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The ill-fated SS Edmund Fitzgerald, built in the classic dual superstructure style with her wheelhouse near the bow.
The ill-fated SS Edmund Fitzgerald, built in the classic dual superstructure style with her wheelhouse near the bow. Construction and operation On February 1, 1957, Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Company of Milwaukee, Wisconsin contracted
Newer style of laker, H. Lee White, built at Sturgeon Bay. Photo by Andrew Constans
Newer style of laker, H. Lee White, built at Sturgeon Bay. Photo by Andrew Constans

Lake freighters, or Lakers, are cargo vessels that ply the Great Lakes. Cargo (or freight) refers to goods or produce transported generally for Commercial gain by ship, aircraft, train, The Laurentian Great Lakes are a chain of freshwater lakes located in eastern North America, on the Canada–United States border. The most well-known is the SS Edmund Fitzgerald, the latest major vessel to be wrecked on the Lakes. Construction and operation On February 1, 1957, Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Company of Milwaukee, Wisconsin contracted These vessels are traditionally called boats, not ships. Visiting ocean-going vessels are called "salties. " Due to their additional beam, very large salties are never seen inland of the Saint Lawrence Seaway. The beam of a ship is its width at the widest point or at the mid-point of its length The St Lawrence Seaway is the common name for a system of Canals that permits ocean-going vessels to travel from the Atlantic Ocean to the Great Lakes 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. The Sault Locks (usually called the Soo Locks) allow Ships to travel between Lake Superior and the lower 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. Lake Superior is the largest of the five Great Lakes of North America. Lake Michigan is one of the five Great Lakes of North America, and the only one located entirely within the United States. Lake Huron, bounded on the west by the US state of Michigan, and on the east by the province of Ontario, Canada, is one of the five Great Lake Erie (ˈɪəriː is the fourth largest Lake (by surface area of the five Great Lakes, and the tenth largest globally The Welland Canal is a Ship canal that runs 42  km (270  Miles from Port Colborne Ontario on Lake Erie to Port The Niagara River flows to the north from Lake Erie to Lake Ontario.

Contents

Cargo

A modern laker, Earl W. (now Manitowoc), passes the Renaissance Center in Detroit, MI.
A modern laker, Earl W. (now Manitowoc), 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. Definition There are various ways to define the term bulk carrier 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. The Hulett automatic ore unloader was invented by George Hulett of Ohio in the late 1800s he received a patent for his invention in 1898

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. Taconite is an Iron -bearing high- Silica, Flint -like rock It is a Precambrian Sedimentary rock referred to as a Banded iron Limestone is a Sedimentary rock composed largely of the Mineral Calcite ( Calcium carbonate: CaCO3 Salt is a Dietary mineral composed primarily of Sodium chloride that is essential for Animal life but toxic to most land plants In the most general sense of the word a cement is a binder a substance which sets and hardens independently and can bind other materials together Gypsum is a very soft Mineral composed of Calcium sulfate dihydrate with the Chemical formula Ca[[sulfur S]] O 4·2 Sand is a naturally occurring Granular material composed of finely divided rock and Mineral particles Slag is the By-product of Smelting Ore to purify Metals They can be considered to be a mixture of metal Oxides however Potash (or carbonate of potash) is an impure form of Potassium carbonate ( K 2 CO3) Much of the cargo supplies 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.

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

Size

1000 footer George A. Stinson (now American Spirit) pounds through Lake Huron waves.
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. A propeller is essentially a type of fan which transmits power by converting Rotational motion into Thrust for propulsion of a vehicle such as an (14. 5 MW). This allows 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 integrated tug and barge combination. The Presque Isle is the largest tug / barge composite in the world. United States vessels are mainly larger, for the Canadian fleet needs to travel to and from its major cities along the St. Lawrence Seaway. The standard length for the Canadian vessels is around 730'. The reason for this standard length, is the Welland Canal which bypasses Niagara Falls. The Welland Canal is a Ship canal that runs 42  km (270  Miles from Port Colborne Ontario on Lake Erie to Port The locks here are only about 800 feet long, and for safety reasons, the vessels must be at most around 730'.

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 Articulated Tug/Barge combo Samuel De Champlain/Innovation. The 460' Barge Innovation and the 149' Tug Samuel de Champlain entered service in 2006 hauling cement for LaFarge, operated bt Andrie, Inc.

List of 1000-footers on the Lakes

The M/V American Integrity, which is a standard 1000-footer on the Great Lakes -Photo By Andrew Constans
The M/V American Integrity, which is a standard 1000-footer on the Great Lakes -Photo By Andrew Constans

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Design

M/V John B. Aird, a newer Laker (1983) with a single aft superstructure.
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. The Great Lakes Waterway is a system of channels and Canals that makes all of the Great Lakes accessible to oceangoing vessels A cargo ship or freighter is any sort of Ship or vessel that carries Cargo, goods and materials from one port to another 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 whaleback was a unique design of a cargo ship with a hull that continuously curved above the waterline from the vertical to horizontal leaving when fully loaded only the curved portion In ship design the Tumblehome is the narrowing of a ship's hull with greater distance above the water-line Whales are marine mammals which are neither Dolphins (ie members of the families Delphinidae or Platanistoidae) nor Porpoises Orcas 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. The Sault Locks (usually called the Soo Locks) allow Ships to travel between Lake Superior and the lower Great Lakes. Because of size restrictions, only thirty vessels on the lakes can pass between Lake Superior and Lake Huron using the Poe lock although none approaches the lock's size. Lake Superior is the largest of the five Great Lakes of North America. Lake Huron, bounded on the west by the US state of Michigan, and on the east by the province of Ontario, Canada, is one of the five Great 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. The St Lawrence Seaway is the common name for a system of Canals that permits ocean-going vessels to travel from the Atlantic Ocean to the Great Lakes 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 on the bow. Traditionally they had a second island, over the engine room 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. term Seawaymax refers to vessels which are the maximum size that can fit through the Canal locks of the St

Lake freighter Edward L. Ryerson just leaving the Soo Locks (bottom right). Michigan on right foreground, Ontario left and background.
Lake freighter Edward L. Ryerson just leaving the Soo Locks (bottom right). The Sault Locks (usually called the Soo Locks) allow Ships to travel between Lake Superior and the lower Great Lakes. 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 bulbous bow, a standard feature of most large modern Ships with displacement hulls, is a protruding bulb at the bow (or front below the Waterline 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 important on the Lakes as on the ocean. The distance between ports is less than ocean trade, 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. 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. World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including The Laurentian Great Lakes are a chain of freshwater lakes located in eastern North America, on the Canada–United States border. Definition There are various ways to define the term bulk carrier Several of them served well in the role and continue to sail today (American Victory (fmr. Middletown), Lee A, Tregurtha, and a few others).

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 needed to match the 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 for their hatch configuration. This pattern continues today, even with modern Lake vessels. A Lake vessel has 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. The United States Army Corps of Engineers ( USACE) is a federal agency and a major Army command made up of some 34600 Civilian and 650 Military personnel 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 locks is the determining factor in Lake vessel construction.

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.
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. Freshwater is a word that refers to bodies of water such as Ponds lakes rivers and streams containing low concentrations of dissolved Salts and other Total dissolved Seawater is Water from a Sea or Ocean. On average seawater in the world's oceans has a Salinity of about 3 Boats older than 50 years are not unusual, and account for more than half of the fleet. The St. Mary's Challenger, built in 1906 as the William P Snyder (552 feet), is currently the oldest boat in active duty on the Lakes. Year 1906 ( MCMVI) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year starting 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 sailing the lakes 98 years later in 1996. Year 1898 ( MDCCCXCVIII) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common Year 1996 ( MCMXCVI) was a Leap year starting on Monday (link will display full 1996 Gregorian calendar) 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. The city of Superior sits at the junction of US Highway 2 and U 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. World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including Tregurtha and American Victory, respectively, and the Landing Craft Tank 203, now the working vessel Outer Island. The Landing Craft, Tank (Landing Craft Tank was an Amphibious assault ship for landing Tanks on beachheads

Famous boats

The most famous laker was the SS Edmund Fitzgerald (popularized by Gordon Lightfoot's song "The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald" in 1976), which sank on Lake Superior on November 10, 1975. Construction and operation On February 1, 1957, Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Company of Milwaukee, Wisconsin contracted Gordon Meredith Lightfoot Jr, (born November 17, 1938) is a Canadian singer and songwriter who achieved international success in folk country and "The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald " is a song written composed and performed by Gordon Lightfoot in commemoration of the sinking of the Bulk Events 1444 - Battle of Varna: The crusading forces of King Vladislaus III of Varna (aka Ulaszlo I of Hungary and Wladyslaw Year 1975 ( MCMLXXV) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. 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.

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. Year 1902 ( MCMII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year starting Year 1908 ( MCMVIII) was a Leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Leap year Before these, all boats were unloaded with shoreside equipment. Self-unloading equipment worked well for cargos that could "flow" out of the holds onto belts, such as 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 well 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. Taconite is an Iron -bearing high- Silica, Flint -like rock It is a Precambrian Sedimentary rock referred to as a Banded iron 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. A steam turbine is a mechanical device that extracts Thermal energy from pressurized Steam, and converts it into useful mechanical work A steamboat or steamship, sometimes called a steamer, is a ship in which the primary method of propulsion is steam power, typically driving a Propeller Ford Motor Company's Henry Ford 2nd and Benson Ford of 1925 were the first lakeboats with diesel engines. Ford Motor Company is an American Multinational corporation and the world's fourth largest automaker based on Worldwide vehicle sales, following Diesel or Diesel fuel (ˈdiːzəl in general is any Fuel used in Diesel engines The most common is a specific fractional distillate of petroleum Diesel powerplants 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 is the motor vessels Maumee of Lower Lakes Transportation. She was built as the William G Clyde for US Steel. The ST Crapo, inactive since 1996, was built to haul 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 the last coal burning freighter on the Great Lakes.

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. Year 1869 ( MDCCCLXIX) is a Common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year The first iron-hulled laker was the Brunswick, launched at Detroit in 1881. Year 1881 ( MDCCCLXXXI) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common The Brunswick sank after a collision later that year and was apparently little known. 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. Victims The following men were lost in the sinking Unless noted all resided in Rogers City Michigan Year 1927 ( MCMXXVII) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar.

Picture of Paul R. Tregurtha taken in Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin on Tuesday, February 19, 2008 at 15:28 CST
Picture of Paul R. Tregurtha taken in Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin on Tuesday, February 19, 2008 at 15:28 CST
MV Paul R. Tregurtha, is currently the largest vessel on the Great Lakes
MV Paul R. Tregurtha, is currently the largest vessel on the Great Lakes

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. Year 1981 ( MCMLXXXI) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link displays the 1981 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. Lake Michigan is one of the five Great Lakes of North America, and the only one located entirely within the United States. Year 1958 ( MCMLVIII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. 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. 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. 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 whaleback was a unique design of a cargo ship with a hull that continuously curved above the waterline from the vertical to horizontal leaving when fully loaded only the curved portion The Stewart Cort (1971) was the first 1,000 footer and the only “footer” built in the classic cabins-fore-and-aft style. Year 1971 ( MCMLXXI) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar of the 1971 Gregorian calendar. The Algosoo (1974 – 730 feet) was the last laker built in the classic style. 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 for storage in Chicago). In the summer of 2006, the Ryerson was fitted out and put 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 US grain is currently transported by rail. )

In film, the W. W. Holloway (since scrapped) is famous for being the lake freighter that the Blues Brothers jump their 1974 Dodge over when Elwood jumps the open 96th Street Draw Bridge. The Blues Brothers is a 1980 musical comedy directed by John Landis and starring John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd

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. History She was built in as the Flagship for the Cleveland-Cliffs Iron Company and was named in honor of the then-company president William Gwinn Mather Cleveland-Cliffs Inc is a Cleveland Ohio business firm that specializes in the mining and Beneficiation of Iron ore. A maritime museum (sometimes nautical museum) is a Museum specializing in the display of objects relating to Ships and travel on large bodies of water Cleveland is a City in the US state of Ohio and the County seat of Cuyahoga County, the most populous county in the state 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.
MV Maumee, one of the oldest active bulk freighters on the Lakes, unloads in Holland, Michigan. Holland is a city in the western region of the Lower Peninsula of the U

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. The United States Steel Corporation ( is an integrated Steel producer with major production operations in the United States, Canada, and Central Europe The United States Steel Corporation ( is an integrated Steel producer with major production operations in the United States, Canada, and Central Europe 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. The Great Lakes Floating Maritime Museum is located in Duluth Minnesota. Duluth is a Port City in the US state of Minnesota and the County seat of St 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. SS Meteor is the sole surviving ship of the unconventional " Whaleback " design The whaleback was a unique design of a cargo ship with a hull that continuously curved above the waterline from the vertical to horizontal leaving when fully loaded only the curved portion The city of Superior sits at the junction of US Highway 2 and U 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. See also Merchant ship A train ferry is a Ship designed to carry railway vehicles The Grand Trunk Milwaukee Car Ferry Company was the Grand Trunk Western Railroad 's ( AAR Reporting mark GTW subsidiary company operating its Lake Built in 1931 to replace a previous ferry, the SS Milwaukee, lost in 1929 with all hands. The SS Milwaukee was a Train ferry that served on Lake Michigan. She sailed for this company for 40 years and another 5 for the Ann Arbor Railroad before laying up in Frankfort in 1982. The Ann Arbor Railroad, historically was an American Railroad that operated between Toledo Ohio, and Elberta and Frankfort Michigan 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 and towed to Buffalo. The mayor and daily newspaper have inveighed against the Lansdowne, calling it an eyesore. )

Manitoulin Island

The SS Norisle is a museum ship berthed permanently at the Manitowaning Heritage Complex. The SS Norisle was a Canadian steam-powered automobile Ferry that sailed the route between Tobermory and South-Baymouth Manitoulin Island 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, some 200 strong, has formed to lobby against this loss of history.

Muskegon

The Milwaukee Clipper, another passenger steamer. As the Juniata Her story begins December 22, 1904, in Cleveland Ohio, at the shipyards of the American Shipbuilding Company 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. When used in a nautical sense a cutter is a small single-masted vessel Fore-and-aft rigged with two or more Headsails a Bowsprit, and Rum-running is the business of Smuggling or transporting of Alcoholic beverages illegally usually to circumvent Taxation or Prohibition. Prohibition of alcohol, often referred to simply as prohibition, also known as Noble Experiment, refers to a Sumptuary law which prohibits Alcohol

Saugatuck

The SS Keewatin, a former Canadian Pacific passenger liner. The SS Keewatin is a passenger liner that once sailed between Port Arthur / Fort William and Port McNicoll. 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. Fort William was a city in Northern Ontario, located on the Kaministiquia River, at its entrance to Lake Superior. Tay is a township in Central Ontario, Canada located in the southern Georgian Bay region Saved from the wrecker's torch, the Keewatin was towed to Saugatuck, Michigan use as a museum in 1968. Saugatuck is a city in Allegan County in the US state of Michigan. She is the last unmodified Great Lakes passenger liner in existence and a wonderful example of Edwardian luxury. A passenger ship is a Ship whose primary function is to carry passengers 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.

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. The SS Valley Camp is a freighter boat 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. during her 1917-1966 working life. She became a museum ship on the waterfront of the 'American Soo', east of the Soo Locks, in 1968. 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

Toledo

The Willis B Boyer is another Cleveland-Cliffs Iron Company vessel that sailed from 1911 to 1980. Willis B Boyer is a Lake freighter which served as a commercial vessel on the Great Lakes for much of the 20th Century and is currently undergoing renovation Cleveland-Cliffs Inc is a Cleveland Ohio business firm that specializes in the mining and Beneficiation of Iron ore. 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. This article is about the city in Ohio, USA. For Toledo Spain, see that article

Failed museum attempts

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

Possible future museum potential

Museum or historic ships at risk

A number of historic museum ships face uncertain futures.

External links

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