Kaner bum boat

[John Robertson]

Both my grandfather and great grandfather ran bumboats. My grandfather (Jim Robertson) operated out of Cleveland and I spent many weekends helping him as a kid. He also had plenty of Captains and Crew visit his house for fine food and abundant spirits. My great grandfather operated out of Duluth in the early 1900s and died aboard his boat, which foundered in Duluth harbor, in 1931.

I have a brief history of my family's bumboats at my boat website http://www.bumboat.com/about/name.htm

A previous poster, John Dunlop made reference to my grandfather, Jim Robertson. Did you know him?

[Guest]

I believe the answer to the question “why no more bum boats?” is two fold. First of all, there are just not enough boats out there running to make it profitable. For example, how many boats are operating in the Great Lakes these days, maybe 50 compared to the 300 or 400 that were sailing during the hay days of the bum boats. Also, with the advent of the Internet available on what I assume is every boat out there now, crewmembers can readily shop on-line and have merchandise delivered to them at the Soo or via the mail boat.

[bhale849]

With the retiring of the last bumboat (Kaner 1), that brings to mind a question. Why aren't there more bumboats operating? I would think conditions now would mean boom times - high demand - for bumboats. Ships spend much less time in port than they used to - a few hours instead of days. Crews are smaller. This combination makes it much harder to go "up the street". In my last years on the Lakes (2004), deckhands, wipers, QMEDs, & porters almost never were able to leave the ship when in a port -- for everyone else, it was a pretty rare event. You would think the demand for a "floating Wal-Mart" would be higher than ever. So why aren't there bumboats out there?

[Peter]

The bun boat, Sonny ll, was built in Ashtabula, Ohio in about 1960. My father along w/ Bill Greener, owner of the Sonny ll,, started building the Sonny ll during the winter at Lake Shore Boiler works in the parking lot. Lake Shore Boiler works was located just south of the lift bridge next to the fish house. One interesting feature on the boat was a tube where you could push empty beer cans into the river. It was truly a store, selling rain gear, magazines, knives w/ marlin spikes, candy, boots and even transistor radios. Today, the old bum boat was last docked about 300 yards up river. from where she was built.

Another bit of info, Lake Shore Boiler Works did a tremendous amount of work on the boats laying up in Ashtabula during the winter. They changed a lot boiler tubes and replaced a lot of "above water bow plates" in those days. I remember my father tell us how the mixed bags of asbestos in a wheel barrow with their hands and arms. this was used for insulation on the pipes. I think PM and CC were their big customers.

[joeusa47]

Did any Canadian ports have bum boats?

[rmartens]

The chadburn was ornamental, about 2 ft tall. It lit up and would ring when changing speeds.

[John Sherwin]

The one is still in Ashtabula and is a Gedunk now.
Open in the summer it is on the east side of the lift bridge around the corner.

[Guest]

[quote="rmartens"]Greg Rudnick ran one in Cleveland, called the Forest City I believe. I still have the Buck knife and chadburn I bought there 31 years ago. Ashtabula also had one called the Sonny II, I think.[/quote]

Why would a chadburn be for sale on a bum boat?

[hayhugh]

Like the man said just about anything a sailor weould need. If the bumboat did not have what you wanted they would have it the next time your boat got in port. I wanted a Zenith Trans- oceanetic radio and told Berney what they would charge me for it in South Chicago and he got it for me $20.00 cheaper and no tax.

[Randy S]

It looks like a lake-going 7-11. Not a bad idea to have when convenience stores were few and far between in the 60s and 70s.

Actually, more like a floating mini-WalMart. They tended to stock a little of everything a sailor might need - from aspirin to wristwatches. Coveralls, beer, workboots, galoshes, hats, playing cards, beer, TVs, radios, recorded music, beer, a Wide variety of reading material, pocket knives, "personal" items like razors and deodorant, beer, tobacco products, etc etc. Sure, the prices were higher than what you would find "up the street", but the boats came to you.24/7, and when you arrived at midnight and would be gone by 6AM, you were more than willing to pay the higher prices - especially when you had a hole in your boots.

[Timerover51]

It looks like a lake-going 7-11. Not a bad idea to have when convenience stores were few and far between in the 60s and 70s.

[scupper]

The Lake Superior Marine Museum Assn in Duluth has a journal called the Nor"Easter. I believe they published an article on the Duluth Superior bum boat not to long ago.

[Paul MN]

A couple pics of a "bum boat". Name of boat unknown

[John Dunlap]

in Cleveland, Jim Robertson and another man named Nolan -I think his dad had been a Wilson chief- each had bumboats in the 60s

[rmartens]

Greg Rudnick ran one in Cleveland, called the Forest City I believe. I still have the Buck knife and chadburn I bought there 31 years ago. Ashtabula also had one called the Sonny II, I think.

[William Lafferty]

In the 50s and early 60s in Chicago, Seaman's Supply Company owned the Loretta Mae, a converted steel fish tug built 1940 at Milwaukee, operated by Dave and Pat Sivertson as a bumboat primarily on the Calumet River. Here it is in 1959 just above 106th Street.

[Timerover51]

Is there anywhere that I could get specs on the bum boat and some photos?

[Guest]

There was one in Lorain Ohio for a short period of time. Did not work out because most boats were in port for long enough time for everyone to go up the street. The person who ran the bumboat was refered to as "The Black River Pirate.

Being from the Cleveland area I was always heading home right after tying up at the mill. Occasionally, if my family were waiting at the dock just inside the break wall, the Captain would ease the boat up-against to let me off before heading up the river. Until today, I was unaware of the "Black River Pirate", thanks for the info Hugh. John

[hayhugh]

There was one in Lorain Ohio for a short period of time. Did not work out because most boats were in port for long enough time for everyone to go up the street. The person who ran the bumboat was refered to as "The Black River Pirate.

[standuffer]

As far as I can recall the only ports that had "bum boats" were Duluth - Superior and Toledo.