Random ship facts

[Hiddochi wolf]

'Cause I'm nerding out pretty hardcore about boats lately, especially the big lake freighters that I see float by everyday, so why not?


*An early design type of lake freighter known as a Whaleback was only used for about 40 years because of many fundamental design flaws, such as hatches that weren't adequately water-tight or how close the deck was to the water's surface when the ship was fully-laden. The ship's low profile made it especially dangerous in foggy conditions, as other ships would often unknowingly collide with or ride out on top of the Whaleback's deck, causing the ship to snap in half under the weight.  

[Hiddochi wolf]

*The Lee A. Tregurtha was originally a World War II oiler ship known as the USS Chiwawa, and in an effort to reduce the cost of commissioning new cargo freighters after the war, was one of many warships that got converted into a commercial lake freighter. The Tregurtha was "reborn" as the lake freighter in 1961, and is still in service today.

This is one of several of the ships I've seen in person, and one of the few I've taken photos of. 3nodding
 

[Hiddochi wolf]

*The Arthur M. Anderson was the last ship to hear from the crew of the Edmund Fitzgerald before it capsized during a massive storm in the 1970's, and was the first on the scene to try to find any survivors. The Anderson is still being used today, 63 years after being built.

The wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald is recounted in a song by Gordon Lightfoot.  

[Hiddochi wolf]

*The 1,000ft super-freighters are sometimes referred to simply as "Footers."


*There are no Canadian vessels over 740ft long because they all need to have the ability to go through the Welland canal, which has a lock that's only 780ft long. That same necessity does not apply to US ships, because the Poe lock was constructed here in the Sault specifically for the "Footers" to be able to pass freely between Lake Superior and Lake Huron.