Inland Steel fleet to Lake Erie

[Guest]

It would be nice, but for the most part, from what I've read most museum ships lose money. Where would be a logical place to put one? Who would want one?

[mopar tim]

The Ryerson and Sykes are the two most photogenic boats on the Lakes with out a doubt. Great lines, great fleet colors and well kept. It would be a true shame not to have one of them saved for a museum ship.

[RCRV]

In the rear structure I see what appears to be a row of windows all around. Is that the crew quarters? If not what is it?

[tarcticus]

The Sykes and the Ryerson are just beautiful boats. Cheers to whomever it was at Inland back then that valued aesthetics and design enough to spend the extra capital that it took to create such elegance.

Whether it was a good business strategy might be another story I suppose.

[mn brett]

unique design to say the least,It was the built during the best design years of all time.Cars 1958 all had 4 headlights,59 and 60 had wings and tons of chrome,it was the beginning of the space age,and the Ryerson was the prize of the fleet!,know expense spared,wings and fins to name a few. A prime example of very good economic times,and thankfully still all together,but not on display?,witch is to bad!,but there's hope.mn brett

[RCRV]

I'm not really very familiar with details of lake boat construction so this question may be naive.

The Ryerson seems to have an excessive amount of super structure
when the front and rear sections are combined.

Is it just the angle of the photo or is this a unique design for some reason?

[Don_Detloff]

Here are two shots I took of the Edward L Ryerson at the Algonac State Park back in 2008. Both shots are at the same location less than one month apart. A lot of ice in the first shot taken on 3/29/2008, none in the second taken on 4/27/2008.

[Don_Detloff]

Here are a couple of shots I took of the Wilfred Sykes on the St. Clair River a few years back. The first one is at the Algonac State Park on 1/18/2004. The second shot is the Sykes unloading at Marine City on 5/29/2005.

[garbear]

I've got photos I took in one of my photos albums of the Joe Block upbound in the lower Detroit River when we were downbound. This was in the 70's. I do believe we saw them on more than one trip.

[Guest]

How common was it for ships belonging to Inland Steel venturing into Lake Erie during their time under Hutchinson management which ended in 1956?

I know that a few of these ships (Wilfred Sykes, Edward L. Ryerson, L. E. Block) made very rare appearances off their usual Lake Superior to Lake Michigan runs during the 1980s and up until the fleet's demise to become CML in the late 1990s. In John O. Greenwood's Namesakes of the Lakes there is a picture of the Wilfred Sykes unloading at Cleveland. As the book was printed in 1970, the picture must be from the 1960s. I also recall seeing a picture of the Joseph L. Block unloading at Ashtabula during the late 1970s.

Furthermore, did any of these ships ever venture down the Welland Canal or Seaway? I know the Ryerson did a few years back under CML management, but does anyone have any recollection of an Inland Steel ship doing so?

I was just wondering if anyone had any memories of these ships making these rare trips as they have always been my favorites.