REFERENCES & LINKS

KEYWORDS

#AlethaB #GreatLakesTug #LakeErieWrecks #RusselBrothers #NanticokeWreck #ShotlineDiving #FishingTug #ShipwreckHistory