"The Abbie"

The Abbie was the last schooner built at the Ludington docks in 1886 for Rasmus Rasmussen. At 88 feet long, 22 feet wide, and with a 6 foot draft, this double-masted, 88-ton schooner was typical of those that sailed the Great Lakes. On most voyages it transported tannin bark to the tanneries in Chicago and returned with items needed by the inhabitants of the Ludington area. The Abbie sailed Lake Michigan until it was lost off Portage Lake Pier on November 8, 1905, when a storm drove it ashore. One crew member swam to safety, and with the swift response of rescuers, the remaining crew members were recovered from the cabin wreckage with no loss of life.

Ludington, Michigan · United States