Identification & Site Information

  • Name: Wave
  • Year built: 1849
  • Builder: Detroit, Michigan
  • Vessel type: Two-masted wooden Schooner
  • Hull material: Wood
  • Number of decks: 1
  • Number of masts: 2
  • Tonnage (old style): 100 tons
  • Date lost: 1849 (within same year of launch)
  • Final location: Lake Michigan (precise location unknown)

Vessel Type

Mid-19th-century two-masted wooden Schooner, built for regional cargo transport on the Great Lakes.

Description

The Wave was a relatively new-build wooden Schooner of about 100 tons, likely intended for general trade, carrying lumber, produce, and manufactured goods among Michigan, Wisconsin, and Illinois ports. Its broad beam and shallow Draft would have allowed entry into rivers and smaller harbours.

History

Launched in 1849 from a Detroit shipyard, the Wave began trading that same season. However, she was lost on Lake Michigan before the year ended. Precise details on the wreck are extremely sparse, suggesting the incident did not leave survivors with detailed accounts, or that contemporary newspaper coverage was minimal. There is no mention of cargo, crew losses, or salvage, which was not unusual for small schooners lost quickly on the lakes in that era.

Final Dispositions

Declared a Total Loss on Lake Michigan, 1849.

Located By & Date Found

No known survey has identified wreck remains. The Hull is presumed lost and unrecovered in Lake Michigan.

NOTMARs & Advisories

None noted.

Resources & Links

Conclusion

The Wave (1849) was lost so soon after launching that little record survives beyond her enrollment and disappearance, illustrating the vulnerability of early wooden schooners on Lake Michigan to sudden storms or navigational hazards.

Keywords, Categories, Glossary Terms

If you’d like, I can help you search 1849 newspaper archives for any potential eyewitness or insurance reports on this loss — just say the word!