The ''Sport'' was a tugboat, built in 1873 and wrecked in 1920 in

Lake Huron Lake Huron ( ) is one of the five Great Lakes of North America. Hydrology, Hydrologically, it comprises the easterly portion of Lake Michigan–Huron, having the same surface elevation as Lake Michigan, to which it is connected by the , Strait ...

. The wreck site, designated 20UH105, was listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...

in 1992.

History

In 1873, lumber and steel entrepreneur

Eber Brock Ward Eber Brock Ward (December 25, 1811 – January 2, 1875) was an American industrialist, iron and steel manufacturer, and shipbuilder. Ward invested in several industries in Michigan and the Midwest. He started as an owner of steamship interest ...

commissioned

Frank E. Kirby Frank E. Kirby (July 1, 1849 – August 25, 1929) was a naval architect in the Detroit, Michigan (United States) area in the early 20th century. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest naval architects in American history. Biography Kirb ...

to design this tug. The boat was built by the Wyandotte Iron Ship Building Works in

Wyandotte, Michigan Wyandotte ( ) is a city in Wayne County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 25,058 at the 2020 census. Wyandotte is located in southeastern Michigan, approximately south of Detroit on the Detroit River, and it is part of the coll ...

. The ''Sport'' was the first steel tug on the

Great Lakes The Great Lakes, also called the Great Lakes of North America, are a series of large interconnected freshwater lakes in the mid-east region of North America that connect to the Atlantic Ocean via the Saint Lawrence River. There are five lakes ...

, and the first vessel made of

Bessemer steel The Bessemer process was the first inexpensive industrial process for the mass production of steel from molten pig iron before the development of the open hearth furnace. The key principle is steelmaking, removal of impurities from the iron by ox ...

in North America. It was designed as a harbor tug, and first used around Wyandotte and the St. Clair River. By 1875, she was assigned to Ludington, Michigan, where Ward owned sawmills. The tug was rebuilt a number of times, and sold to a succession of owners who used it for towing, salvaging and aiding vessels in distress. In 1913, the ''Sport'' was sold a final time to Captain Robert Thompson of

Port Huron, Michigan Port Huron is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan and the county seat of St. Clair County. The population was 30,184 at the 2010 census. The city is adjacent to Port Huron Township but is administered separately. Located along the St. Clair ...

. Thompson used it as a fire tug in Port Huron, and for other harbor duties. On December 13, 1920, the ''Sport'' set out from Port Huron, bound for Harbor Beach. It encountered a heavy gale, and by 6:00 pm was taking on more water than could be pumped out. The seasick and exhausted firetender returned to his bunk, and the boat lost steam, killing the pumps. The crew abandoned ship at about 11:00 pm, and washed ashore near Lexington, still alive. The wreck of the ''Sport'' was discovered in 1987. In 1992, the Sport became the first Michigan shipwreck with her own Michigan Historical Marker placed on her. The wreck is now part of the Sanilac Shores Underwater Preserve, and popular with divers. The marker was damaged and removed in 2002.

Description

The ''Sport'' was 57 feet long, with a beam of 14 feet, and a depth of 9 feet. It had a net tonnage of 23 tons and gross tonnage of 45 tons. The boat had an iron frame with a steel hull over it. The wreck is in 45 feet of water, with the hull resting upright, listing slightly to starboard. The upper sections of the tug project 20 feet off the bottom. The boat is intact, and a number of tools and relics are scattered around the site.

References

{{Recreational dive sites, wresit National Register of Historic Places in Sanilac County, Michigan Buildings and structures completed in 1873 Maritime incidents in 1920 Shipwrecks of Lake Huron 1873 ships Tugboats on the Great Lakes Ships built in Wyandotte, Michigan Wreck diving sites in the United States