KYLE SPANGLER

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The Schooner Kyle Spangler
Project Update

In September 2008, Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary, in cooperation with Michigan divers Stan Stock and Tracy Xelowski, documented the wreck of the two-masted schooner Kyle Spangler. Carrying 15,000 bushels of corn, the Spangler collided in dark with the schooner Racine off Presque Isle on November 7, 1860.  The 130-foot long wooden shipwreck, built in 1856, was discovered in 2003 by Stock, who recently made the site's location known to the sanctuary. The wreck is intact and sitting upright in 185 feet of water.  Using specialized diving techniques, the team created detailed archaeological drawings and a photo mosaic of the site in an effort to assess it for public access. The team also worked with Great Lakes marine artist Robert McGreevy to develop an archaeologically-based perspective drawing of the site. A National Register of Historic Places listing for the shipwreck is being sought. Participating organizations included NOAA's Thunder Bay NMS, NOAA's Maritime Heritage Program, and the National Undersea Research Center at the University of North Carolina at Wilmington.

Click here for photos and a video about the Spangler