Shamrock
Comparative later steam-carrier form
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.
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
- NOAA lists a 146×30 ft wooden steam barge built in 1875. NOAA vessel record
- A propeller survives at the wreck. NOAA vessel record
Inferred
- Underwater hull lines and draft
- Exact colors, fittings, hatch layout and rigging routes
Configuration caveat. NOAA describes conversion from a schooner barge to a steam lumber carrier. Surviving hull and propeller support that class and scale. Bridge, funnel, cargo mast and lumber arrangement are contemporary comparisons; no complete ship portrait was recovered.
Two numbers that are not the same thing. The waterline toggle sits at 2.80 m above the keel, a display assumption, not a measured draft. The wreck lies in about 11 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
Comparative later steam-carrier form. NOAA describes conversion from a schooner barge to a steam lumber carrier. Surviving hull and propeller support that class and scale. Bridge, funnel, cargo mast and lumber arrangement are contemporary comparisons; no complete ship portrait was recovered.
Documented evidence
NOAA lists a 146×30 ft wooden steam barge built in 1875. NOAA vessel record
A propeller survives at the wreck. NOAA vessel record
Reasonable interpretation
Underwater hull lines and draft
Exact colors, fittings, hatch layout and rigging routes
Visual evidence and comparisons. No securely identified complete historical portrait was recovered. Monohansett supplies a contemporary steam freight-vessel comparison, and the conversion history, hull dimensions and surviving screw establish the appropriate family. The broad shape is a qualified later steam conversion, not the original sailing barge.
Visible qualification. NOAA describes conversion from a schooner barge to a steam lumber carrier. Surviving hull and propeller support that class and scale. Bridge, funnel, cargo mast and lumber arrangement are contemporary comparisons; no complete ship portrait was recovered.
Sources and use.
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 a qualified interpretation. The evidence and comparisons below support a credible overall likeness. This is not an exact or authenticated as-built replica.
Documented baseline and source differences. NOAA gives a 146 × 30 ft wooden steam barge built in 1875 and lost in 1905. Its kayak guide explains that it began as a schooner barge and became a steam lumber carrier. The wreck has a surviving propeller. Sources vary on the exact beaching/towing sequence; this does not settle the missing upper works.
Reasonable interpretations and unresolved details. The forward bridge, separate aft cabin and funnel, one cargo mast, timber stacks and minimal cargo deck are comparative arrangements. Their locations, the mast count and hatch plan are not documented for Shamrock. The viewer keeps that limitation visible. Paint, propeller blade shape and underwater hull are interpreted; no original sailing rig is invented for the selected steam phase.
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
- NOAA vessel record — source
Identity, dimensions, history and surviving evidence - NOAA paddling guide — source
Indexed text describes schooner-barge conversion to steam lumber carrier; full PDF not downloaded - Historical Monohansett photograph — source
Inspected two masts, twin funnels, forward wheelhouse and aft machinery house. This is an earlier career form, not the reduced late coal-carrier form.
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).