The ill-fated SS Edmund Fitzgerald, built in the classic dual superstructure style with her wheelhouse up near the bow.

Lake freighters, or Lakers, are cargo vessels that work the Great Lakes. The most well-known is the SS Edmund Fitzgerald, the latest major vessel to be wrecked on the Lakes. These vessels are traditionally called boats, not ships. Visiting ocean-going vessels are referred to as "salties." Due to their additional beam, very large salties are never seen inland of the St Lawrence Seaway. Because the largest of the Soo Locks is larger than any Seaway lock, salties that can pass through the Seaway may travel anywhere in the Great Lakes. Because of their deeper draft, salties may accept partial loads on the Great Lakes, "topping off" when they have exited the Seaway. Similarly, the largest Lakers are confined to the Upper Lakes (Superior, Michigan, Huron, Erie) because they are too large to use the Seaway locks, beginning at the Welland Canal that bypasses the Niagara River. Image File history File links Fitzgeraldpic. ... Image File history File links Fitzgeraldpic. ... This article is about transported goods. ... The Great Lakes from space The Laurentian Great Lakes are a group of five large lakes in North America on or near the Canada-United States border. ... SS Edmund Fitzgerald (nicknamed Mighty Fitz, The Fitz or The Big Fitz) was a lake freighter that sank suddenly during a gale storm on Lake Superior on November 10, 1975. ... The beam of a ship is its width at the widest point, or a point alongside the ship at the mid-point of its length. ... The Saint Lawrence Seaway in its broadest sense (see Great Lakes Waterway) is the system of canals that permits ocean-going vessels to travel from the Atlantic Ocean to the Great Lakes as far as Lake Superior. ... A Soo Lock vacant of ships The Sault Locks (usually called the Soo Locks) allow ships to travel between Lake Superior and the lower Great Lakes. ... For the the Quebec municipality, see Lac-Supérieur. ... --67. ... Ipperwash Beach, Lake Huron. ... Lake Erie (pronounced ) is the tenth largest lake on Earth[2] and, of the five Great Lakes of North America, is the fourth largest by surface area, the southernmost, shallowest, and smallest by volume. ... A ship transits the Welland Canal, with the Homer Lift Bridge and Garden City Skyway in background. ... Satellite image of the Niagara River. ...

Cargo

A modern laker, Earl W., passes the Renaissance Center in Detroit, MI.

Lakers are generally bulk carriers, that is they carry loads of rocks, salt or grain in large holds - not in containers. The earlier ships required unloading machinery at the docks but modern Lakers are self unloaders which allows them to unload faster and in more ports. Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 × 596 pixelsFull resolution (2551 × 1901 pixel, file size: 551 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg)self made Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify this document under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1. ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 × 596 pixelsFull resolution (2551 × 1901 pixel, file size: 551 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg)self made Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify this document under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1. ... The Renaissance Center, nicknamed the RenCen, is a group of seven interconnected skyscrapers in Detroit, Michigan, and the tallest building in Michigan since 1977. ... Main article: Merchant ship A bulk carrier, bulk freighter, or bulker is a merchant ship used to transport unpackaged bulk cargo such as cereals, coal, ore, and cement. ... Huletts at the PRR ore docks at Cleveland. ...

The most common cargoes on the Great Lakes are taconite, which is a type of iron ore; limestone, grain, salt, coal, cement, gypsum, sand, slag and potash. Much of the cargo goes to support the steel mills for the auto industry which was centered around the Great Lakes because of the ease of Lake transport. Other destinations include coal-fired power plants and stone docks where limestone is unloaded for the construction industry. Taconite is an iron-bearing, high-silica, flint-like rock. ... For other uses, see Limestone (disambiguation). ... This article is about cereals in general. ... For other uses, see Salt (disambiguation). ... Coal Coal (IPA: ) is a fossil fuel formed in swamp ecosystems where plant remains were saved by water and mud from oxidization and biodegradation. ... For other uses, see Cement (disambiguation). ... It has been suggested that Selenite be merged into this article or section. ... For other uses, see Sand (disambiguation). ... Slag is also an early play by David Hare. ... Potash Potash (or carbonate of potash) is an impure form of potassium carbonate (K2CO3) mixed with other potassium salts. ...

Depending on their application, lakers may also be referred to by their type, such as oreboats (used primarily for iron ore), flatbacks (no self-unloading gear), bulkers (carry bulk cargo), sternenders (all cabins aft), self unloaders (has self unloading gear), longboats (reference to their slender look), or lakeboats, among others.

Size

1000 footer George A. Stinson (now American Spirit) pounds through Lake Huron waves.

The largest vessels on the lake are the 1000 footers (300 m). These vessels are between 1000 and 1013.5 feet (305 and 309 m) long, 105 feet (32 m) wide and of 56 feet (17 m) hull depth. They can carry as much 78,850 long tons of bulk cargo although their loading is dependent on lake water levels especially in the channels and ports. A dozen of these giant ships were built, all constructed between 1976 and 1981, and all are still afloat today. The most powerful of these, the Edwin H. Gott [1], carries two Enterprise DMRV-16-4 diesel engines driving twin propellers and is rated at 19,500 brake horsepower, making the Gott the most powerful lake boat on the seaway. (14.5 MW). This generates a top speed of 16.7 mph (27 km/h). The Paul R. Tregurtha is the largest boat on the lakes, at 1013'6" and 68,000 gross ton capacity. The Stewart J. Cort, which is not only the first 1000-footer to be put into service on the Lakes, but also the only one built in the traditional wheelhouse-forward Great Lakes style (although all accommodations are forward, and the stern deckhouse is occupied by self unloading equipment and the engines), is another notable vessel. The Cort started life in Mississippi, and was sailed as a much smaller vessel consisting of only the bow and stern sections (appropriately nicknamed "Stubby"), to Erie, Pennsylvania , where she was cut in half and an additional 800+ feet of hull were added. Another interesting 1000-footer is the Presque Isle, an articulated tug and barge combination. The Presque Isle is the largest tug / barge composite in the world. All lakers longer than 730 feet are United States vessels, for the Canadian fleet needs to travel to and from its major cities along the St. Lawrence Seaway. The reason for this standard length, is the Welland Canal which bypasses Niagara Falls. The locks here are only about 800 feet long, and for safety reasons, the vessels must be 730' or less. Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... A long ton is the name used in the US for the unit called the ton in the avoirdupois or Imperial system of measurements, as used (alongside the metric system) in the United Kingdom and to some extent in other Commonwealth countries. ... For other uses, see Propeller (disambiguation). ... The horsepower (hp) is the name of several non-metric units of power. ... “Erie” redirects here. ... A ship transits the Welland Canal, with the Homer Lift Bridge and Garden City Skyway in background. ...

More common are lake boats in the 600 and 700 foot (183 and 213 m) classes, due to the limitations of the Welland Canal. These vessels vary greatly in configuration and cargo capacity, being capable of hauling between 10,000 and 40,000 tons per trip depending on the individual boat. The last major vessel built for bulk cargoes on the lakes is the Great Lakes Trader (2000 - 740 feet/225.56 m), a self-unloading barge permanently partnered to the tug Joyce L. Van Enkevort (1998 - 135 feet/41.22 m). The combined tug and barge measure 844 feet 10 inches (257.6 m). Year 2000 (MM) was a leap year starting on Saturday (link will display full 2000 Gregorian calendar). ... A tugboat shown turning a large RORO cargo ship. ... Year 1998 (MCMXCVIII) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display full 1998 Gregorian calendar). ...

List of 1000-footers on the Lakes

• Bulk freighters
  • American Integrity
  • American Spirit
  • American Century
  • Edgar B. Speer
  • Edwin H. Gott
  • James R. Barker
  • Mesabi Miner
  • Paul R. Tregurtha
  • Stewart J. Cort
  • Burns Harbor
  • Indiana Harbor
  • Walter J. McCarthy Jr.
• Tug/barge combination
  • Presque Isle tug and barge Presque Isle
  • Joyce L. Van Enkevort tug and barge Great Lakes Trader

Design

M/V John B. Aird, a newer Laker (1983) with a single aft superstructure.

Since these vessels all have to proceed through the locks of the Great Lakes Waterway they have features in common, and their appearance differs from similar sized ocean-going freighters. They are narrower and generally longer. An early variation of the type (designed by Alexander McDougall and built from 1887 through 1898) was the "whaleback" design, which featured significant tumblehome in the sides of the hull and a rounded bow, looking rather like the back of a whale (hence the name). The largest deep lock at the Soo is the Poe Lock which is 1,200 feet (370 m) long and 110 feet (34 m) wide. Thirty vessels on the lakes can pass only between Lake Superior and Lake Huron via this lock although none approaches the lock's size. Many Lakers are restricted to the Lakes, being unable to navigate the St Lawrence Seaway whose locks allow a maximum vessel size of 740 feet (226 m) in length or 78 feet (24 m) in breadth. Where the superstructure of an ordinary freighter used to have the bridge in the center of the vessel, lake freighters typically have the bridge and associated superstructure right up in the bow. Traditionally they had a second island, over the engine room, right aft in the stern. These dual cabined boats were constructed between 1869 and 1974. The R.J. Hackett premiered the style and the second Algosoo was the final vessel designed this way. More recently built lakers, like the Seawaymax CSL Niagara, have a single large superstructure island right astern. Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (2592x1944, 2037 KB) John B. Aird transiting the Welland Canal, just north of St. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (2592x1944, 2037 KB) John B. Aird transiting the Welland Canal, just north of St. ... The Great Lakes Waterway is a system of channels and canals that makes all of the Great Lakes accessible to oceangoing vessels. ... Cargo ship or freighter is any sort of ship that carries goods and materials from one port to another. ... The SS Meteor, the only remaining whaleback on earth, Superior, Wisconsin. ... HMS Victory in 1884, although a wooden ship, this image displays the angle of a tumblehome design Tumblehome is the narrowing of a ships hull with greater distance above the water-line. ... This article is about the animal. ... A Soo Lock vacant of ships The Sault Locks (usually called the Soo Locks) allow ships to travel between Lake Superior and the lower Great Lakes. ... For the the Quebec municipality, see Lac-Supérieur. ... Ipperwash Beach, Lake Huron. ... The Saint Lawrence Seaway in its broadest sense (see Great Lakes Waterway) is the system of canals that permits ocean-going vessels to travel from the Atlantic Ocean to the Great Lakes as far as Lake Superior. ... The term Seawaymax refers to vessels which are the maximum size that can fit through the canal locks of the St Lawrence Seaway. ...

Lake freighter Edward Ryerson just leaving the Soo Locks (bottom right). Michigan on right foreground, Ontario left and background.

Lakers differ from most salties in having bluff bows instead of raked or clipper bows and rarely have bulbous bow extensions (Note: A few Canadian Lakers are fitted with ice-breaking bulbous bows). The narrow, raked bow of a saltie allows it more speed, while a bluff bow allows for more cargo capacity at a given draft (but pushes more water). Vessel speeds are not as essential on the Lakes as compared to the ocean. The distances between ports is not as great as those in the ocean trades, therefore cargo capacity is more important than speed. The Lake vessels are designed with the greatest box coefficient in order to maximize the vessels size in the many locks within the Great Lakes/St Lawrence Seaway system. Therefore, ship designers have favored bluff bows over streamlined bows for that reason. Following World War II, several ocean freighters and tankers were transported to the Great Lakes and converted to Bulk carriers as a way to acquire ships cheaply. Several of them served well in the role and continue to sail today (American Victory (fmr. Middletown), Lee A, Tregurtha, and a few others). Image File history File links Soo_Locks-Sault-Ste_Marie. ... Image File history File links Soo_Locks-Sault-Ste_Marie. ... A Soo Lock vacant of ships The Sault Locks (usually called the Soo Locks) allow ships to travel between Lake Superior and the lower Great Lakes. ... The bulbous bow of the U.S. Navy carrier USS Ronald Reagan is clearly visible in this photograph. ... Combatants Allied powers: China France Great Britain Soviet Union United States and others Axis powers: Germany Italy Japan and others Commanders Chiang Kai-shek Charles de Gaulle Winston Churchill Joseph Stalin Franklin Roosevelt Adolf Hitler Benito Mussolini Hideki Tōjō Casualties Military dead: 17,000,000 Civilian dead: 33,000... The Great Lakes from space The Laurentian Great Lakes are a group of five large lakes in North America on or near the Canada-United States border. ... Main article: Merchant ship A bulk carrier, bulk freighter, or bulker is a merchant ship used to transport unpackaged bulk cargo such as cereals, coal, ore, and cement. ...

Another distinguishing feature of Lake vessels versus Ocean vessels is the cargo hatch configuration. On the Lake vessels, the hatches are traditionally spaced 24 feet (7.8m) apart. This configuration was created by the need to match the vessel hatches to the loading facilities. At the turn of the 19th century, most ore loading facilities had loading chutes spaced every 12 feet (3.8m). The ship designers used this pattern as a basis for their hatch configuration. This pattern is continued today, even with the most modern Lake vessels. In comparison, a Lake vessel will have many more hatches than an Ocean vessel of equal length.

The shallow draft imposed by the rivers (typically dredged to about 28 feet (8.5m) by the United States Army Corps of Engineers) restricts the cargo capacity of Lakers, but that is partially recovered by their extra length and box design. Since Great Lakes waves never achieve the great length or period of ocean waves, particularly compared to the waves' height, ships are in less danger of being suspended between two waves and breaking, so the ratio between the ship's length, beam and its depth can be a bit larger than that of an ocean-going ship. The Lake vessels generally have a 10:1 length to beam ratio, whereas the Ocean Vessels are typically 7:1. The dimension of the locks is the deciding factor in Lake vessel construction. The USACE gold castle insignia, worn by officers of the Corps The United States Army Corps of Engineers, or USACE, is made up of some 34,600 civilian and 650 military men and women. ...

Lifespan

In 2006, the J.B. Ford, left, in use for cement storage at age 102 with J.A.W. Iglehart, right, in her last month of a 70-year sailing career which included surviving a U-boat attack in the Atlantic during WWII.

Since the freshwater lakes are less corrosive to ships than the salt water of the oceans, many of the Lakers remain in service for long periods and the fleet has a much higher average age than the ocean-going fleet. Boats older than 50 years are not unusual, and, in fact, account for more than half of the fleet.^{[citation needed]} The St. Mary's Challenger, built in 1906 as the William P Snyder (550 feet), is currently the oldest boat in active duty on the Lakes. She is managed by HMC Ship Management, LTD. and owned by St. Mary's Cement, a subsidiary of Votorantim Cimentos. The E.M. Ford had the one of the longest careers, having been built in 1898 (as the Presque Isle - 428 feet) and still sailing on the lakes 98 years later in 1996. In 2007 she was still afloat as a stationary transfer vessel at a riverside cement silo in Saginaw. The J.B. Ford, built in 1904, last sailed in 1985 and in 2007 served in the same capacity as the E.M. at a different cement silo in Superior, Wisconsin. Several decorated World War II veteran ships are still in active, although civilian, use such as the tankers Chiwawa and Neshanic, now the bulk freighters Lee A. Tregurtha and American Victory, respectively, and the Landing Craft Tank 203, now the working vessel Outer Island. Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 800 × 447 pixelsFull resolution (1550 × 867 pixel, file size: 1. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 800 × 447 pixelsFull resolution (1550 × 867 pixel, file size: 1. ... For the village on the Isle of Wight, see Freshwater, Isle of Wight. ... Annual mean sea surface salinity for the World Ocean. ... 1906 (MCMVI) was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ... Year 1898 (MDCCCXCVIII) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Monday of the 12-day-slower Julian calendar). ... Year 1996 (MCMXCVI) was a leap year starting on Monday (link will display full 1996 Gregorian calendar). ... The Fairlawn Mansion, a 42 room mansion built in 1890 by Superiors three-time mayor Martin Pattison, is now a museum Downtown Superior, Duluth is on the horizon. ... Combatants Allied powers: China France Great Britain Soviet Union United States and others Axis powers: Germany Italy Japan and others Commanders Chiang Kai-shek Charles de Gaulle Winston Churchill Joseph Stalin Franklin Roosevelt Adolf Hitler Benito Mussolini Hideki Tōjō Casualties Military dead: 17,000,000 Civilian dead: 33,000... LCT-202 of the U.S. Navy. ...

Famous boats

The most famous laker was the SS Edmund Fitzgerald, which sank on Lake Superior on November 10, 1975. The Fitz was the first ship with a length of 730 feet and the flagship of the Columbia Steamship Division of Oglebay Norton Co. The MV Stewart J Cort was the first of the 1000-foot oreboats. SS Edmund Fitzgerald (nicknamed Mighty Fitz, The Fitz or The Big Fitz) was a lake freighter that sank suddenly during a gale storm on Lake Superior on November 10, 1975. ... is the 314th day of the year (315th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1975 (MCMLXXV) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ...

The first laker with self-unloading equipment was the Hennepin (formerly the George H Dyer) a small wooden laker that was refitted with the equipment in 1902 The first laker built as a self-unloader was the Wyandotte launched in 1908; before these all boats were unloaded via shoreside equipment. Self-unloading equipment worked well for cargos that could "flow" out of the holds onto the belts, like coal and limestone. It did not work well for grain, which flowed too readily and would spill off the conveyors, or iron ore, which wouldn't flow enough and would hang up in the hold. Because the predominant cargo for lakers was iron ore, self-unloaders did not become common until higher grade ores were depleted and taconite pellets were developed in the 1970s. Steam power first appeared in the 1860s and became the standard source of power for over a century. The Canadian grainboat Feux Follets of 1966 was the last laker to be built with a steam turbine and thus was the last steamer built on the lakes. Ford Motor Company's Henry Ford 2nd and Benson Ford of 1925 were the first lakeboats with diesel engines; that powerplant did not become standard until the 1970s. The last active ships of 1920s vintage, and the oldest ships still operating in non-specialized bulk trades are the motorvessels Maumee and Calumet of Lower Lakes Towing which were built as the William G Clyde and Myron C Taylor for US Steel. The ST Crapo, inactive since 1996, was built to haul finished powdered cement for Huron Cement Co. back in 1927 and was the second ship of that design, the first being the John G Boardman of the same company. The Crapo was also the last coal burning freighter on the Great Lakes. Year 1902 (MCMII) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will display calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Tuesday [1] of the 13-day-slower Julian calendar). ... 1908 (MCMVIII) was a leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar). ... Taconite is an iron-bearing, high-silica, flint-like rock. ... A rotor of a modern steam turbine, used in a power plant A steam turbine is a mechanical device that extracts thermal energy from pressurized steam, and converts it into useful mechanical work. ... For other uses, see Steamboat (disambiguation). ... “Ford” redirects here. ... This article is about the fuel. ...

The classic design of cabins fore-and-aft with open decks over the hold started with the 208 foot long R.J. Hackett, designed and built by Elihu Peck in 1869. The first iron-hulled laker was the Brunswick, launched at Detroit in 1881. The Brunswick sank after a collision later that year and was apparently little known. So it is that many follow the lead of the contemporary Cleveland press and credit the Onoko as the first iron-hulled laker, launched in 1882. The Onoko’s higher center section did become a standard for later lakers. At 302 feet, the Onoko was the first bulk carrier to hold the unofficial title of “Queen of the Lakes” (longest vessel on the lakes). The SS Carl D. Bradley (1927 – 640 feet) held the title for 22 years, longer than any other laker of the classic design. Currently that title is held by the modern stern-ender Paul R Tregurtha. Launched in 1981 as the William J Delancy, and measuring 1,013.5 feet, the Paul R Tregurtha has held the title for 25 years. The Bradley is also known for breaking her back and foundering in a Lake Michigan storm in 1958. There were only two survivors. The Wilfred Sykes (1949 – 678 feet) is considered to be the first of the modern lakers, and when converted to a self-unloader in 1975 was the first to have the equipment mounted aft. Since then all self-unloading equipment has been mounted aft. The Algoisle (formerly the Silver Isle) (1962 – 715.9 feet) was the first modern laker built with all cabins aft (a “stern-ender”), following the lead of ocean-going bulk carriers and reprising a century old form used by little river steam barges and the whalebacks. The Stewart Cort (1971) was the first 1,000 footer and the only “footer” built in the classic cabins-fore-and-aft style. The Algosoo (1974 – 730 feet) was the last laker built in the classic style. 1869 (MDCCCLXIX) is a common year starting on Friday (link will take you to calendar) of the Gregorian calendar or a common year starting on Sunday of the 12-day-slower Julian calendar. ... Year 1881 (MDCCCLXXXI) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Thursday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ... The SS was a self-unloading Great Lakes freighter. ... Year 1927 (MCMXXVII) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1981 (MCMLXXXI) was a common year starting on Thursday (link displays the 1981 Gregorian calendar). ... --67. ... Year 1958 (MCMLVIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1949 (MCMXLIX) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1975 (MCMLXXV) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... The SS Meteor, the only remaining whaleback on earth, Superior, Wisconsin. ... Year 1971 (MCMLXXI) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar) of the 1971 Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1974 (MCMLXXIV) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar) of the 1974 Gregorian calendar. ...

Also of note is the steamer Edward L. Ryerson, widely known for her artistic design and being the only remaining straight-decked (without self unloading machinery) freighter still in active service on the U.S. side of the Great Lakes (the only other U.S. straight decker still listed in semi-active service, the John Sherwin, had not sailed in years and was recently declared unseaworthy due to hull damage - currently relegated to use as a storage hull in Chicago, IL.). In the summer of 2006, the Ryerson was fitted out and put back into service following a long-term lay-up that began in 1998. Unlike the Sherwin, which will likely never sail again, the Ryerson had been meticulously maintained, and was often used as a museum boat for tours. She was put back into service due to a lack of reliable hulls on the Lakes, and a need for more tonnage. (The Canadian fleet retains a number of active straight-deckers for use in transporting grain, which is not well suited for self-unloading equipment. Most U.S. grain is currently transported by rail.)

In film, the W.W. Holloway (now since scrapped) is famous for being the lake freighter that the Blues Brothers jump their 1974 Dodge over when Elwood decides to jump the open 96th Street Bridge. The Blues Brothers is a 1980 musical comedy directed by John Landis and starring John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd as Joliet Jake and Elwood Blues, characters developed from a Saturday Night Live musical sketch. ...

Museum ships and boats

Cleveland

The William G. Mather, a laker built in 1925 and a former flagship for the Cleveland-Cliffs Iron Company, has been turned into a maritime museum and is open to the public in Cleveland, Ohio in the North Coast Harbor. The Steamship William G. Mather is a retired Great Lakes bulk freighter now restored as one of four maritime museums in the Great Lakes region. ... Cleveland-Cliffs Inc. ... A maritime museum (sometimes nautical museum) is a museum specializing in the display of objects relating to ships and travel on seas and lakes. ... Cleveland redirects here. ... North Coast Harbor is a district in downtown Cleveland, Ohio on the shore of Lake Erie. ...

MV Maumee, one of the oldest active bulk freighters on the Lakes, unloads in Holland, Michigan.

Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 800 × 533 pixelsFull resolution (1023 × 682 pixel, file size: 123 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Self Made I, the creator of this work, hereby release it into the public domain. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 800 × 533 pixelsFull resolution (1023 × 682 pixel, file size: 123 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Self Made I, the creator of this work, hereby release it into the public domain. ... Holland is a city in the western region of the U.S. state of Michigan. ...

Duluth-Superior

The William A Irvin was named for the president of U.S. Steel at the time of her launching and served as the flagship of US Steel's Great Lakes fleet from her launch in 1938 to 1975. She was the first laker to incorporate welding in her design and is open for tours at the Great Lakes Floating Maritime Museum in Duluth, Minnesota. Moored nearby is the former USCGC Sundew, a former Coast Guard buoy tender commissioned in 1944. Another museum ship, the Meteor, is the last surviving ship of the whaleback design, and is a museum in Superior, Wisconsin, which was the location of the American Steel Barge Company, where the whalebacks were built. The SS William A Irvin is a lake freighter which sailed as a bulk freighter on the Great Lakes as part US Steels lake fleet. ... The United States Steel Corporation (NYSE: X) is an integrated steel producer with major production operations in the United States and Central Europe. ... The United States Steel Corporation (NYSE: X), later named USX Corporation in 1991, then renamed the United States Steel Corporation again in 2001 when the shareholders of USX spun off the steelmaking assets of the company after its acquisition of Marathon Oil, was once the largest steel producer and largest... The Great Lakes Floating Maritime Museum is located in Duluth, Minnesota. ... Duluth is the county seat of St. ... The Meteor, a unique boat of the experimental Whaleback design. ... The SS Meteor, the only remaining whaleback on earth, Superior, Wisconsin. ... The Fairlawn Mansion, a 42 room mansion built in 1890 by Superiors three-time mayor Martin Pattison, is now a museum Downtown Superior, Duluth is on the horizon. ... The American Ship Building Company was the dominant shipbuilder on the Great Lakes before the Second World War. ...

Manistee

The City of Milwaukee, a railroad ferry of the Grand Trunk Milwaukee Car Ferry Company. Built in 1931 to replace a previous ferry, the SS Milwaukee, lost in 1929 with all hands. She sailed for this company for 40 years and another 5 for the Ann Arbor Railroad before laying up in Frankfort in 1982. She sat there until being sold for a museum. Later moved to her present berth in Manistee, she is open for tours as the last unmodified classic railroad ferry. (The older paddlewheel steam railroad ferries Lansdowne, built in 1884, was modified to support a restaurant in antique railcars in Erie, Pa; and the Huron, built in 1875, was stripped of her cabins and sank at a pier in Detroit. The hull of the Landowne was raised but little other information as to the future of the vessel has been forthcoming.) The S.S. City of Milwaukee is a Great Lakes railroad car ferry that once plied Lake Michigan, often between Muskegon, Michigan and Milwaukee, Wisconsin. ... A loaded train ferry approaching the dock in Detroit, Michigan, April 1943. ... The Grand Trunk Milwaukee Car Ferry Company was the Grand Trunk Western Railroads (AAR reporting mark GTW) subsidiary company operating its Lake Michigan railroad car ferry operations between Muskegon, Michigan and Milwaukee, Wisconsin from 1905 to 1978. ... Anchor from the S.S. Milwaukee // The train ferry SS Milwaukee was launched in 1902, as the , for service on Lake Michigan. ... The Ann Arbor Railroad (AAR reporting mark AA) is an American railroad that operates between Ann Arbor, Michigan and Toledo, Ohio. ...

Manitoulin Island

The SS Norisle is a museum ship berthed permanently at the Manitowaning Hertiage Complex. She is one of three surviving running mates, the others being the Norgoma and the Normac. She was built in 1946, the first ship built in post-WW II Canada, using engines intended for a Royal Canadian destroyer. Norisle ran until 1974 when she was replaced by the MS Chi-Cheemaun. Plans call for sinking the Norisle as a tourist dive site. A group, Friends of The Norisle, has formed to lobby against this loss of history. The SS Norisle at the Manitowaning Heritage Complex The SS Norisle was a Canadian steam-powered car ferry that sailed the route between Tobermory and South-Baymouth Manitoulin Island alongside her sister ship, the MS Norgoma and another ship the SS Normac. ...

Muskegon

The Milwaukee Clipper, another passenger steamer. Built in 1904, she served as a passenger/package freighter for the Pennsylvania Railroad marine division called the Anchor Line as the Stmr. Juniata. In 1940, after several years in layup, she was sold and converted to an excursion steamer between Muskegon & Milwaukee. Laid up in the 1970s, she lingered for 30 years before returning to Muskegon as a museum. Also in Muskegon is the USCGC McLane, a 1920s vintage Coast Guard cutter used to combat the rum-runners in Detroit during Prohibition. The Milwaukee Clipper is a passenger ship that once sailed under two configurations and on two sides of the Great Lakes. ... For other uses see cutter (disambiguation) An American-looking gaff cutter with a genoa jib set This French yawl has a gaff topsail set. ... The Rum Runner nightclub was opened on Broad Street in the Birmingham city centre in 1979. ... The term Prohibition, also known as A Dry Law, refers to a law in a certain country by which the manufacture, transportation, import, export, and sale of alcoholic beverages is restricted or illegal. ...

Port Huron, MI

USLHS Huron, a lightship built in 1920. A new addition is the USCGC Bramble built in 1944. // For permanently moored ships that have light beacons mounted on them, see Lightvessel The Lightship condition in which a vessel has the least draft possible. ...

Saugatuck

The SS Keewatin, a former Canadian Pacific passenger liner. Built in Scotland in 1907, the boat steamed between Fort William, Ontario and Port McNicoll for over 50 years until being sold for scrap in 1967. Saved from the wrecker's torch, the Keewatin was towed to Saugatuck, Michigan use as a museum in 1968. She is the last unmodified Great Lakes passenger liner in existence and a wonderful example of Edwardian luxury. Keewatin is one of the world's last coal-fired steamships. A Toronto Star article (June 24-07) documents a Canadian effort to see the venerable steamer returned to Dominion waters as a museum ship at Port McNicoll. The Keewatin is a passenger liner that once sailed between Port Arthur/Fort William and Port McNicoll. ... Fort William was a city in Northern Ontario, located on the Kaministiquia River, at its entrance to Lake Superior. ... Port McNicoll, is a community in the Canadian province of Ontario. ... View of downtown Saugatuck and the Kalamazoo River from atop Mt. ... A passenger ship is a ship whose primary function is to carry passengers. ...

Sault Ste. Marie, Mi

The Valley Camp was built in 1917 and served the National Steel Corporation, the Republic Steel Corporation, and Wilson Transit Co. during its 1917-1966 working life. She became a museum ship on the waterfront of the 'American Soo', east of the Soo Locks, in 1968. The Valley Camp is a Lake freighter that served on the Great Lakes for almost 50 years and is currently serving as a museum ship in Sault Ste. ... The National Steel Corporation (1929—2003) was a major American steel producer. ... Republic Steel was once the third largest steel producer in the United States. ... A Soo Lock vacant of ships The Sault Locks (usually called the Soo Locks) allow ships to travel between Lake Superior and the lower Great Lakes. ...

Sault Ste. Marie, ON

The MS Norgoma, berthed in the Canadian Soo, was built as a steamer carrying freight and passengers in 1950. She ran from Owen Sound to Sault Ste. Marie from 1950 to 1963 on the so-called Turkey Trail. In 1963, the Norgoma was converted to a car ferry, her former role taken over by trucks, buses and automobiles. She ran between Tobermory to Manitoulin Island. At this time, the Norgoma was converted to diesel power. She became a museum ship in 1980. See: http://www.norgoma.org/history.html

Toronto

Steam tug Ned Hanlan built in 1932. The Ned Hanlan is a steam powered tugboat that spent its career in Toronto Ontario. ...

Steam ferry Trillium built 1910. Species See text box. ...

Thunder Bay

Steam tug James Whalen was built in 1905. A beautiful vessel worth a visit.

Two Harbors, MN

The steam tug Edna G (1896) The EDNA G is a tugboat who worked the Great Lakes. ...

Toledo

The Willis B Boyer is another Cleveland-Cliffs Iron Company vessel that sailed from 1911 to 1980. She was originally owned by the Shenango Furnace Company, and was named the Colonel James Schoonmaker. She is open to the public as a museum in Toledo, Ohio. History The steamship Willis B Boyer began life in 1911 in Detroit as the SS Col James Schoonmaker. ... Cleveland-Cliffs Inc. ... Nickname: Location in the state of Ohio Coordinates: , Country United States State Ohio County Lucas Founded 1833 Government  - Mayor Carty Finkbeiner (D) Area  - City 84. ...

Failed museum attempts

Several other lakers almost became museums, but due to funding, political opposition or other causes, were sent to the scrapyard.

• Lewis G Harriman - a 1923 purpose-built cement carrier, the first of her kind, that sailed from her launch until 1980. Used as a storage barge until 2003, a group tried to save her but bad communications within the company saw the ship sold for scrap in 2004 and destroyed in Sault Ste. Marie. The majority of the hull was fed to the Algoma Steel Mill but the fo'c'sle was saved as a summer cottage at Detour, Mi.

• SS Niagara - 1897 built freighter, later converted to a sand-sucker. Scrapped in 1997 after a failed attempt to convert her into a museum in Erie, Pennsylvania.

• G.A. Boeckling - 1909 built ferryboat used between Sandusky, Ohio and Cedar Point until 1955 when she was replaced by a modern ferry. Used as a machine shop in Sturgeon Bay until 1983 when she was taken to Toledo and restoration efforts began. Burned mysteriously in 1986 and was broken up for scrap soon after.

• Canadiana - 1910 built excursion boat that ran between Buffalo, New York and Crystal Beach, Ontario. Sailed this route from launch until 1960. From there, she was passed among several owners and several ports until reaching Port Colborne, Ontario. There she sat for many years, waiting restoration efforts. Eventually, the superstructure was stripped off and the badly deteriorated hull was broken up in 2004. An effort to make the Canadiana into a museum in Buffalo failed when it ran into opposition from that city's daily newspaper. Parts of the Canadiana were salvaged for later display. The Canadiana, along with the Bob-Lo Steamers Columbia and Ste Claire, were designed by maritime engineer Frank Kirby.

• Great Lakes Salvage tug Favorite - She was donated to the group preserving the SS Valley Camp. When leaks developed, she was sold to a scrapper who cut her up at a pier north of DeTour, Michigan; downriver from the Soo.

• John Ericsson - The second-to-last whaleback freighter. The Ericsson was scrapped in 1969 in the city of Hamilton, Ontario. Politics, as was the case with the Canadiana, played a central role in the loss of the ship.

• Three-masted schooner J.T. Wing - Last commercial sailing ship on the Great Lakes. She served as a training vessel before being grounded on Belle Isle in 1949. She was used as a museum ship, before being burned before a crowd of 6000 in 1956.

• Three masted schooner Alvin Clark - Built in 1846, she sank in Green Bay in 1864. She was raised in 1965 and taken to Menominee as a museum. After being severely neglected for a number of years, she was dismantled in 1998.

• USS Tambor - WW II submarine credited with sinking 26 enemy ships. She also resided at Belle Isle where she was a popular attraction. The sub was sent to the scrappers in 1958.

• Seaway Queen - A standard Lake bulker, an attempt to make it a floating museum, and dock space was secured. Due to an accounting error at ULS, the ship was sent to an untimely end at Alang, India.

“Erie” redirects here. ... Aerial view of Sandusky, Ohio on Sandusky Bay Muddy brown water fills Sandusky Bay, just south of Lake Erie in this astronaut photograph. ... Cedar Point is a 364 acre (1. ... Sturgeon Bay is an arm of the Bay of Green Bay extending southeastward approximately 10 miles into the Door Peninsula at the city of Sturgeon Bay, located approximately halfway up the Door Peninsula. ... Nickname: Location of Buffalo in New York State County Government  - Mayor Byron Brown (D) Area  - City 52. ... For other uses, see Crystal Beach (disambiguation) Crystal Beach was an amusement park in a town of the same name near Fort Erie, Ontario. ... Location of Port Colborne in the Niagara Region Port Colborne (2001 population 18,450) is a city on Lake Erie, at the southern end of the Welland Canal, in the Niagara Region of southern Ontario, Canada near Niagara Falls. ... De Tour Village is a village located in Chippewa County in the U.S. state of Michigan. ... Motto: Together Aspire - Together Achieve Location in the province of Ontario, Canada Coordinates: , Country Province Incorporated June 9, 1846[1] Government  - Mayor Fred Eisenberger  - City Council Hamilton City Council  - MPs List of MPs Dean Allison Chris Charlton David Christopherson Wayne Marston David Sweet  - MPPs List of MPPs Sophia Aggelonitis Andrea... Two-masted fishing schooner A schooner (IPA: ) is a type of sailing vessel characterized by the use of fore-and-aft sails on two or more masts. ... Safety is our motto reads this welcome sign at Alang, a statement heavily criticized Alang is a coastal town in the State of Gujarat in India. ...

Possible future museum potential

• Normac - 1902 built fire tug converted into passenger steamer for The Owen Sound Transportation Company Ltd. Larger running mates Norisle and Norgoma have been converted into museum ships. After a stint as a floating restaurant in Toronto that was terminated when accidentally rammed by a ferry, the Normac was towed to Port Dalhousie, Ontario, where she serves as the cocktail lounge "Big Kahuna." The Normac's small size makes her a good candidate as a maritime museum in a small Canadian port city.

• Imperial Sarnia - 1948 built steam tanker. Once considered by shipspotters as among the most beautiful Great Lakes vessels, with her light blue hull and red stack, the Imperial Sarnia is ending her days as the dead bunkering vessel Provmar Terminal II in Hamilton, Ontario. While some freighters, such as Great Lakes bulk carriers, Liberty and Victory ships, have survived as museum ships, no conventional tankers have. The tanker museum ships that do exist, the Falls of Clyde and the Meteor, are known for being examples of unique vessel designs: an iron sailing ship and a whaleback, respectively.

• Cement Steamers - The cement fleet of steamers is rapidly running out of time as modern tug/barge combinations like the Integrity and Innovation take over. Among these are the S T Crapo (1927); Alpena (1942); the E M Ford (1898); the J B Ford (1904); the J.A.W. Iglehart (1936); and the Paul H Townsend (1945.) If the fate of the Lewis G Harriman is any indication, more of these vintage steamers will follow her into the mists of memory.

• Arthur M Anderson launched in 1952, is still running as of this writing. She is famous for having had the last contact with the Edmund Fitzgerald before the latter sank with all hands. She was also the first would-be rescue vessel to search for the Fitzgerald. One appropriate berth would be Detroit, which is undergoing a long-awaited revival. The Motor City might one day consider docking the Anderson a stone's throw away from the famed Maritime Sailor's Cathedral.

• Landsdowne – The paddlewheel steam railroad ferry Lansdowne, built in 1884, was modified to support a restaurant in antique railcars and the Huron, built in 1875, sank at a pier in Erie, Pa. The hull was raised but little other information as to the future of the vessel has been forthcoming.

The MS Normac in Toronto Harbour The Motor Ship Normac was originally launched as a fire tug named the t. ... The historic Lighthouse & pier Port Dalhousie, in relation to other nearby lakeports. ... Motto: Together Aspire - Together Achieve Location in the province of Ontario, Canada Coordinates: , Country Province Incorporated June 9, 1846[1] Government  - Mayor Fred Eisenberger  - City Council Hamilton City Council  - MPs List of MPs Dean Allison Chris Charlton David Christopherson Wayne Marston David Sweet  - MPPs List of MPPs Sophia Aggelonitis Andrea... Mariners Church of Detroit (Free and Independent) is a congregation in the Anglican tradition but not attached to any denomination. ...

Museum or historic ships at risk

A number of historic Museum ships face uncertain futures.

• The Boblo Boats Columbia and Ste. Claire formerly of Detroit and the Boblo Amusement Park run. Both excursion steamers were designed by Frank E Kirby. The GLT tug Superior recently towed the Ste. Claire (Summer of 2007) for a visit to Detroit where there seems to be a growing awareness of the ship's contribution to the Motor City's history. Another group is interested in placing the Columbia on the Hudson River. A third excursion steamer, the Canadiana, was recently scrapped, making the Boblo boats the last of their kind.

• There is a campaign to draw the public's attention to the need to renovate the long suffering whaleback tanker ship Meteor in Superior, WI.

• Perhaps best-known among ships at risk is Toledo's Willis B Boyer. The future of the Boyer has taken a turn for the better with the port authority taking ownership, providing payment for the ship's caretaker in the Spring of 2007. The Toledo Blade and other local media outlets have provided editorial support.

• S S Norisle at Manitoulin Island. Plans call for the ship to be towed and scuttled as a dive site. The Friends of the Norisle have formed to oppose this loss. Supportive articles and letters to the editor have appeared in the Manitoulin Expositor newspaper.

References

• Great Lakes shipping news & photos
• Valley Camp website

External links

• Great Lakes shipping news & photos
• Valley Camp website