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fishing tug Linda E. disappeared with three crew on a clear day while raising her nets southeast of Port Washington. Subsequent searches discovered a large object lying on the lakebed in 325 feet of water, and on January 29, 1999, the USCG Acacia lowered a Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV) to the lakebed to identify the object. To the crew’s surprise and disappointment, they discovered not the Linda E., but a nineteenth-century schooner.
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Rob Paddock pilots the ROV to retrieve images of the Tennie and Laura from inside the cabin of the R/V Neeskay while WHS Underwater Archaeologist Keith Meverden takes notes, August 2005. |
The Acacia explored the wreck for 22 minutes in an unsuccessful attempt to identify the vessel. The ROV recorded an upright vessel, wire rigged with deadeyes, and with remnants of white paint visible on the hull. One mast remained standing, and the cargo hold was loaded with wood. The cabin was missing, but in its place was a small woodstove and associated cooking utensils. The ROV surveyed the vessel’s starboard side but did not venture to the port side. The ROV footage left many questions unanswered, and speculation about the vessel’s identity was abundant. Local maritime historians initially suggested several possible identifications, but settled on the Tennie and Laura as the most likely possibility.
In August 2005, underwater archaeologists from the Wisconsin Historical Society explored the vessel with a research vessel and an ROV from the Great Lakes WATER Institute. Conclusive evidence could not be obtained, but their observations were consistent with the vessel being the Tennie and Laura.
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Sonar image of Tennie and Laura showing standing mast, August 2005. |
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