- Date
- 1967-07
- Kind
- Rescue
- Where
- Beaver Island · Charlevoix
- Participants
- Jim Sawtelle (salvor) · Don Meggison (tow_operator)
- Carried out by
- Jim Sawtelle
- Eras
- Modern era
- Concepts
- maritimeshipwrecksheritageeconomy
Summary
In July 1967, Jim Sawtelle of Shipwrecks Unlimited reported locating the ruins of an unidentified sailing vessel in shoal waters in northern Lake Michigan. He believed the wreck dated before 1730 because of its wooden rudder and limited metal fittings. The rudder had separated from the rest of the wreck by about half a mile; Sawtelle raised it, towed it into St. James harbor, and sent it to Charlevoix aboard the Eager Beaver.
The source says Don Meggison’s tow truck helped unload the rudder and that Sawtelle intended to remove the remaining wreck for his furniture business.
Evidence and limits
This record captures a reported salvage operation and an attributed age estimate, not a vessel identification, wreck date, archaeological assessment, or exact site. The source does not name the sailing vessel, identify the rudder’s original position, give coordinates, or document whether the remainder was recovered. Furniture-making plans are not treated as proof of completed salvage or a legal title to wreck material.
Open questions
- What vessel was this, and where exactly was the wreck located?
- Can maritime archaeology, chart, or registry records test the pre-1730 estimate?
- Was the remaining wreck recovered, and what became of the rudder and other material?
See also
Sources
- Reports that Jim Sawtelle of Shipwrecks Unlimited located an unidentified sailing-vessel wreck in shoal northern Lake Michigan waters, estimated it as earlier than 1730 from the wooden rudder and metal fittings, raised the rudder, towed it to St. James harbor, and sent it to Charlevoix aboard the Eager Beaver with Don Meggison's tow truck helping unload it. Sawtelle intended to salvage the remaining wreck for furniture.data1 · beaver-island-archive · beaver_beacon · 1967-07_Beaver-Beacon
- The held six-page issue scan is paired with the OCR source and confirms the published notice or report; it does not expand the source-specific identity, event, or outcome claims.data1 · beaver-island-archive · scans · beaver_beacon · issues · 1967-07_Beaver-Beacon
Added 1 August 2026 · revised 3 August 2026. Recent changes
Cite this article
Beaver Island Archive, “Salvage of unidentified ancient sailing-vessel remains, 1967”, https://beaverislandarchive.org/events/salvage-of-unidentified-ancient-sailing-vessel-1967/, accessed [date], citing Beaver Beacon, July 1967, “Shipwreck Salvage.” (and 1 further source listed on the page).
Last revised 2026-08-03. Fill in [date] with the date you read it — this page is static and cannot know that.
BibTeX for “Salvage of unidentified ancient sailing-vessel remains, 1967”RIS for “Salvage of unidentified ancient sailing-vessel remains, 1967”