E.B. Palmer
Late sailing-form interpretation, c.1889–1892
An interpretive 3D reconstruction of the vessel afloat, in the form named above and from before its loss in Thunder 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.
This ship ran aground along this shore. Nobody knows the exact spot, so the marker shows the general area.
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
- The historical compilation identifies a wooden three-masted schooner built by Waterbury in 1856. Great Lakes Shipwreck Files: E.B. Palmer
- Reported dimensions 138×26×10 ft; reef-wreck attribution remains qualified. Great Lakes Shipwreck Files: E.B. Palmer
Inferred
- Underwater hull lines and draft
- Exact colors, fittings, hatch layout and rigging routes
- Absolute spar heights and sail shapes
Configuration caveat. Recorded: three-masted schooner, 138 × 26 × 10 ft; rebuilt and renamed from Richard Morwood in 1889. Comparison-based: canal-sized hull, aft cabin and five display sails. The rebuild details and exact rig are unknown, and no intact portrait was inspected. This is a qualified overall likeness, not an exact 1892 configuration; the wreck attribution is also uncertain.
Two numbers that are not the same thing. The waterline toggle sits at 2.45 m above the keel, a display assumption, not a measured draft. The wreck lies in about 16 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
Late sailing-form interpretation, c.1889–1892. Recorded: three-masted schooner, 138 × 26 × 10 ft; rebuilt and renamed from Richard Morwood in 1889. Comparison-based: canal-sized hull, aft cabin and five display sails. The rebuild details and exact rig are unknown, and no intact portrait was inspected. This is a qualified overall likeness, not an exact 1892 configuration; the wreck attribution is also uncertain.
Documented evidence
The historical compilation identifies a wooden three-masted schooner built by Waterbury in 1856. Great Lakes Shipwreck Files: E.B. Palmer
Reported dimensions 138×26×10 ft; reef-wreck attribution remains qualified. Great Lakes Shipwreck Files: E.B. Palmer
Reasonable interpretation
Underwater hull lines and draft
Exact colors, fittings, hatch layout and rigging routes
Absolute spar heights and sail shapes
Recorded for this vessel. The Great Lakes Shipwreck Files compilation identifies E.B. Palmer as a wooden three-masted schooner, built in 1856 by Waterbury, previously Lennie Powell and Richard Morwood, rebuilt at Port Huron and renamed in 1889. It reports dimensions 138 × 26 × 10 ft and loss with stone in 1892. This is a secondary historical compilation, not an inspected enrollment. The model adopts those dimensions provisionally: hull 42.0624 × 7.9248 m; reported hold depth 3.048 m. The 10 ft depth is not a draft measurement. Historical compilation, E.B. Palmer entry.
NOAA identifies Palmer among the scattered North Point Reef wrecks and warns that precise attribution there is difficult. The historical wreck record and approximate marker remain qualified. NOAA historical and archaeological overview.
Comparison-based appearance. The canal-compatible proportions motivate a full-sided, flat-floor hull and modest aft cabin. Cornelia B. Windiate is a three-masted Great Lakes canaller with well-preserved archaeological evidence; it is used as a functional comparison, not as a sister ship or direct Palmer evidence. The WHS canaller context discusses that example on printed pp.37–38 and distinguishes this regional vessel family. WHS archaeological context. Palmer's canal-hull treatment, transom, cabin and rig are inferences from that comparable tradition. No exact copied offsets or measured Windiate deck plan are claimed.
The model's three gaff sails and two headsails, mast stations, topmasts, boom lengths, two covered hatches, cabin, skylight, deck-stowed boat, windlass, anchors and paint are chosen interpretations. The late sailing-form date label reflects the Palmer name after 1889; no rebuild drawing establishes which fittings changed then. Specialized folding catheads, a lifting bowsprit mechanism and a visible centerboard are not asserted for Palmer without vessel-specific evidence. Stone is not stacked on deck: a reported cargo does not establish its exterior stowage.
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.
Evidence assessment: build, with greater uncertainty than the other two vessels. The recorded three-mast schooner type and dimensions, combined with archaeological comparisons of canal-sized Great Lakes schooners, support a credible overall likeness. The above-deck details are substantially comparison-based. This model does not claim exact 1856 construction or exact post-rebuild 1892 appearance.
Unresolved evidence. An archive link labelled a derelict Richard Morwood photograph was located, but the image could not be inspected and was not used as visual evidence. No original hull-lines or rig plan was recovered. The missing rebuild record, rig details and deck layout materially affect appearance and must remain visible beside the model. The compilation gives differing November loss dates; only the year is displayed. setSails(boolean) hides five canvas surfaces in sails. Deck Y=3.45 m and waterline Y=2.45 m are chosen geometry references. This reconstruction meets the credible-overall-likeness threshold through explicit comparisons, with lower confidence in its upper works.
Sources
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
- Great Lakes Shipwreck Files: E.B. Palmer — source
Secondary compilation: three-mast type, dimensions, aliases, 1889 rebuild; not verified enrollment - NOAA historical overview — source
North Point wreck-attribution uncertainty - WHS canaller archaeological context — source
Printed pp.37–38: Cornelia B. Windiate as comparable three-masted canaller; not direct Palmer evidence
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).