The Arendal was a three-masted schooner built in Sheboygan, WI, by William Johnson in 1873. It was originally crafted for Louis Sands of Manistee, MI. In 1875, it was recorded as transporting lumber from Manistee; it arrived at Milwaukee covered in ice and was missing the foresail, mainsail, and staysail. The main gaff was broken as well. According to an excerpt from the Manitowoc Tribune, the Arendal was towed to Milwaukee by the steambarge William Crippeu. By the 1885 season, the vessel was under the command of Captain Jas. Anker.
In February of 1916, it was listed for sale in The Marine Review and was reportedly bought later the same year by the Bahama Transportation Company for trade on the Atlantic coast, along with the propeller Albert Soper. It was reported on by the Buffalo Daily Courier as being prepared for a complete overhaul. On June 5, 1916, the Buffalo Daily Courier stated, "A lake schooner will soon be a novelty, nearly all the old-timers having this year been purchased by eastern parties for trading on the coast." It is unknown what occurred following this purchase, as it was reportedly abandoned on December 31, 1918. However, the Arendal continues to pop up in Great Lakes historical records until the early 1920s.
The current location and condition of the remains of the Arendal are unknown.