The Fastest Ore Boat of the Great Lakes: CLIFFS VICTORY

Works Cited:
Thompson, Mark L. Queen of the Lakes. Wayne State UP, 2017.
Bawal, Raymond A. Twilight of the Great Lakes Steamer. Inland Expressions, 2009.
Google Books. www.google.com/books/edition/Proceedings_of_the_Merchant_Marine_Counc/gb9cbfP3sT8C?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=cliffs+victory+ship&pg=RA1-PA128&printsec=frontcover.
www.google.com/books/edition/The_Log/MZQ-AQAAIAAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=cliffs+victory+ship&pg=RA1-PA76&printsec=frontcover.
www.google.com/books/edition/Sale_of_Ships_from_Reserve_Fleet/LCoTAAAAIAAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=Notre+Dame+Victory+ship&pg=PA237&printsec=frontcover.
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[@Ohiotrucker1]

I wish the cliffs victory was preserved

[@bluerazor7049]

I agree, unfortunately her unique design is what doomed her for the future..she, the Eddie Ryerson and the C4's were speedy freighters. The hot rods of the Great Lakes.

[@WAL_DC-6B]

Two Victory ships have been preserved as museums. The SS American Victory in Tampa, FL and the SS Red Oak in San Francisco, CA. I believe both provide occasional day cruises for the public to experience much like the SS John W. Brown, Liberty Ship at Baltimore, MD.

[@daanvos194]

I wish a hulett was preserved

[@carriemetzler7102]

I agree.

[@Greatlakesshipdude101]

Dont we all.

[@brentmiller3951]

My grandmother was a welder in Portland. She built those ships. I am 5th generation fishermen from Oregon. I became a carpenter after my second child. I recently moved to Pennsylvania and am diving into ship history. It is great to see my family somehow was part of the laker fleet

[@jeremywentworth1833]

@@brentmiller3951 Wow your grandmother was a welder as am I but train manufacturering for Bombardier for over 30 years & now Alston who bought put everything Bombardier related in Europe who are even bigger throughout the world in the manufacturing of all types of Rolling Stock . I've worked with many welders who worked in the Shipyards of Swan Hunter.etc I'm the UK.

[@leftseat30]

So cool! I saw the "thumbnail" pic of the ship and instantly knew that was Cliffs Victory! Very cool video!!

[@christopherhampson265]

Excellent 👍 . It's great to see our past in pictures !!

[@ianross806]

As a Soo kid in the 70s, marked off just about every Cliffs boat in the fleet but the Victory. There were so many unusual-looking boats running the lakes back then, not like the cookie-cutter boats today.

[@BaltimoreAndOhioRR]

Have a great new week! Thumbs up as always!! 🛳🛳

[@heightsbandsman4304]

This boat had such an unusual, if not ungainly, profile as to always attract eyeballs. Seen even from a very long distance, one knew what boat that was. What a great fleet and company! No wonder Clevelanders are so proud of the city's maritime heritage.

[@maestromecanico597]

Fascinating. Thank you.

[@RetiredEE]

Nice Hulett footage too! Does anyone make a model kit of the ship either before or after conversion?

[@WAL_DC-6B]

Revell produced a "fit the box scale" model of a WWII Victory ship several times. I don't believe it's currently in production but could probably be found quite easily on-line.

[@RailroadStreet]

There’s this laser printed paper model kit of the Cliffs Victory you can assemble if you’re interested: whistle-stop.com/lake-freighter-minis-cliffs-victory-16-75-model-ship-kit-5.html

[@oli24yt]

One reason I subscribed to your channel is because you cover what some people might consider "insignificant history", these little niches of industrial history from a small slice of the world that won't rack up the millions of views, but are interesting in their own right and deserve to be remembered anyway. I always know I will learn at least one thing genuinely totally new to me in your videos. Keep up the great work!

[@larryhealey6827]

I chased this boat down the Detroit river in esrly 1980's. I have a Jim Cleary print of it hanging on my wall.

[@ClifffsVictory]

I also have that print. The original went for $3000. When I last saw it for sale on eBay.

[@RailPreserver2K]

That must have been during her scrap run

[@ClifffsVictory]

I sailed on her in 1956. We almost sank in a storm on Superior in Nov. As we locked up bound we notice a dozen ships at anchor. A couple of hours latter we found out why. Downbound on one trip she was speeding and washed out private lawns and docks rumor had it. Next trip up bound she was shot at from shore. Thanks for a fine video about a memorable ship,

[@SteamCrane]

2nd! She was an awesome boat!

[@Fozzymaple]

Her longtime master, Heavy Weather Harry Andersen was so named because when everyone else would tie up to avoid rough weather, he just kept going. Harry Andersen was said to outrun heavy weather with the speed of the Victory.

[@jakespeed63]

Fascinating history. Thanks for sharing this. Pops worked at the Erie Ore Dock Company, from early 60’s until it’s closing in mid 70’s. So, allot of this information is very special to me. Fond memories of going to the docks as a child and seeing these gargantuan vessels. JT: Orlando FLA

[@merhbass]

Good work, as usual! I recall seeing the unmistakeable profile on Lake St. Clair or Detroit River in my youth. Never in doubt as to which vessel it was. Ditto for that unfortunately ugly, 1000' Velveeta Cheese box Stewart J. Cort when new. No charm whatsoever ;-)

[@WesleyHarcourtSTEAMandMORE]

Great and very informative video. Pretty ambitious to lengthen her so much. Of note: 'last victory class ship to operate in the world....' Commercially... There are several in preservation that still operate, going on short excursion voyages.

[@pirateguy60]

I sailed on the Charles M White for Cliffs in the 70's and it was the only boat to have beaten the Victory in unofficial races during the 50's. One of the Captain's I sailed with had been in command of both the Victory and the White and confirmed without cargo and in ballast the White had won and when both loaded the Victory had won

[@normanlacy3390]

But toledo took Willis b boyer instead of the cliffs victory, there was enough room for the ol work horse kinda sad 😔

[@Donleecartoons]

For what it's worth, the Victory might not have fit where the Boyer/Schoonmaker is now, next to the Great Lakes museum.

[@normanlacy3390]

@@Donleecartoons true just the thought of it

[@Donleecartoons]

@@normanlacy3390 Agree with you there!

[@carolewoolley7017]

Another example of the craftmanship of a hardworking era. Applause fo these hardy old girls!

[@harryscott9533]

Great video thanks for uploading this 🤓🙋‍♂️👍❤

[@RailroadStreet]

You’re quite welcome! 🤙

[@MikeHunt-fo3ow]

so in a time before engines you worked on a river cargo boat......how do you sail like back home against the current lol

[@robertturtle]

Was the Major at 5:40 Anthony Celebrezee?

[@heightsbandsman4304]

It was a very young Anthony J. Celebreeze. A fine mayor & a great man.

[@ClifffsVictory]

Looks like him.

[@russellgeisthardt9828]

Anyone know why it went up the Mississippi instead of the St. Lawrence?

[@marklittle8805]

The St Lawrence Seaway wasn't built yet. They did this during the Korean war, Seaway came along a few years later. What amazes me how this ship got up up and through Chicago. I didn't think the canal was big enough to take a ship of that size.

[@debbiejarus1723]

My all-time favorite Laker!!

[@fleetwoodvo8673]

PNW wins again! What an interesting ship!

[@brentmiller3951]

I am 5 th generation Oregonian. My grandmother welded victory ships

[@fleetwoodvo8673]

​@@brentmiller3951Are you the same Brent Miller who collects train horns?

[@larry648]

And now Cliffs is back in shipping.

[@Patrick-thesandman]

Old timers used to talk of the race it had with McKee Sons in the 1950s. Several of them commented on Facebook about it too. McKee Sons was faster

[@greggrauscher34]

Really enjoyed this video. The Cliffs Victory is a legend among Boatnerds. An interesting story about her conversion and trip up the Mississippi. And what a sad end for such a great ship. A lot of ore carriers were scrapped in the 1980's during the economic downturn. She was one of them.

[@jeremywentworth1833]

What a sad story how the Cliff victory ended up going for scrap. How I got interested in the Great Lakers is due to 1st hearing that many originally had been converted from ships made for WW2 literally just keeping the rear part etc.

[@JedCurrie]

Turned a good-looking ship into an ugly ship.