Topic starter
03/10/2010 6:12 pm
Greetings From New Orleans !
If your ever in Toledo , Ohio and have some spare time on your hands , I would highly reccomend making a stop at an old Great Lakes , " Laker " , the good ship S.S. Willis B. Boles .
She is an old Great Lakes steamer that was in the bulk ore trade many years ago and fortunately she was saved and preserved by th good citizens of Toledo and now she is on display and is in relative good condition !
After touring the S.S. Willis B. Boles , it give you a whole new perspective and appreciation on life on these " Lakers " and the hardships that the crews on these vessels had to endure !
The non guided tour allowed you to visit almost the entire ship from stem to stern and what impressed me most was the overall condition of this vessel .
What really caught my eye and something that I have not seen on other vessels and I am not sure if this was typical of " Lakers " , in general was that in the Wheel House , there were two seperate and adajacent stering systems . There was only one binacle but on either side of the binacle were two Pilot Wheels . Does any one know if this was a back up system or did they serve some other purpose ?
Another very impressive area of the " Boles " , was the " Officiers Quarters " and it was very apearant that the owner spared no expense on this section of the vessel ! There are rich wood paneled walls , a working fire place , sky lights , thick carpet , stained glass windows , large and well appointed rooms and it would have given even todays ship yards a run for their money on how build and design a vessel of this design and class .
One other aspect of this vessel that I thought was interesting was that even in her " Day " , it was a well known thought and practice to keep the engineers in and near the stern of the vessel in their own little hole !
One other unique piece of equipment on the " Boles " was a mechanical and steam operated bow thruster !! Go Figure ! I often wondered when Bow Thrusters first made their presence known and I would assume that some of the different ports of call that they visited , with the different mooring situations and with the lack of tug boats , these " Lakers " needed a Bow Thruster to maneuver in the rather tight quarters that they had to operate in and especially in the adverse weather conditions as well !
All and all , it was a great experience to visit the S.S. Willis B. Boles and I would highly reccomend it to any one !
Smooth Sailing !
Ted Davisson
Topic starter
03/10/2010 6:23 pm
A Few More S.S. Wills B. Boles Pictures !
Greetings From New Orleans ,
Just a few more S.S. Willis B. Boles pictures !
Smooth Sailing !
Ted Davisson
Ted Davisson;23303 wrote: Greetings From New Orleans !
If your ever in Toledo , Ohio and have some spare time on your hands , I would highly reccomend making a stop at an old Great Lakes , " Laker " , the good ship S.S. Willis B. Boles .
She is an old Great Lakes steamer that was in the bulk ore trade many years ago and fortunately she was saved and preserved by th good citizens of Toledo and now she is on display and is in relative good condition !
After touring the S.S. Willis B. Boles , it give you a whole new perspective and appreciation on life on these " Lakers " and the hardships that the crews on these vessels had to endure !
The non guided tour allowed you to visit almost the entire ship from stem to stern and what impressed me most was the overall condition of this vessel .
What really caught my eye and something that I have not seen on other vessels and I am not sure if this was typical of " Lakers " , in general was that in the Wheel House , there were two seperate and adajacent stering systems . There was only one binacle but on either side of the binacle were two Pilot Wheels . Does any one know if this was a back up system or did they serve some other purpose ?
Another very impressive area of the " Boles " , was the " Officiers Quarters " and it was very apearant that the owner spared no expense on this section of the vessel ! There are rich wood paneled walls , a working fire place , sky lights , thick carpet , stained glass windows , large and well appointed rooms and it would have given even todays ship yards a run for their money on how build and design a vessel of this design and class .
One other aspect of this vessel that I thought was interesting was that even in her " Day " , it was a well known thought and practice to keep the engineers in and near the stern of the vessel in their own little hole !
One other unique piece of equipment on the " Boles " was a mechanical and steam operated bow thruster !! Go Figure ! I often wondered when Bow Thrusters first made their presence known and I would assume that some of the different ports of call that they visited , with the different mooring situations and with the lack of tug boats , these " Lakers " needed a Bow Thruster to maneuver in the rather tight quarters that they had to operate in and especially in the adverse weather conditions as well !
All and all , it was a great experience to visit the S.S. Willis B. Boles and I would highly reccomend it to any one !
Smooth Sailing !
Ted Davisson
Topic starter
03/10/2010 6:34 pm
A Few More S.S. Willis B. Boles Pictures !
Greetings From New Orleans ,
Just a few more S.S. Willis B. Boles picturs .
Smooth Sailing !
Ted Davisson
Ted Davisson;23304 wrote: Greetings From New Orleans ,
Just a few more S.S. Willis B. Boles pictures !
Smooth Sailing !
Ted Davisson
03/10/2010 10:13 pm
Ted: Interesting pix! Never heard of a lash-up like that. I've heard of remote and presumably redundant steering stations on wind jammers and navy ships but not s x s like in your picture. What kind of engines did/does she have? Cap't Walnut.
Topic starter
04/10/2010 3:24 am
Tom , just not sure on her engines but....................
Greetings From New Orleans ,
Tom , just not sure on her engines but I do know that they are steam but that is the extent of my knowledge of them .
Possibly , you could go on line and find out more information on them !
Smooth Sailing !
Ted Davisson
Tom Schiffer;23313 wrote: Ted: Interesting pix! Never heard of a lash-up like that. I've heard of remote and presumably redundant steering stations on wind jammers and navy ships but not s x s like in your picture. What kind of engines did/does she have? Cap't Walnut.
04/10/2010 2:48 pm
It looks to me as if she has a high pressure turbine and then a low pressure turbine that the Chief had to keep purring along. They could be GE turbines or Westinghouse or maybe some other company built them, but mt guess is that there was a Falk Reduction Gear made in Cincinnati right behind them. And Opps...her name is the WILLIS B. BOYER. The following info might be helpful: (419) 936-3070 and Willis B. Boyer Museum Ship .
Topic starter
05/10/2010 12:05 am
Frank , thanks for the information !
Greetings From New Orleans ,
Frank , thanks so much for the information and web page adress for the
S.S. Willis B/ Boyer .
Here are a few more pictures as well !
Smooth Sailing !
Ted Davisson
Frank X. Prudent;23320 wrote: It looks to me as if she has a high pressure turbine and then a low pressure turbine that the Chief had to keep purring along. They could be GE turbines or Westinghouse or maybe some other company built them, but mt guess is that there was a Falk Reduction Gear made in Cincinnati right behind them. And Opps...her name is the WILLIS B. BOYER. The following info might be helpful: (419) 936-3070 and Willis B. Boyer Museum Ship .
Topic starter
06/10/2010 12:14 pm
Just A Few More S.S. Willis Boyer Pictures !
Greetings From New Orleans ,
Just a few more S.S. Willis B/ Boyer picturs !
Smooth Sailing !
Ted Davisson
Ted Davisson;23324 wrote: Greetings From New Orleans ,
Frank , thanks so much for the information and web page adress for the
S.S. Willis B/ Boyer .
Here are a few more pictures as well !
Smooth Sailing !
Ted Davisson
06/10/2010 2:24 pm
*RE: SS WILLIS B. BOYER/Twin helms*
Hi, Ted & steamboating colleagues:
Thanks to Ted for posting about an old friend the SS WILLIS B. BOYER in Toledo. Great photos along with interesting web links to the vessel. Yes, I'd agree with Frank Prudent's summation of her propulsion/generator. She was a common sight on the Great Lakes I viewed until retirement. Another worthy maritime attraction with until recently a low profile. I wish the ship well.
The 'double helms' in her wheelhouse common even on single prop ships. This for safety in times of high seas on the lakes which can equal those on the high seas. Some ships also had one more helms built deep in compartments on the stern above the rudder that were hand tilled in case all else failed. The late lamented passenger cruise ship SS SOUTH AMERICAN had a huge 'double wheel' in her wheelhouse to be manned by a crew of men in tandem if the power steering went on the fritz.
The ornate wood cabins, lounges etc. were common on such lake ships but not always just for creature comforts for officers/crew. Tradition was to fit such ships with fine interiors as the ranking CEOs, stock holders, invited guests were provided with such amenitites. In later years ships hosted less 'guests' due to changing economic times, insurance premiums, OSHA regs. along with a number wearing out their welcome. They built good ships in those days. One advantage stated for these ships was operating in fresh 'sweet water' and not salt.
A common sight/sound during the day and night at our summer Michigan lake home would be the sound of the ship steam whistles navigating the Manitou Passage in Lake Michigan followed by long dark plumes of black smoke from some of the surviving Canadian steamships still burning coal. Sounds of the whistles and fog bells on the light houses, bobbing markers were haunting at night when the weather conditions and winds just right. Been a long time since I've heard these. While in Toledo spin down to view their incredible art museum.
R. Dale Flick
Coal Haven Landing, Ohio River, Cincinnati.
PS> Thanks to David Dewey for mentioning the USS OLYMPIA of 1898 Manila Bay fame [You may fire when you are ready Gridley from Adm. Dewey]. The ship now in deplorable condition requiring some $22,000,000 + or - in renovation to remain a floating museum/attraction with some rumors about the vintage navy cruiser possibly being sunk as an off shore reef. So many worthy steamboats and ships--so little money and time.
08/10/2010 8:13 pm
The Boyer was built in 1911 as the Col. James M. Schoonmaker. At the time she was not only the largest ship on the Great Lakes, but the largest cargo ship in the world. She was originally powered by a triple-expansion reciprocating steam engine, and was re-powered with a cross-compound steam turbine in the mid-1950's. Her active career on the lakes lasted 70 years, which is not uncommon for a Great Lakes vessel. There are a few WWII-era lakers and a couple of prewar boats still running today, including the 1906-vintage St. Mary's Challenger which is still steam-powered (her original triple was replaced with a Skinner Unaflow in the 50's). An even older boat, the 1898-vintage E.M. Ford is currently awaiting her fate at a scrapyard in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario. She was operational until 1996, still with her original quadruple-expansion steam engine.
09/10/2010 2:03 am
Thanks for the input. Very interesting. Cap'n Walnut