W.S. Crosthwaite
Earlier three-masted sailing career
An interpretive 3D reconstruction of the vessel afloat, in the form named above and from before its loss in Whitefish 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 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 compilation identifies US80344 as a wooden three-masted schooner built in 1873. Historical loss compilation, C entries
- Reported dimensions 198×35×13 ft; later reduced to a towbarge. Historical loss compilation, C entries
Inferred
- Underwater hull lines and draft
- Exact colors, fittings, hatch layout and rigging routes
- Absolute spar heights and sail shapes
Configuration caveat. The original three-mast rig and dimensions are documented. No ship-specific portrait was accessible; the closely sized Miztec informs the low cargo hull and sailing arrangement. Sail inventory, cabin, hatch layout and colors are inferred. This is before Crosthwaite was reduced to a towbarge.
Two numbers that are not the same thing. The waterline toggle sits at 3.35 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
Earlier three-masted sailing career. The original three-mast rig and dimensions are documented. No ship-specific portrait was accessible; the closely sized Miztec informs the low cargo hull and sailing arrangement. Sail inventory, cabin, hatch layout and colors are inferred. This is before Crosthwaite was reduced to a towbarge.
Documented evidence
The compilation identifies US80344 as a wooden three-masted schooner built in 1873. Historical loss compilation, C entries
Reported dimensions 198×35×13 ft; later reduced to a towbarge. Historical loss compilation, C entries
Reasonable interpretation
Underwater hull lines and draft
Exact colors, fittings, hatch layout and rigging routes
Absolute spar heights and sail shapes
Earlier three-masted sailing career. The original three-mast rig and dimensions are documented. No ship-specific portrait was accessible; the closely sized Miztec informs the low cargo hull and sailing arrangement. Sail inventory, cabin, hatch layout and colors are inferred. This is before Crosthwaite was reduced to a towbarge.
These evidence-informed exterior models are newly authored approximations. No complete original lines plan has been recovered for this work. Colors, finish, minor rigging and fittings are period interpretations. Dimensions do not establish a precise loaded draft. The viewer places these qualifications beside the model.
Lake, shoreline, sky and weather are artistic staging. The AI illustration is not a historical photograph, not evidence of loss-day conditions and not an exact rendering of the GLB. Use direct model renders to inspect 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.
The historical compilation identifies US 80344, a wooden three-masted schooner built in 1873, 198 × 35 × 13 ft, later reduced to a towbarge and burned in 1904. This is W.S. Crosthwaite, not the different William Crosthwaite built in 1866. The model selects its earlier sailing career, rather than inventing the uncertain final towbarge arrangement.
The linked ship-specific archive image was inaccessible and was not inspected. The inspected photograph of Miztec supports a comparison with a closely sized Great Lakes wooden three-mast cargo schooner (1890; about 194 × 34.5 × 14 ft). Miztec is a different vessel built seventeen years later, not a claimed sister ship. Its long low cargo hull, bowsprit, mast arrangement and low aft cabin inform this interpretation. Crosthwaite’s exact hull lines, mast positions, five displayed sails, cabin, hatch layout and paint remain inferred. The comparison supports the overall class likeness, not ship-specific detail certainty.
Sources
- Historical loss compilation, C entries
- Inspected comparison photograph: Miztec
- Miztec dimensions and historical bibliography
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).