FAQs

The Pathfinder Shipwreck

• Can I paddle from shore to the Pathfinder Shipwreck?

  Yes, it is a very comfortable paddle out to the Pathfinder.  It is marked during the months of July through September.  The buoys are not visible from shore.

• Describe the final voyage and sinking of the Schooner Pathfinder.

  The Pathfinder's string of bad luck culminated on the night of November 17, 1886. While in tow of the steam barge Jim Sheriffs, loaded with 1,200 tons of iron ore, it encountered an enormous gale and snowstorm north of Rawley Point. The Pathfinder iced up and its towline broke. Despite several attempts by the Jim Sheriffs' captain to re-establish the tow, the severe sea conditions made it impossible. The schooner ultimately went ashore in a bed of quicksand at approximately 4 a.m. on November 18, 1886, off the Point Beach State Forest coast.

• How does the Pathfinder shipwreck relate to the Wisconsin Shipwreck Coast National Marine Sanctuary?

  While the Pathfinder shipwreck is a significant historical site in Lake Michigan, the provided sources indicate that it is located just outside the boundaries of the Wisconsin Shipwreck Coast National Marine Sanctuary. The sanctuary is located in Lake Michigan off Wisconsin's Ozaukee, Sheboygan, Manitowoc, and Kewaunee counties, while the Pathfinder is near Rawley Point, which is within Manitowoc County. However, one source explicitly mentions the discovery of the schooner Trinidad in 2023, noting that it lies "just outside the national marine sanctuary," prompting efforts for its addition to the National Register of Historic Places to ensure its protection. The Pathfinder, with its well-preserved remains, fits the profile of the historical shipwrecks the sanctuary aims to protect and promote.

• Is the shipwreck visible from shore?

  No, the Pathfinder is not visible from shore.

• Were there any casualties in the Pathfinder shipwreck, and what happened to the crew?

  Fortunately, no lives were lost in the shipwreck of the Pathfinder. The next morning, the crew of the Pathfinder was able to see the Jim Sheriffs nearby. They rowed over to the steam barge in a small boat with great difficulty, safely reaching their companions.

• What are the main goals and activities of the Wisconsin Shipwreck Coast National Marine Sanctuary?

  The sanctuary's main goals are stewardship of the nation's maritime heritage, research, resource protection, and education. It also aims to promote recreation and heritage tourism in partnership with local communities. Activities include mapping the lakebed using sonar, conducting archaeological assessments, installing real-time wind-and-wave buoys for boating safety, developing educational programs for teachers and the public, creating an advisory council, and planning to install moorings at shipwreck sites to facilitate diving and protect the wrecks from anchor damage.

• What is the best place to park and walk to the launch point on the beach to visit the Pathfinder shipwreck?

  The best place to park and walk to see the Pathfinder shipwreck is at The Rahr Memorial School Forest located off Highway O.  You can park on the gravel road in front of the school forest and hike to the beach approximately a ¼ mile.

• What is the current state of the Pathfinder shipwreck and how was it discovered?

  The Pathfinder shipwreck lies in 15 feet of water in a bed of quicksand off the coast of Two Creeks, Wisconsin. It was discovered in 2013 by Suzze Johnson, a powered parachute operator, who had a clear view of the wreck from the sky. Although the hull structure has split and twisted, most of the vessel’s lower hull remains intact, along with its cargo of iron ore. Many of its upper deck works, rigging, and anchors were salvaged shortly after its grounding, but major structural components like its centerboard trunk and keelson structure are still present, making it an excellent site for divers, kayakers, and snorkelers.

• What is the latitude and longitude of the Pathfinder Shipwreck?

  The Pathfinder shipwreck is located at 44° 14.429' N, 087° 30.397' W. The wreck sits in Lake Michigan off the coast of Manitowoc County, Wisconsin, near the town of Two Creeks.

  Location: The shipwreck lies in shallow water, only 12 to 15 feet deep, about 2.6 miles north of the Rawley Point Lighthouse.

• What is the Wisconsin Shipwreck Coast National Marine Sanctuary?

  The Wisconsin Shipwreck Coast National Marine Sanctuary, designated in 2021, is a protected area in Lake Michigan co-managed by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the state of Wisconsin. It encompasses 962 square miles along 82 miles of Wisconsin's coast, protecting 36 known historic shipwreck sites and an estimated 60 more yet to be discovered. These wrecks, dating from the 1830s to the 1930s, represent vessels crucial to the nation's development and are considered nationally important archaeological resources due to the cold, fresh water of Lake Michigan preserving many of them in excellent condition.

• What was the "bad luck" that plagued the Pathfinder throughout its service?

  The Pathfinder seemed to be continuously plagued by misfortunes during its years of service. Its first year saw it involved in a collision near Chicago. In 1871, it ran into a railroad warehouse in Escanaba, Michigan, causing hull leaks and significant damage to the warehouse. In 1874, it ran aground on the Colchester reef in Lake Erie. Later incidents included encountering a heavy squall in 1882 that caused $3,700 in repairs, colliding with the steam barge Fred McBrier (though not its fault), losing its sails in a strong gale near Alpena, Michigan in 1883, and sustaining damage in 1884 when another schooner, the JV Taylor, was redirected into it on the Chicago River.

• What was the Schooner Pathfinder, and what was its purpose?

  The Schooner Pathfinder was a large, three-masted wooden schooner, approximately 200 feet long, built in Detroit in 1869. Its primary purpose was to transport goods across the Great Lakes, specifically carrying coal from Lake Erie to the upper lakes and returning to Lake Erie ports with grain. At the time of its sinking, it was carrying 1,200 tons of iron ore.