William A. Young (TB)
Later two-mast towing 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
- The historical compilation gives 165×30×11 ft for a wooden two-mast schooner barge with an earlier three-mast rig. David Swayze, Great Lakes Shipwreck Files, X–Z
Inferred
- Underwater hull lines and draft
- Exact colors, fittings, hatch layout and rigging routes
Configuration caveat. Later two-mast towbarge interpretation; records describe an earlier three-mast rig. Dimensions are documented in a historical compilation. Deck layout, hull lines and spar placement use contemporary consort comparisons; no ship-specific portrait was accessible.
Two numbers that are not the same thing. The waterline toggle sits at 3.00 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
Later two-mast towing form. Later two-mast towbarge interpretation; records describe an earlier three-mast rig. Dimensions are documented in a historical compilation. Deck layout, hull lines and spar placement use contemporary consort comparisons; no ship-specific portrait was accessible.
Documented evidence
The historical compilation gives 165×30×11 ft for a wooden two-mast schooner barge with an earlier three-mast rig. David Swayze, Great Lakes Shipwreck Files, X–Z
Reasonable interpretation
Underwater hull lines and draft
Exact colors, fittings, hatch layout and rigging routes
Keep visible alongside the model. Later two-mast towbarge interpretation; records describe an earlier three-mast rig. Dimensions are documented in a historical compilation. Deck layout, hull lines and spar placement use contemporary consort comparisons; no ship-specific portrait was accessible.
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. Documentary scale and vessel class, inspected visual sources or close period comparisons support a reasonable overall likeness. This is not an exact or authenticated as-built replica.
Documented baseline and conflicts. NOAA corroborates the 1883 schooner and 1911 loss. Swayze’s compilation supplies 165 × 30 × 11 ft, wooden construction and the later two-mast schooner-barge classification, while recording an earlier three-mast rig. The selected form is the later towing career. Its link to a historical portrait could not be retrieved, so no claim of inspecting that portrait is made. The 1891 Straits wreck William Young is a separate vessel.
Comparison-based features and unresolved details. Harvey Bissell’s previously inspected regional towbarge image supports a long low working deck, modest aft cabin, two reduced rigs and accessible hatches. Young’s exact mast stations, gaffs, bowsprit, cabin, three selected hatch positions and yawl are inferences. The small bundled canvas suggests stowage; the model has no deployed-sail toggle. No coal is drawn on deck or towing steamer invented. Submerged lines, paint and draft are reconstructed by period practice, not measured from remains.
Sources
- NOAA Thunder Bay environmental statement
- David Swayze, Great Lakes Shipwreck Files, X–Z
- NOAA Harvey Bissell
Illustration conditions
Illustration setting. Supplemental AI artwork uses a lake background. Weather, waves, light and distant shoreline are artistic scene choices, not evidence of the final voyage or an exact geolocated coastline. Storm and rain scenes never establish historical weather. Direct model renders retain consistent neutral presentation.
Sources used for the model
- NOAA Thunder Bay environmental statement — source
Table 4.3 lists Young, William A., schooner, 1883 and 17 November 1911. This is corroboration of identity and dates, not a lines plan. - David Swayze, Great Lakes Shipwreck Files, X–Z — source
Historical compilation: William A. Young, 165 × 30 × 11 ft, wooden two-mast schooner barge at loss, built as three-mast schooner. Do not confuse with William Young lost in the Straits in 1891. - NOAA Harvey Bissell — source
Earlier batch inspected its historic image: regional two-mast towbarge comparison for restrained deck and towing layout; not direct evidence of Young.
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).