Copyright USGenNet Inc., 2020 All Rights Reserved USGenNet Data Repository Please read USGenNet Copyright Statement on this page: Submitted by Linda Talbott for the USGenNet Data Repository http://www.us-data.org/ ========================================================================= NOTICE TO USERS - These files are protected by the The Digital Millennium Copyright Act of 1998. Information contained herein is provided for research purposes and may be freely linked to. Copying for redistribution or presentation by any person, persons or organization is not allowed without the written permission of the author/submitter. Formatted by USGenNet Data Repository Chief Archivist, Linda Talbott All of the above information must remain when copied or downloaded. =========================================================================== VESSEL NAME: COMANCHE OTHER NAME(s): (a) Richard Caswell, U.S.C.E (b) U.S.N. YTL, 608 (c) H. Thomas Teti Jr. (d) Seaway No. 1 (e) Don Hayes OFFICIAL NO: 253654 DATE OF LOSS: 11 December 1985 CAUSE OF LOSS: Foundered LOCATION: Lake Michigan, off Ludington Pumped Storage' Hydroelectric Plant RIG TYPE: Tug HULL TYPE: Iron BUILDER: At Baltimore, MD., 1900 OWNER(S): Lakeshore Marine, Muskegon, MI MASTER: -- TONNAGE: 209 gt DIMENSIONS: 84 x 9 x 18 CASUALTIES: 0 On 28 May 1982, while owned by Seaway Towing, Inc., and lying at the old DeTour coal dock, she was gutted by fire and her pilothouse burned off. The cause of the blaze was attributed to electrical problems. Towed to the Soo and abandoned to the underwriters. It was felt that she would be sent to the scrapyard at that time. It seems she was purchased by Lakeshore Marine of Muskegon, MI., but no repairs had been made up to December, 1985. Ron Walters and Jim Roussin, both of Ludington, MI., were in the process of buying the old tug in hopes of using her as an icebreaker for their commercial fishing business. She was being towed to Ludington by the 60 ft tug JUDY ANN when they encountered heavy seas. With the JUDY ANN making little progress, the Coast Guard was called to assist. They took COMANCHE in tow and made about 8 miles but she was filling rapidly and the tow line had to be cut. The Ludington Daily News of 12 December 1985 calls her the CHEROKEE. It is unknown if that was an error or if Walters and Roussin had renamed her. ======================================================================== Sources: Merchant Vessel Lists: 1925 Historical Collections of the Great Lakes, BGSU Ludington Daily News, 12 December 1985 MILIVE 7 May 2012 West Michigan Underwater Preserve