Chenango
Early sailing form, c.1862–1869
An interpretive 3D reconstruction of the vessel afloat, in the form named above and from before its loss in Munising Bay. It is informed by the historical record set out under History below, where the documented evidence and the interpretation are kept apart; rigging, colours and fittings are partly inferred. It is not a survey of the wreck.
Divers have confirmed exactly where this wreck lies.
Starboard bow · complete vessel · drag to rotate, scroll or pinch to zoom, right-drag to pan. Hiding the sails shows the deck; it does not recreate the wreck.
What the model represents
From the model specification. Two lists, kept apart on purpose.
Documented
- Built at Cleveland by Lafrinier in 1862, approximately 150 ft long. Great Lakes Shipwreck Files, C, CHENANGO entry
- Recorded as a bark before later schooner-barge service; exact rig and conversion date remain uncertain. Great Lakes Shipwreck Files, C, CHENANGO entry
Inferred
- Underwater hull lines and draft
- Exact colors, fittings, hatch layout and rigging routes
- Absolute spar heights and sail shapes
Configuration caveat. Early bark interpretation; catalogue instead calls it a barkentine. Rig is uncertain. Beam/depth are provisional.
Two numbers that are not the same thing. The waterline toggle sits at 2.65 m above the keel, a display assumption, not a measured draft. The wreck lies in about 15 ft of water; that describes the site, not the ship.
Renders from the model
History, evidence and limits
The research notes behind the reconstruction, reproduced with their citations.
Version 1.1. Metadata and presentation revised September 8, 2026; original evidence review retained.
Selected appearance
Early sailing form, c.1862–1869. Early bark interpretation; catalogue instead calls it a barkentine. Rig is uncertain. Beam/depth are provisional.
Documented evidence
Built at Cleveland by Lafrinier in 1862, approximately 150 ft long. Great Lakes Shipwreck Files, C, CHENANGO entry
Recorded as a bark before later schooner-barge service; exact rig and conversion date remain uncertain. Great Lakes Shipwreck Files, C, CHENANGO entry
Reasonable interpretation
Underwater hull lines and draft
Exact colors, fittings, hatch layout and rigging routes
Absolute spar heights and sail shapes
The marker’s ship illustration is identified as Marie, a similar vessel, and must not be presented as a photograph of Chenango. No verified Chenango photograph or original lines plan was found in this research. Historical marker.
For the model, “bark” is interpreted as square-rigged fore and main masts with a fore-and-aft mizzen. It has six square sails, one gaff mizzen and two headsails. This is a chosen hypothesis, not proof that this exact nine-sail arrangement existed. A barkentine alternative would carry fore-and-aft sails on the mainmast as well. The original catalogue classification is preserved in the spreadsheet and canonical data.
Only the approximate 150 ft (45.72 m) hull length anchors the scale. The 28 ft (8.5344 m) beam and 11.5 ft hold-depth values are provisional modeling assumptions, not verified dimensions. Hull lines, stern form, deck layout, colors, mast heights, spars, sails, rigging, anchors, boat and fittings are inferred. No engine or propeller is included. The sails node hides all display canvas while retaining spars and rigging. The illustrative waterline is Y=2.65 m. Canonical wreck coordinates remain verified; that does not validate reconstruction geometry.
Unresolved uncertainties
No complete original lines plan is claimed. Exact loaded draft, concealed surfaces and fine fittings remain interpreted. The earlier research context below retains the source distinctions used for this reconstruction.
This is a provisional interpretation of Chenango’s early sailing form, c.1862–1869. Its rig is the largest unresolved question. The Lake Maps catalogue calls it a three-masted barkentine. The period U.S. casualty table identifies vessel 4335 as an American bark. That table concerns a September 1875 casualty, not the final November wreck. It supports the historical terminology but does not supply a sail plan. U.S. Life-Saving Service report.
The historical compilation records construction at Cleveland by Lafrinier in 1862, an approximately 150 ft vessel built as a bark, and later service as a schooner-barge. It reports loss at Wood Island Reef on November 20, 1875 while carrying pig iron in tow of Jay C. Morse. The date of conversion is uncertain. Great Lakes Shipwreck Files.
Sources
- U.S. Life-Saving Service, 1876 report, table G2 casualty entry
- Great Lakes Shipwreck Files, C, CHENANGO entry
- Alger Underwater Preserve historical marker transcription
Illustration conditions
Lake, shoreline, lighting and weather are artistic staging, not evidence of a specific historical voyage. AI artwork is supplemental; the GLB and direct renders establish the delivered geometry.
Sources used for the model
- U.S. Life-Saving Service, 1876 report, table G2 casualty entry — source
Primary period listing identifies official number 4335 as an American bark; September casualty is separate from final November loss - Great Lakes Shipwreck Files, C, CHENANGO entry — source
Built 1862 as bark, approximate 150 ft length, later barge service and 1875 loss - Alger Underwater Preserve historical marker transcription — source
Approximate length and loss; image of Marie explicitly represents a similar vessel, not Chenango
Rights and respect
Removing or disturbing wreckage on Great Lakes bottomlands is a felony under Michigan Part 761, 1994 PA 451, at a fair market value of $100 or more. Positions are historical reference only — not navigation and not dive-planning data. Wreck records are published by the Michigan Underwater Preserve Council.
Treat these as graves. Lives were lost on many Great Lakes wrecks and human remains may still be present. Look, photograph, and leave everything exactly as you found it.
Model and renders were newly made for this project (2026). Three.js r160.1 is used under the MIT licence; its notice ships with the vendored files. Wreck position, depth and dates: Michigan Underwater Preserve Council. The model specification (version 1.1, revised 2026-09-08) is published beside the assets (model-spec.json).