Tugboat Sunol

Identification & Site Information

  • Name: Sunol
  • Former Names: None known
  • Registration Number: Unknown
  • Date Built & Launched: 1892
  • Measurements: Exact dimensions unknown, but typical tugs of this era were around 18-24 m (60-80 ft) in length with wooden hulls
  • Date Lost/Destroyed/Abandoned: Dismantled and Abandoned in 1917

Vessel Type

The Sunol was a wooden-hulled Tugboat, a common design for Great Lakes tugs of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. These vessels were primarily used for assisting larger ships in harbors and along shipping channels, helping to maneuver them in tight spaces or tow them when needed.

Description

The Sunol was built in 1892, during a period when wooden-hulled tugboats were still widely used before the transition to steel-hulled designs. Like other tugboats of its time, it would have been powered by a steam engine, allowing it to provide towing and harbor assistance for larger vessels operating in the Great Lakes.

The Sunol was involved in a significant accident in 1907 in Ashtabula, Ohio. On May 8, 1907, The Buffalo Commercial newspaper reported that the Tug had been caught between the Breakwater and the Steamer Lake Shore, resulting in serious damage. This incident led to an official investigation by Cleveland’s inspectors of steamboats, who summoned the crew to explain the circumstances surrounding the collision. While such accidents were not uncommon, they highlighted the dangers that Tugboat crews faced when operating in busy and often hazardous harbor environments.

Final Disposition

After 25 years of service, the Sunol was dismantled and Abandoned in 1917. This was a common fate for aging wooden vessels at the time, as steel-hulled ships became the standard. Unlike many shipwrecks that found their final resting place at the bottom of the lake, the Sunol was likely broken up on land or left to decay in a ship graveyard along the shoreline.

Located By & Date Found

No known underwater wreckage has been identified for the Sunol.

NOTMARs & Advisories

No known obstructions or navigational hazards associated with the vessel.

Resources & Links

The Sunol is a reminder of the transition from wooden-hulled steam tugs to more modern vessels, as well as the challenges faced by crews working in the bustling harbors of the Great Lakes.