Cornelia B. Windiate

Artistic rendering of Windiate ship
Artistic rendering of Cornelia B. Windiate under sail by artist Robert McGreevy. credit: Robert McGreevy

Vessel Type: Sail: wooden three-masted schooner

GPS Location: N45° 19.526’ W83° 13.106’

Depth: 180 Feet

Wreck Length: 138 Feet

Beam: 26 Feet

Gross Tonnage: 322

Cargo: Grain

Launched: 1874 by Thomas Windiate at Manitowoc, Wisconsin

Wrecked: November 27, 1875

Mooring Buoy Data

Description:

In late November 1875, the 139-foot Cornelia B. Windiate, designed to carry 16,000 bushels of wheat, left Milwaukee, Wisconsin with 21,000 bushels. The crew of nine battled extreme cold and high winds as they sailed toward Buffalo, New York.

The Cornelia B. Windiate’s final moments are a mystery. Spray from huge waves may have coated it with layers of ice, adding a crushing weight to the overloaded ship. Handling the vessel likely became difficult and then impossible. The ship and crew vanished off Presque Isle.

Until divers found the wreck in 1986, few believed the Cornelia B. Windiate ever made it to Lake Huron. Sitting upright in 185 feet of water, the ship is frozen in time by cold, fresh water. With its masts still standing and the crew’s lifeboat resting silently nearby, the Cornelia B. Windiate is a dramatic reminder of the dangers of late season travel on the Great Lakes.

Great Lakes Maritime Collection digital archive: http://greatlakeships.org/2894747/data?n=1

Wheel of Cornelia B. Windiate ship
Ship’s wheel of Cornelia B. Windiate.
Lifeboat lays bottom of the ocean
The lifeboat of Cornelia B. Windiate rests off the starboard stern of the shipwreck.
Photomosaic of the wooden schooner
Photomosaic of the wooden schooner Cornelia B. Windiate.
A technical diver photo documents Cornelia B. Windiate ship
A technical diver photo documents Cornelia B. Windiate
Artistic rendering of Windiate ship as it lays on the lake bottom
Artistic rendering of Cornelia B. Windiate as it lays on the lake bottom today by artist Robert McGreevy.
Explore the shipwreck Cornelia B. Windiate in this animated fly-through.
Explore the site of the sunken Cornelia B. Windiate in this video.