Ocean Wave

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The vessel Ocean Wave rests 110 feet beneath the surface, positioned two miles from Whitefish Point in Door County, Wisconsin. Constructed in 1860 as a two-masted scow schooner at Harsens Island, Michigan, Ocean Wave was built to navigate the waters of Lake Michigan. On September 23rd, 1869, Ocean Wave loaded 23 cords of stone at Mud Bay in Door County for delivery to a harbor improvement project at White Lake, Michigan. As daylight broke around 5am, the heavily laden scow collided with a piece of floating timber, causing extensive damage and a catastrophic leak. The crew's panic-stricken abandonment ensued as Ocean Wave rapidly took on water, sinking in mere minutes. Miraculously, the crew escaped with nothing but their attire after rowing to shore in a lifeboat, narrowly avoiding disaster.