AH-WR-0018

Lucerne

Schooner · United States · Lost 1886 · Apostle Islands & Western Lake Superior

An iron ore schooner lost with all ten hands in a November gale off Long Island, her anchor gear still jammed against the storm that took her.

Become Captain of Record See Shipwreck on Map

Artistic recreation based on recorded historical documents.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

Historically Reconstructed. Drawn from partial documentation of this vessel together with her known class and configuration. See the documented evidence.

The Vessel and Her Loss

Lucerne was a wooden schooner built in 1873 that carried iron ore on the Great Lakes. In mid-November 1886, she was caught in a severe gale near Long Island in the Apostle Islands and was lost with all ten crew, including Captain George S. Lloyd. Archaeologists later found a crowbar still jammed into her windlass, evidence of the crew's last effort to keep the ship from dragging anchor. The wreck is listed on the National Register of Historic Places for its preservation.

Vessel

Built: 1873
Builder: Not established
Yard: Not established
Material: Wood
Length: Not established
Beam: Not established
Tonnage: Not established
Propulsion: Sail
Owners: William Mack (part owner); skipper Captain George S. Lloyd

Loss

Date: November 17, 1886
Cause: Storm
Location: Near Long Island, Apostle Islands, Lake Superior
Water: Lake Superior
Voyage: Not established
Cargo: Iron ore
Aboard: 10
Lives lost: 10
Master: George S. Lloyd

The Wreck Today

Depth: Not established
Condition: Well preserved, with capstan, windlass, and chain stopper surviving on the wreck site.
Orientation: Not established
Discovered: Not established
Protection: Within Apostle Islands National Lakeshore