Sea Fox
Steam-yacht career, circa 1915
An interpretive 3D reconstruction of the vessel afloat, in the form named above and from before its loss in Keweenaw 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.
Nobody knows the exact spot where this ship went down, so the marker shows the general area.
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
- Azalea, later Sea Fox, was built by Detroit Boat Works in 1895, US107168. Vessel history and circa-1915 photograph
- Recorded dimensions 101.6×16×6.8 ft with steam propulsion. Vessel history and circa-1915 photograph
Inferred
- Underwater hull lines and draft
- Exact colors, fittings, hatch layout and rigging routes
Configuration caveat. A circa-1915 photograph guides the slender white hull, clipper bow, two pole masts, single funnel and low deckhouses. Awning, paint and hidden hull lines are interpreted. Abandonment dates conflict: the tracker says 1925, while the detailed history places it around 1930.
Two numbers that are not the same thing. The waterline toggle sits at 1.65 m above the keel, a display assumption, not a measured draft. The wreck lies in about 10 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
Steam-yacht career, circa 1915. A circa-1915 photograph guides the slender white hull, clipper bow, two pole masts, single funnel and low deckhouses. Awning, paint and hidden hull lines are interpreted. Abandonment dates conflict: the tracker says 1925, while the detailed history places it around 1930.
Documented evidence
Azalea, later Sea Fox, was built by Detroit Boat Works in 1895, US107168. Vessel history and circa-1915 photograph
Recorded dimensions 101.6×16×6.8 ft with steam propulsion. Vessel history and circa-1915 photograph
Reasonable interpretation
Underwater hull lines and draft
Exact colors, fittings, hatch layout and rigging routes
The vessel history records Azalea, built in 1895 by Detroit Boat Works, later Sea Fox, US 107168. It gives 101.6 × 16 × 6.8 ft and a steam power plant. Its own circa-1915 view shows two slender pole masts, a narrow low hull, short bowsprit and single funnel. The name selected is the canonical wreck name, while the appearance is the yacht’s working career.
House positions and mast proportions follow the photograph approximately. The after awning and its supports, porthole spacing, underside, stern details and exact paint are interpreted. The toggle removes the awning for inspection. No sail-carrying yacht rig is inferred from the two poles.
No complete original lines plan was recovered. Exact colors, underwater lines, loaded draft and hidden fittings are inferred. The model is newly authored exterior geometry; it is not a scan of a historical object.
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.
Abandonment is not securely dated: the tracker’s 1925 differs from the detailed account’s late-1920s mishap and circa-1930 abandonment. No exact loss year is shown in the model. The viewer selects circa 1915, not a purported original 1895 fit.
Sources
Illustration conditions
clear late-summer morning with a thin lake haze. Weather, shore and sky are artistic staging, not evidence of final-voyage conditions. AI artwork is supplemental and may differ from the GLB; map previews must use the actual model poster.
Sources used for the model
- Vessel history and circa-1915 photograph — source
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).