Herman H. Hettler
c.1915 working appearance
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 a part shows what sat beneath it; it does not recreate the wreck.
What the model represents
From the model specification. Two lists, kept apart on purpose.
Documented
- Built in 1890; survey dimensions 200×35×13.25 ft. 3D Shipwrecks: Herman Hettler
Inferred
- Underwater hull lines and draft
- Exact colors, fittings, hatch layout and rigging routes
Configuration caveat. c.1915 photo appearance, not original Walter Vail branding
Two numbers that are not the same thing. The waterline toggle sits at 3.05 m above the keel, a display assumption, not a measured draft. The wreck lies in about 40 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
c.1915 working appearance. c.1915 photo appearance, not original Walter Vail branding
Documented evidence
Built in 1890; survey dimensions 200×35×13.25 ft. 3D Shipwrecks: Herman Hettler
Reasonable interpretation
Underwater hull lines and draft
Exact colors, fittings, hatch layout and rigging routes
The model depicts the vessel working under the Hettler name around 1915. It is not a claim to reproduce the original 1890 Walter Vail branding or every subsequent refit.
The Pesha photograph shows the starboard side under steam with a long deck load of lumber. Its visual anchors are two bare masts, a single narrow aft funnel, the forward wheelhouse and open canopy, and a long low aft cabin. These guide the reconstruction. The museum photograph is linked as evidence and is not redistributed in the package. Detroit Historical Society.
The model uses a 200 ft (60.96 m) hull, 35 ft (10.668 m) beam and a documented hold-depth baseline of 13.25 ft. Hold depth is not draft. The survey entry gives construction in 1890 and loss in 1926. 3D Shipwrecks.
The deck_cargo node can be hidden to expose three interpreted covered hatches. There are no sails. The waterline is Y=3.05 m, an illustrative display setting. The documented wreck location remains the canonical verified record.
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.
The museum envelope transcription gives 210 ft and an implausible 84.7 ft beam; these conflict with the survey baseline and are not used to scale the model. Black-and-white evidence does not establish precise paint colors. Exact hull lines, underwater body, propeller, draft, window counts, cargo height, canopy proportions, hatches, railings and machinery fittings remain interpretations. The lumber is shown as multiple board stacks; its arrangement is illustrative, not a loading plan.
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
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).