Hinckley
Ship stats
Depth: 14 feet
Coordinates: 43° 50.891'N / 76° 17.786'W
Vessel Type: Wooden steam barge, propeller
Length: 114.3 feet Breadth: 24 feet
Gross Tonnage: 232
Cargo: Coal
Built: 1901 by Captain Frank D. Phelps at Chaumont, New York
Port of Registry: Oswego, New York
Owner at Loss: Captain Augustus Hinckley, Oswego, New York
Date Lost: July 29, 1929
Cause of Loss: Grounded after springing a leak
Loss of Life: None
Historical Background
The wooden steam barge Hinckley (U.S. No. 96578) was built in 1901 by Captain Frank Phelps at Chaumont, New York, and was among the last wooden steam barges built on Lake Ontario. At the time of its construction, Hinckley was 107 feet long, 24 feet in breadth, and had a depth of 8 feet, measuring 141 gross tons. The steam barge was equipped with a two-cylinder fore-and-aft compounding steam engine built by H.G. Trout of Buffalo, New York.
Hinckley was owned by Captain Augustus Hinckley of Oswego throughout its career and was principally employed in transporting coal from New York ports to Canadian ports on Lake Ontario and the St. Lawrence River. In 1907, Hinckley was rebuilt at Oswego and was lengthened to 114.3 feet, while its depth of hold was increased to 10 feet. Hinckley was again rebuilt in 1920, its depth again being increased to 11 feet, resulting in an increase in its gross tonnage to 232 tons.
On July 29, 1929, Hinckley was laden with coal from Fairhaven for Gananoque, Ontario, when it sprang a leak. Hinckley put into Oswego, where it took on steam pumps to allow it to complete its trip to avoid having to unload its cargo. While approaching the passage between Stony Island and Stony Point, the leaks worsened. With the water gaining against the pumps, Hinckley was run ashore at Gravely Bay on the western side of Stony Point to prevent it from foundering in deep water. On August 2, an unsuccessful attempt was made to refloat Hinckley, and storms broke the vessel apart over the following days.
Wreck Site
Site photo model of the Hinckley shipwreck. Photo: Ben Ioset/NOAA
The wreck of Hinckley lies in 15 feet of water, approximately 400 feet from shore within Gravely Bay on the western side of Stony Point, New York. Though the wreck is close to shore, access to the site is by boat as the adjacent shoreline is private property. The site is accessible to divers and snorkelers, and is frequently visible from the surface.
The remains of the hull are broken apart, with only the lower hull remaining. The highlight of the site is the remaining cylinder and frame of Hinckley’s fore-and-aft compound steam engine, which lies on its side at the southern end of the wreck
