Minerva Cook/Point Peninsula Wreck
Site photo model of the Minerva Cook/Point Peninsula Wreck. Photo:Joe Hoyt/NOAA.
Ship stats
Depth: 12 feet
Coordinates: 44° 0.506'N / 76° 17.011'W
Vessel Type: Wooden two-masted schooner
Length: 88.7 feet Breadth: 18.5 feet
Tonnage (Old Style): 170 Cargo: Coal
Built: 1841 by Lewis Goler at the yard of H. Cook and D.D. Calvin at Garden Island, Ontario
Port of Registry: Kingston, Ontario
Owner at Loss: Folger Brothers, Kingston, Ontario
Date Lost: November 19, 1868
Cause of Loss: Stranded in storm Loss of Life: 1
Wreck Site
Point Peninsula Wreck lies in 12 feet of water, approximately 450 feet offshore of the isthmus to Point Peninsula. The wreck can be accessed from shore in calm conditions or by boat, and is an ideal site for both snorkelers and divers.
The vessel’s remains consist of broken-open and low-lying pieces of the hull. The bow is oriented to the southwest and is partially buried. Among the remains of the hull are the framing, exterior planking, and ceiling (interior) planking, keelson assembly, and centerboard case.
In 2024, NOAA divers documented Point Peninsula Wreck, producing a three-dimensional photo model of the site. Documentation of the site by NOAA archaeologists is ongoing.
Historical Background
At present, no evidence has been identified that would allow the certain identification of the Point Peninsula Wreck; however, the remains are most likely those of the two-masted schooner Minerva Cook.
Minerva Cook was built in 1840 or 1841 by Lewis Goler at the shipyard of Calvin, Cook & Counter at Garden Island, opposite Kingston, Ontario. The Cook, at the time it was built, was 88.7 feet long, 18.1 feet in breadth, and with a 9.4-foot depth of hold, measuring 137 tons according to the builder’s old measure rules.
On November 19 or 20, 1868, Minerva Cook was wrecked at Point Peninsula with the loss of one life.