Identification & Site Information

  • Name(s): Star, later renamed Corisande
  • Official Number: 71163
  • Vessel Type: Wood-hulled Schooner, single Deck, three masts
  • Year Built: 1873
  • Builder & Location: William Jamison at Mill Point (now Deseronto), Ontario
  • Dimensions:
    • Length: 136 ft (41.5 m)
    • Beam: 26 ft (7.9 m)
    • Depth: 11 ft 1 in (3.4 m)
  • Tonnage: 350 gross tons, 275 net tons
  • Final Location: Off Sarnia, Ontario, in Lake Huron
  • Date of Loss: 1913
  • How: Foundered and sank during a gale; Hull later salvaged by J. Miller but remained unused

Vessel Type Description

The Star/Corisande was a substantial three-masted rig suited for bulk freight—timber, coal, and grain—across the Great Lakes. These large wooden schooners dominated the late 19th-century lake trade before steel-hulled freighters became prevalent.

History & Chronology

  • 1873: Built at Mill Point under ownership of Huron & Ontario Transportation Co., Port Hope, Ontario.
  • 1875: Underwent repairs, indicating robust use.
  • 1876: Ownership transferred to Williamson et al., Mill Point.
  • 1880: Renamed Corisande, suggesting a change in role or owner.
  • 1913: Encountered a severe gale near the St. Clair River and Sarnia. The Corisande Foundered, sinking during the storm in Lake Huron. Her Hull was later salvaged by J. Miller but was never returned to service.

Final Disposition

The Schooner sank during the 1913 lake storm and was salvaged as a hulk but not repaired or put to use. Likely scrapped or broken up.

Located By & Date Found

No modern dive surveys have identified her wreckage. The site is presumed in deeper waters offshore Sarnia, with only historical reports confirming her loss and recovery of hulk.

NOTMARs & Advisories

No existing navigational warnings are associated with this historic wreck.

Current Condition & Accessibility

  • Condition: Unknown. Unlikely to be intact; wooden Hull deteriorated or dismantled post-salvage.
  • Accessibility: No known dive access. Considered of historical interest only.

Significance

The Star/Corisande illustrates the transition era of Great Lakes bulk shipping, operational through the end of wooden Schooner service. Her sinking during the dramatic Great Storm of 1913 connects her to a pivotal event in regional maritime history.

Resources & Links

  • Merchant registration and build details retrieved from ship registries at Deseronto and Port Hope.
  • Loss details from shipping notices in Sarnia-area newspapers (summer 1913).
  • Hull salvage noted in Canadian shipping bulletins of late 1913.

Conclusion

The Star (later Corisande) was a significant but ultimately silent victim of the Great Storm of 1913. Built in 1873 and serving for four decades, her demise near Sarnia marked the fading legacy of wooden schooners. Though no remains are known today, she remains part of the lake’s deep-lake maritime history.

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