Downbound at Detroit
by Gales Of November
Title
Downbound at Detroit
Artist
Gales Of November
Medium
Photograph - Photography
Description
The Cuyahoga started life in 1943 under the name Mesabi and was built to carry taconite to the mills on the Great Lakes that were producing steel for the tanks, ships and other supplies needed to fight World War II.
The Great Lakes Steamship Company acquired her and renamed her the J. Burton Ayers. She changed hands, but retained her name until she entered long term layup in 1991.
In 1995 she was purchased by the Lower Lakes Towing Ltd. and renamed the Cuyahoga, which means 'winding river.' In 1999 her steam engine was replaced with a diesel.
As of 1/1/2014, she is the second oldest ship plying the Great Lakes. Her fleet mate, the Mississagi was launched a month previously. Until she went into dry dock for conversion to a tug/barge in late 2013, the Saint Mary's Challenger held the record for being the oldest ship operating on the Lakes having been launched on February 7, 1906.
The Cuyahoga has a length of 620 feet and a beam of 60 feet. This allows her to carry 19,927 tons of cargo when fully loaded.
With a zip code of 48222 The JW Wescott II is home to the only floating zip code in the United States. Built in 1949 and operated by the J. W. Westcott Company, she delivers mail to ships as they transit the Detroit River. Mail to be delivered by her is addressed to “Vessel Name, Marine Post Office, Detroit, Michigan, 48222”
She is 45 feet long and has a beam of 13 feet and her 305 horsepower engine can propel her at 15 knots.
On October 23, 2001 she sank under the Ambassador Bridge when she was caught in the wake of the ship she was delivering mail to. Two of the 4 person crew were killed in the accident. She was later raised, refurbished and returned to service.
Here the downbound Cuyahoga passes the Ambassador Bridge as the JW Westcott approaches.
Uploaded
April 24th, 2018
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