Boatnerd Discussion Forum

by **Guest Jon Paul** » November 13, 2025, 3:39 pm

Statmk wrote: November 8, 2025, 1:10 pm As I recall the Smith's hatches were not closed much less tarped. If you never had to wrestle battening down frozen/stiff tarps in a snowy gale, you missed something and you should be grateful. That is in addition to trying to close the hatches on a "hatch farm" in the "weather." The good old days? Fifty years later, not so bad. At the time . . .

Having worked a hatch farm in fall/winter weather I agree with you. Even with 3 deckhands, a deck watch and AB watchman fininishing off the tarps would have taken them hours. The hatches on those old boats were low to the Spar Deck and it was back breaking work

by **Ststamk** » November 9, 2025, 5:37 pm

As usual Mr. Lafferty is spot on. https://search.library.wisc.edu/digital ... VSP6NIOJ86

Original is at University of Wisconsin Superior which has an amazing Great Lakes collection that almost no one knows about.

by **Guest** » November 9, 2025, 2:05 pm

Guest wrote: November 8, 2025, 9:52 pm Does anyone have any more info on the picture, the year and which boat? I'm really curious about vantage point of this picture. Obviously the Marine Museum wasn't there back then, I'm wondering where the picture was taken from to get that much elevation. As far as I know it was open land and then a park before the museum was built.

If not the lift bridge I see the Corps of Engineers building was there back then. Maybe from the roof? Photo from 1910:

I see the Butler has the "H" on the stack of the Tonopah Steamship Company. She was sold to Pioneer in March 1913. How long after would she retain the "H"?

by **William Lafferty** » November 9, 2025, 1:24 pm

The vessel is the Joseph G. Butler, Jr., in a McKenzie photograph. Since the vessel has an enclosed pilothouse at this point, my guess is the photograph was taken after 1910 or so and probably from somewhere on the lift bridge structure using a relatively long lens. The other vessel seems to be one of the Anchor Line triplets, possibly Juniata.

by **Guest12** » November 9, 2025, 8:42 am

The boat is the Joseph G. Butler

by **Guest** » November 8, 2025, 9:52 pm

Does anyone have any more info on the picture, the year and which boat? I'm really curious about vantage point of this picture. Obviously the Marine Museum wasn't there back then, I'm wondering where the picture was taken from to get that much elevation. As far as I know it was open land and then a park before the museum was built.

by **Guest** » November 8, 2025, 2:39 pm

Can anyone make out which ship that is partially obscured by the left breakwall light, is?

by **Statmk** » November 8, 2025, 1:10 pm

As I recall the Smith's hatches were not closed much less tarped. If you never had to wrestle battening down frozen/stiff tarps in a snowy gale, you missed something and you should be grateful. That is in addition to trying to close the hatches on a "hatch farm" in the "weather." The good old days? Fifty years later, not so bad. At the time . . .

by **Chief1** » November 8, 2025, 8:39 am

By zooming in it appears they’re only half done tarping and securing the hatches. Never saw this vintage pic before, hope the weather improved for them.

by **Jared** » November 8, 2025, 8:18 am

That image would perfectly described the Henry B Smith departing Marquette on Nov 9th 1913.

by **Guest12** » November 7, 2025, 6:01 pm

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