Boatnerd Discussion Forum

Part joking/part not. I'm betting if you measured a footer off in the bright sun and summer water, it would be longer than measuring it off at night in the brisk winter waters of Lake Superior.

This will relate to the question raised a couple of weeks ago about the longest vessels on the Lakes.

First of all, my apologies for the omission and the error on the list I sent in. No question, the lengthened Cliffs Victory belongs there and the Barker, not the Stinson, was the first 1004er.

My excuse is that I was 200+ miles north of home, with limited data with me. Shoulda waited till I got home, but I wanted to get the guy who submitted the question his answer as soon as possible, so I built a list from scratch with what I had to get it done now.

I do have a comment to make about the Frankcliffe inches. Hall built six Seaway size vessels during the 1960s. I assume they were all built to the same general plans (with a 730-foot overall length). The various sources differ on the LOA. I've seen at least two (other than 730) for Frankcliffe, also some that give Beavercliffe another inch or so, and one that gives Lawrencecliffe even one more inch. They all were measured for Canadian registry at the same length (712.4 feet) except Leecliffe (714.4 and some reports have her several inches shy of 730 LOA!) and Ottercliffe at 712.2).

Are these couple of inches variations for sister vessels planned or designed that way, and if not planned, how do we find the differences? If you took a yardstick to the four 1004s built at Lorain, would they all measure exactly 1004 feet, no inches? Or were all five Supers exactly 639'6"?

I think I will leave these little variations off the list until it is verified that they really exist.

I am relatively new to this Discussion Board group but I have to say that I'm really impressed with the way so many people respond to questions asked here or come up with corrections when they are needed. It keeps us all on our toes and helps us all be able to keep better records.

I forgot about that as the list was mainly for the largest vessel on the Great Lakes. Basically I was trying to add to the list of the largest Canadian lakers to hold the title as the longest ship on the Canadian side of the Great Lakes.

Denny wrote:I almost forgot to add to the "Queen of the Lakes" list that it was in the mid-1980's that the Prairie Harvest now Atlantic Huron came out in 1984 and I believe she was the first Canadian laker to go beyond the 730 foot length. Later she was joined by two more in 1985 both the Paterson now Pineglen and the Hon. Paul Martin now the Atlantic Erie. In 1999, the CSL Niagara became the first Canadian laker built at 740 feet in length as well to come out.

None of those vessels ever held the title. 1000' vessels were in service by that time (1972).

I almost forgot to add to the "Queen of the Lakes" list that it was in the mid-1980's that the Prairie Harvest now Atlantic Huron came out in 1984 and I believe she was the first Canadian laker to go beyond the 730 foot length. Later she was joined by two more in 1985 both the Paterson now Pineglen and the Hon. Paul Martin now the Atlantic Erie. In 1999, the CSL Niagara became the first Canadian laker built at 740 feet in length as well to come out.

Some sources indicate the Newbrunswicker of 1963 (last the Canadian Mariner scrapped 2002) as being 731' long.

When Frankcliffe Hall was launched she was several inches longer than Murray Bay/Comeaudoc, so she should be on the list.

Cliffs Victory was longest from 1957 until the Fitzgerald came out.

The James R. Barker at 1,004 feet in length briefly held the title as the "Queen of Lakes" when she came out in 1976. However, she passed the title to her sistership and fleetmate the Mesabi Miner which came out in 1977. I believe this information is probably in the book Queen of the Lakes published by Mark L. Thompson.

Here is my list of the longest on the Lakes since the beginning of the metal hulled vessels. (This is overall length, not always the largest, measured by gross tons, some formula involving length, beam etc. or some other definition. Where there were several vessels of the same length built the same year I have listed the first one in service.)

1882 Onoko 302'6"
1886 Susquehanna 326'6
1890 Maryland 332'
1891 E. C. Pope 337'
1892 *Mariposa + 2 348'
1893 S. S. Curry 380'
1895 Victory 400'
1896 Sir William Fairbairn 436'
1898 Samuel F. B. Morse 476'
1900 John W. Gates 497'
1904 Augustus B. Wolvin 560'
1905 Elbert H. Gary 569'
1906 J. Pierpont Morgan 601'
1906 Edward Y. Townsend 602'
1907 William B. Kerr 605'9"
1909 Shenango 606'
1911 Col. James M. Schoonmaker 617'
1914 W. Grant Morden 625'
1926 Lemoyne 633'
1927 Carl D. Bradley 638'
1942 Leon Fraser 639'6"
1950 Wilfred Sykes 678'
1952 Joseph H. Thompson 714'
1954 T. R. McLagan
1958 Edmund Fitzgerald 729'
1960 Murray Bay 730'
1972 Stewart J. Cort 1000'
1978 George A. Stinson 1004'
1981 William J. DeLancey 1013'6"

* Mariposa, Maritana and W. H. Gilbert were all launched within less than two weeks of each other in June 1892. I don't know which of them entered service first.

The book Queen of the Lakes by Mark L. Thompson
will answer your question. It was published in 1994
by Wayne State University

Can someone supply me with a list of the ships that carried the title of being the largest on the lakes throughout history.