Wisconsin angler discovers one of the largest tugboats in Great Lakes history off Manitowoc

Yahoo

19-05-2025

A Wisconsin angler with a family legacy of shipwreck discoveries has discovered one of the largest tugboats to ever tow on the Great Lakes, scrapped more than a century ago off the shores of Manitowoc.
Christopher Thuss was out fishing in the evening on May 13 when he noticed a wreckage north of the Manitowoc breakwater in Maritime Bay just nine feet below the water's surface. The wreck was later determined to be the J.C. Ames, a 160-foot tugboat known for towing large schooners.
And while Thuss said he didn't catch any fish that day, he caught a piece of history.
"It's pretty unique that I am the first person to lay eyes on this boat since it was last seen," Thuss told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
Thuss is no stranger to shipwreck discoveries. His step-grandmother is 'Shipwreck Suzze' Johnson, who — after she retired — was an experimental aircraft pilot, known for operating a powered parachute and ultralight plane. Johnson discovered three Lake Michigan shipwrecks in three days in 2015.
In fact, Thuss thought of Suzze as soon as he spotted the remains, and immediately called his dad, who relayed the message to her.
The J.C. Ames is the first major confirmed and released shipwreck discovery this year, according to Brendon Baillod, president of Wiconsin's Underwater Archeological Association.
Manitowoc's Maritime Bay was a graveyard for ships that were scrapped, including some important passenger steamers, like the Sheboygan and Muskegon. These Lake Michigan ships, like the Ames, were towed out and burned in the shallows as a spectacle, Baillod said.
Many of these wrecks have eluded historians because the bay is too shallow for survey vessels to navigate. But Thuss' fishing boat, equipped with side scan sonar, was able to pick it up.
Thuss reported the remains to the state historic office, which conferred with Baillod. After narrowing it down to a few possibilities, Baillod said the huge propellor and engine bed gave it away.
'It took some detective work, but we were able to put an end to its story, which is the important part,' Baillod said.
More: Freight steamer, fireboat among another record number of Lake Michigan shipwreck discoveries
The Ames was a powerful towing tug built in Manitowoc in 1881. It was designed specifically for the demands of the lumber trade.
Unlike typical tugs of the time, which ranged from 40 to 50 feet in length, the Ames was large enough to tow heavily laden schooners, Baillod said. The tug, originally operated by the Nau family of Green Bay, was especially helpful in towing schooners unable to navigate challenging passages like the St. Mary's River between Lakes Erie and Huron. However, the Ames was primarily active in the Sturgeon Bay Ship Canal.
In 1889, the vessel sustained stern damage in a collision but was repaired and later sold to the Lake Michigan Car Ferry Transportation Company of Peshtigo for use in hauling railway cars. Over its 41-year career, the Ames also worked in the pulpwood trade, served as a salvage tug and towed various vessels across the Great Lakes.
By 1923, the hull had begun to leak. The ship was returned to Manitowoc, where its engines were removed, and the hull was stripped and burned for its steel and iron scrap metal, Baillod said.
The remains were deliberately sunk in the bay, marking the end of a long life on the Great Lakes.
More: Wisconsin's national marine sanctuary is a museum beneath the water. Here's what to know.
The wreck is located only 700 feet offshore within the boundaries of the Wisconsin Shipwreck Coast National Marine Sanctuary, which is co-managed by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the state. Because of its accessibility, it's expected to be a popular spot for paddlers and snorkelers. The Wisconsin Historical Society plans to list it on the state historic registry.
Wisconsin's national marine sanctuary is one of three in the Great Lakes. The other two are the Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary in Lake Huron and Lake Ontario National Marine Sanctuary. A site has also been proposed in Lake Erie.
The designation helps support conservation and science efforts, which is very much needed in the Great Lakes, where less than 15% of the lakebeds have been mapped. In fact, Wisconsin's shipwreck sanctuary is one of the most well-understood places in all of Lake Michigan.
This story was updated to add new information.
More: Want to explore a Lake Michigan shipwreck? Wisconsin's marine sanctuary just made it easier.
Caitlin Looby is a Report for America corps member who writes about the environment and the Great Lakes. Reach her at [e-mail], follow her on X @caitlooby and learn more about how she approaches her reporting.
This story has been updated to add video.
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Historic tugboat scrapped off Manitowoc discovered by Wisconsin angler