Boatnerd Discussion Forum

If it's any help, check out the photo on page 68 of Jacques Lesstrange's Cargo Carriers of the Great Lakes. Pictured are all 5 Shenango boats side by side in an "undated photo". Clearly the Schoonmaker and Snyder Jr have the bridge wings, while the Snyder Sr, Wilpen and Shenango do not. All 5 have a double bridge. The photo would have to have been taken before 1926 as one of the latter 3 became the Elton Hoyt, while the others changed names later.

Alex is correct. The Schoonmaker and Snyder Jr. were built with the triple deck. The room under the wheelhouse was always the "Card Room" used by guests of the owner for playing cards or sipping cocktails (or likely both) as the scenery passed by. The Snyder, Wilpen and Shenango did have the wooden enclosed "flying bridges". Because of the potential confusion of bridge wings versus flying bridge, I was seeking more information about the specific photo so I could accurately answer the question.

Looking at the design, I can say that the upper pilothouse was probably added in 1912-1914. They had a thing with enclosing the flying bridge with a crudely built wooden pilothouse on top of the steel one. Later they built them out of steel. You see this design take off at about 1910-1920s. After that they went to steel and just built a new design starting at about 1915

Perhaps Mr. Erickson refers to the wheelhouse looks like a flying bridge that was added at a later time. Some freighters of the era were built with an open top navigation deck (flying bridge) above the wheelhouse that the captain and mates stood and gave orders down to the wheelsman. Some flying bridges were later enclosed and became the wheelhouse. However the Schoonmaker was built as it shows today, wheelhouse atop the guest quarters. 1952 the Schoonmaker was repowered with steam turbines and 2 oil fired water tube boilers.

I've searched high and low for the photo referred to below in various FB groups. Could you please specify which group? If I could see the photo I may be able to help. The Schoonmaker was built in 1911 without bridge wings (if these are what you mean by "flying bridge") By 1912 she had them and I've never seen any evidence that the Snyder Jr. was built without them. I've only seen one photo of the Schoonmaker without bridge wings and that is a starboard side view loading coal it what I understand to be Toledo on her maiden voyage.

She had them in 1955, as the book, "The Lakers - Volume II" clearly shows the port-side bridge-wing.

I just posted a picture of the schoonmaker on boatnerd facebook taken in Ashtabula harbor. the date is unknown, and I think my dad took the picture as he worked in the area. it shows no flying bridge, and probably had scotch boilers, but if anyone knows when the flying bridge was added, let me know. I sailed as oiler in '61-62 and knew a lot of the oldtimes, but no one ever mentioned the added on bridge. al erickson