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    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.


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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