AH-WR-1840

Fred and Will

Steam Tug · United States · Lost Date not established · Apostle Islands & Western Lake Superior

A Buffalo-built fish and tow tug burned near Sand Island and grounded on a reef; all three crewmen swam ashore.

Become Captain of Record

Artistic recreation based on recorded historical documents. See the documented evidence.

Interpretive Reconstruction, drawn to convey the vessel's era, type and general form. See the documented evidence.

The Vessel and Her Loss

Fred and Will was built at Buffalo in 1867 by Samuel Carroll as a wooden fish and tow tug. Bound for Outer Island, she caught fire between Sand Island and the mainland. Northwest wind spread the flames, forcing the wheelsman away before steering was regained manually. The tug ran onto a reef; all three crewmen swam ashore. The source describes a total wreck but supplies no casualty date.

Vessel

Built: 1867
Registry: US registry no. 9717
Builder: Samuel Carroll
Yard: Buffalo, New York
Material: Wood
Length: 44 ft
Beam: 11.2 ft
Tonnage: 11.18 gross tons
Propulsion: Steam, screw
Owners: Not established

Loss

Date: Not established
Cause: Fire
Location: Reef about a quarter mile from the mainland between Sand Island and the Wisconsin shore
Water: Lake Superior
Voyage: Outer Island, Lake Superior
Cargo: Not established
Aboard: 3
Lives lost: 0
Master: McKaren

The Wreck Today

Depth: Not established
Condition: Described as a total wreck after fire and grounding; present condition not established.
Orientation: Not established
Discovered: Not established
Protection: Not established

Position

Coordinates: Not established
Accuracy: Position not established
Nearest: Sand Bay, Wisconsin
Region: Apostle Islands & Western Lake Superior

Named Sand Island/mainland loss locality fits existing region; inventory position not independently surveyed and omitted.

Evidence

Overall confidence: Documented (78/100)

The casualty date, surveyed wreck position, depth and present condition are not established.

Wisconsin Historical Society and Wisconsin Sea Grant — Wisconsin Shipwrecks: Fred and Will
Full construction and service/final narratives: registry 9717; Samuel Carroll, Buffalo 1867; wooden screw fish/tow tug 44 x 11.2 ft, 11.18 gross tons, no masts; Outer Island voyage; boiler-area fire, manual steering and reef grounding between Sand Island and mainland; all three swam ashore. No casualty date supplied; quoted historical study found no Bayfield Press salvage record. Placeholder counters ignored.