IDENTIFICATION & SITE INFORMATION

VESSEL TYPE DESCRIPTION

The Bavaria was a robust wooden three-masted Schooner-Barge, purpose-built to carry vast amounts of squared lumber. These vessels were workhorses of the Great Lakes timber trade, towing behind steamers to transport raw materials to burgeoning industrial centers. Despite its utilitarian design, the Bavaria’s size and construction reflected the high standards of craftsmanship from Garden Island’s H. Rooney, a noted shipbuilder of the era.

HISTORY

The Bavaria was constructed in 1873 for Dexter Delano Calvin, a leading figure in Great Lakes shipping. It was employed extensively in the booming lumber trade, an industry central to the economic development of the Great Lakes region.

1889 Incident – Mystery of the Missing Crew

On May 29, 1889, while being towed by the Steamer D.D. Calvin on Lake Ontario near Long Point, a fierce gale struck. The Bavaria broke free from the Towline and began to founder. Despite abandoning the vessel, the eight-member crew mysteriously disappeared. The Schooner-Barge itself drifted ashore relatively undamaged, but no trace of the crew was ever found, leaving a haunting question in the annals of Great Lakes maritime history.

1898 – The Final Voyage

The Bavaria’s end came on October 19, 1898. While en route from Byng Inlet to Walkerville, Ontario, laden with squared lumber, it encountered a violent storm south of Cape Smith, Manitoulin Island. Driven ashore, the vessel was pummeled by relentless waves and reduced to pieces.

Remarkably, all aboard survived, thanks to the intervention of local Indigenous rescuers who braved the storm to ensure the crew’s safety. The vessel, however, was declared a Total Loss, its wreckage left to succumb to the elements.

FINAL DISPOSITION

  • Date of Loss: October 19, 1898
  • Cause: Stranded and destroyed by a storm
  • Location: Cape Smith, Manitoulin Island, Lake Huron
  • Condition: Total Loss; wreckage not actively located or salvaged

NOTMARs & ADVISORIES

No current Notices to Mariners (NOTMARs) pertain to the wreck of the Bavaria. While historically significant, its remains pose no navigational hazard today.

LOCATED BY & DATE

The wreckage of the Bavaria has not been documented or actively searched since its destruction in 1898.

RESOURCES & LINKS

KEYWORDS

#Bavaria #LakeHuronShipwreck #SchoonerBarge #GreatLakesMaritimeHistory #CapeSmith #ManitoulinIsland #DexterDelanoCalvin #ShipwreckMystery #GreatLakesTimberTrade

CONCLUSION

The Bavaria’s story captures both resilience and mystery. Its final wreck off Cape Smith and the enigmatic disappearance of its crew in 1889 reflect the perils of Great Lakes navigation during the 19th century. The vessel’s destruction in 1898 marked the end of its service but added to the lore of the region’s maritime history. While its remains are scattered or lost to time, the Bavaria’s legacy lives on in the stories of its fateful journeys.