Boatnerd Discussion Forum

I sailed on S.S. Cornell in 1955. S.S. Malitoa in 1956, they were both wooden hatch boat. Owned by Cleveland Co. Ohio Transportation Co., if memory serves me right it Was Mr. Secord and Mr. Williams. Both ships were originally Pittsburg Steamship boats. Malitoa had sunken galley, built in Lorain 1898 Cornell built in Lorain in 1901 This company also owned the freighter S.S. Jupiter. Also wooden hatches I believe. I didn't know to much about her. ( she did have quite a history)only made one trip on her in January 1956 Toledo to Cleveland with load of storage flax for Sherwin Williams paint in Cleveland.

The Colonel E. M. Young had wooden hatch covers in 1943.

All csl package freighters pre the fort boats where wooden hatches.

Pittsburgh Steamship (Great Lakes Fleet} ran three wood-hatch boat up into the 50's The James J Hill, William Edenborn and one other

Probably two others, the Isaac L. Ellwood and John W. Gates. They all last operated in 1958 before being laid up at Lorain at the end of that season.

I was lucky or sometimes I thought unlucky to work on both the Chicago Tribune and Condarrell which both had wooden hatches and don't forget the tarps then the wood wedges followed by steel tie down straps , boy that was so much fun , not, it was a lot of hard work .

Pittsburgh Steamship (Great Lakes Fleet} ran three wood-hatch boat up into the 50's The James J Hill, William Edenborn and one other

I believe late 50's or early 60's there was one of the Aplena Wyandotte ships sailing with wooden hatch covers! Can anyone confirm or deny?

The Wyandotte had wooden hatch covers right up to its end as did the Conneaut, which became the second Wyandotte. Since the Conneaut was the newest vessel in the fleet, I think it safe to say all the Wyandotte boats had wooden hatch covers.

D.C.Everest had wood hatch covers on beams for most of its career

I believe late 50's or early 60's there was one of the Aplena Wyandotte ships sailing with wooden hatch covers! Can anyone confirm or deny?

Some of wooden hatch covers were in use all the way up until the 1930s. The telescoping hatch was also wooden in some cases. The Frank Goodyear and the Hydrus had telescoping hatches, but parts were ripped off the dogs when they sank. Mind that they both went down in 1910-1913.

I know that some steel ships built during the early 1900s were fitted with wooden hatch covers. I assume this was a carryover from hatch cover practice going back to schooner and the early steamships. Does anyone know when this practice came to an end? I assume that the telescoping type hatch was the next step in the evolution of this technology before the invention of the single piece hatch cover.