Boatnerd Discussion Forum

There was indeed a marine radio station WLC-Rogers City.

I recall the radio operators at WMI-Lorain refer to Canada Steamship Lines Frontenac as "the Canadian Frontenac", as Cleveland-Cliffs Frontenac was still sailing at the time.

"WLC Rogers City"

Marine radio/weather station.

The reason for the name change was that there was a marine radio station in Chicago that identified itself as "Chicago."

I seem to recall hearing "Steamer Rogers City" on the radio long ago. Was there not a shore radio station "WLC Rogers City"? as well.

Statmk, what position did you have while sailing on the John T. Hutchinson in 1981? I was an Oiler on the Hutchinson in 1981 from fit-out to lay-up without a day off.

Thanks for the information, everyone! It's very interesting to hear the vessel's early ties to the name Cuyahoga. I wonder to what extent the alleged name was an actual consideration versus pure speculation.

In addition to the resources others have mentioned, the American Mariner's vessel page here on Boatnerd features an image of the name Chicago being painted on the bow. Link: http://www.boatnerd.com/pictures/fleet/ ... 80-SMc.jpg

Photos of the American Mariner (including Chicago) under-construction can be found at the Wisconsin Maritime Museum's On-line Photo Database.

Here she is as Chicago. https://wisconsinmaritime.pastperfecton ... 7127477322

I've got 'numerous' photo's of the CHICAGO (later AMERICAN MARINER) from her keel laying, threw her construction, "at the time of the name CHICAGO on the hull", also during her christening ceremony and trials. If someone is interested, contact me at fishtug@ezdsl.net.

To Statmk, if you still have that "rare" photograph of her with the name Chicago on her then could you please somehow scan it and post it on here or else send it to boatnerd and they can post it? I for one would love to see that photo of the American Mariner with the name Chicago on her before they changed it and I'm sure that I am not the only one as well! Would very much appreciate that sometime. Thanks in advance as well.

The CEO of GATX had a falling out with the then lady-mayor of Chicago, so even though the name Chicago had been painted on the vessel, it was quickly changed to American Mariner.

- Brian

I will answer the American Mariner question. I may have one of the only pictures of her at Bay Shipbuilding with the name Chicago on her in the summer of 1979. I sailed for ASC at that time.

The reason for the name change was that there was a marine radio station in Chicago that identified itself as "Chicago." On the radio down there, people were calling "Chicago" all the time. It was determined that practically, it would not be possible to deal with the confusion and know when someone was actually trying to contact the vessel as versus the radio station. It then became American Mariner.

Side note: George Lawrence was Captain when she came out. He was a prince of a man. In early 1981 we put him off in Calcite with a heart attack. He tried to come back that summer and had a heart attack and died at Wescott waiting to get back on board. I was over on the John T. Hutchinson then. Jim Van Dongen, was first mate on the Mariner then. He was later a Captain with ASC on the footers. He and I got off to a rocky start because we were both stubborn. We became good friends and kept in contact until he died a couple years ago. With Captain Lawrence, and Jim, that was one of my favorite jobs.

From the Toronto Marine Historical Society's newsletter titled "Scanner",
Vol. 12, No. 9, Summer 1980 [link] , "Marine News" section:

The Bay Shipbuilding Corp. has been busy during 1980. AMERICAN MARINER (originally intended to be named CHICAGO, the raised letters of which name are still visible) was christened at Sturgeon Bay on April 15 and left Escanaba April 18 on her maiden voyage with ore for Ashtabula. ... Hull 724, now nearing completion, is a 635-foot self-unloader for Boland and Cornelius, allegedly to be christened CUYAHOGA. Featuring a pilothouse designed to permit passage through Cleveland's bridges, she is due for delivery in September but may not be commissioned until 1981 if the current poor business conditions prevail.

and then from "Scanner",
Vol. 13, No. 2, November 1980 [link] , "Marine News" section:

The next American Steamship Company vessel to emerge from the Bay Shipbuilding Corporation at Sturgeon Bay will, as previously reported, be a boat specially designed to shuttle taconite from Lorain to Cleveland. Boland and Cornelius will operate the ship under a long-term agreement with the Republic Steel Corporation, whose ore she will haul. Hull 724, as she is yet known, will have cabins designed to permit passage through Cleveland's bridges, and she will be equipped with special flanking rudders to facilitate navigation of the tortuous Cuyahoga River. Some sources have indicated that the self-unloader would be named CUYAHOGA, but this will not be the case. Instead, she will be christened AMERICAN REPUBLIC, a most appropriate name.

American Republic the name when built.

I recently stumbled across a compilation of the Great Republic's history that caught my eye on vesselfinder.com. Specifically, the site lists the vessel's name as Cuyahoga from 1980 to 1981. I have never seen this name associated with the vessel in many credible sources, so this might simply be an error. However, given that the Republic was specifically designed to navigate the Cuyahoga river, this got me wondering if perhaps naming the vessel after the river was in the works prior to her launch in 1981. Of note, a similar situation took place with the Republic's former fleet mate American Mariner, whose original name Chicago was changed at the last minute. This swap would have occurred somewhere between 1979 and the Mariner's maiden voyage in 1980, which, interestingly enough, nearly lines up with when the presumed switch from Cuyahoga to American Republic would have taken place. Furthermore, a few ASC vessels built just years before the Republic had namesakes indicative of their respective trade routes (St. Clair, Belle River), a pattern which would have continued with Cuyahoga. Is this all one big coincidence, or was American Republic not the vessel's original name? Also, on a tangential note, is there a specific reason why the name Chicago was switched to American Mariner so late in the building process?