Wilfred Sykes rare trip up the Cuyahoga River 1949 built steam ship Cleveland Ohio

SS Wilfred Sykes makes a very rare appearance in the Cuyahoga River in Cleveland Ohio.
Copied from Boatnerd: boatnerd.com/pictures/fleet/W...
Built by American Shipbuilding Co., Lorain, OH in 1949 for Inland Steel Co., the streamlined bulk freighter Wilfred Sykes was the first new American-built Great Lakes vessel constructed after World War II. At the time of her launch, she was the largest vessel on the Great Lakes. The Sykes is powered by 2 steam turbine engines producing a combined 7,700 horsepower driving an 18 1/2 foot diameter four-blade propeller giving her a speed of up to 16 mph. Being the first steamship built to burn "bunker C" heavy oil for fuel instead of coal, her fuel tanks can hold 165,000 gallons giving her a cruising range of 4,500 miles. She is also equipped with a bow thruster.
Her 18 hatches feed into 6 compartments where she can carry 20,150 tons at maximum Seaway draft of 26 feet and is capable of carrying 21,500 tons at her maximum mid-summer draft of 26 feet 11 inches. The Sykes was the first Great Lakes vessel built with a 70-foot beam and was also the first laker built capable of carrying in excess of 20,000 tons. She set iron ore cargo records during her first three seasons of operations (1950, 51, & 52). At the time of her design, Inland Steel determined that the needs of the iron ore trade dictated that this vessel be the largest and fastest that the yards were capable of building and still be able to pass through the existing locks at Sault Ste. Marie. Her hatches are 44 feet wide, 11 feet long, and spaced on 24-foot centers. The one-piece hatch covers are moved by a 25 hp. electric motor driven tracked hatch crane which is equipped with 2 lifting hooks powered by a separate 10 hp. motor.
Private rooms are provided for all licensed officers and double rooms for the unlicensed personnel with each room having a private bathroom. Fore and aft recreation rooms are also provided. The Sykes was designed so that the crew could go anywhere on board without having to step outside (including stairways & passageways.
She is equipped with two 12,000 lb. bow anchors, each attached to 540 feet of 2 1/8-inch forged alloy steel chains. Her 10,000 lb. stern anchor is fitted to 540 feet of 1 7/8-inch steel chain. She also has six 50 hp. electric mooring winches with 1 1/2-inch plow steel mooring cables. Her lifesaving equipment includes two 31-person lifeboats carried on stern davits with power winches for raising and lowering as well as several inflatable rafts stowed in containers on deck.
The straight-decker was converted to a self-unloader in 1975 by Fraser Shipyards, Superior, WI. She is equipped with a 250-foot stern mounted discharge boom that can be swung 90 degrees to port or starboard for unloading.
Inland Steel has had the Sykes' activity focused on the Lake Michigan taconite, stone, and coal trades. Inland Steel was acquired by Ispat International of the Netherlands in 1998. Ispat, in turn, sold the 3 Inland Steel lakers to the newly formed Central Marine Logistics, Highland, IN. The 3 vessels were the Wilfred Sykes, Joseph L. Block, and the Edward L. Ryerson. This move was to comply with the Jones Act which dictates that vessels moving cargoes between U.S. ports be U.S. owned, operated, crewed, and built. After the change in ownership, the Wilfred Sykes' activity has continued to be focused on the Lake Michigan taconite trade into Indiana Harbor.
The year 1999 found the words "50 Years of Smooth Sailing" painted on the front of her pilothouse celebrating a milestone anniversary. Plagued with boiler problems during the fal of 2017, the Sykes entered layup at Sturgeon Bay, Wis. on November 19. Her boilers were rebuilt over the winter and she was back in service the following spring. The Sykes also spent a week at Toledo’s Ironhead Shipyard in the fall of 2018 for repairs to injuries sustained in a late November incident after striking a dock on the Canadian side of the St. Clair River. She departed several times from her usual Lake Michigan trade routes in 2018, making four rare trips to Lake Superior ports and two to Detroit in the fall. Boatwatchers were thrilled, and turned out in droves to photograph this Great Lakes beauty.
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[@johnstudd4245]

Nice high def video of a classic boat. I wish we had some videos of the older days as good as this.

[@ericwood7758]

Great footage! A friend of mine and I were positioned further down the river taking pictures. We didn't have the greatest light to work with, but it was still great to see such a beautiful Laker traversing the Cuyahoga!

[@carlloar3619]

U are wright about the great footage👍😁😄

[@paulbergen9114]

Nothing like watching a fine vessel thread it's way thru a quiet river in a major metro area. I have a shot of one of them in the Indiana Ship Channel and it just looks husky among the buildings with their piping and electrical lines. On occasion one would winter ah the Port of Milwaukee. Now that Cliffs is the big player in the ore industry and with some closures in Indiana it may have more trips to Cleveland this year...thanks for the great overviews and the broadside. Even at slow speed sill stately and nimble

[@LisaHouserman]

This vid should win awards!

[@dave3682]

Oh good, you caught the part where we did a faceplant right into the riverbank! I was the guy in the black shirt standing on top of the loop casing for most of the video.

[@ScottTaipaleRail]

Ah yes I see you up there now, didn’t notice you while following along. Thought that curve took a bit longer than it should. We went for shakes and still had some wait time.

[@russslagel514]

Nice work. Some absolutely stunning shots in this. A lot of great great angles. Thanks for posting.

[@tedhardulak7698]

GREAT video! I could tell right where it was the whole way. I enjoy being at the swing bridge when they come through. Or a brewski at Shooters sitting on the steps. Not so many ships now.

[@StormySkyRailProductions]

That was a cool catch, very, very nice indeed!

[@ltpls1]

The crew earned their money on that trip.

[@adriannegrillo8394]

Smoothly motoring along in the CLE flats as us Clevelanders refer to them!

[@ScottTaipaleRail]

If you don’t mind the industrial smell it’s an interesting place!

[@DavidKozinski]

Very nice video. Love watching these Laker's move up and down our hometown river.

[@orionharmon6017]

Welcome to Cleveland Wilfred Sykes.

[@lisal2092]

Fantastic video!

[@TheNorthwestWind]

amazing

[@maxshow7949]

nice ship!!!

[@sexygirlove20]

31:56... just as it goes under the bridge i noticed the rudder changed ..... WHY ??... would that make it fight against the tug

[@napierdelticdiesel7909]

Beautiful video, but that has to be the smallest and saddest looking ensign flying aft. I would have thought a clean large ensign was in order if you are going to be in downtown waters.

[@princessofthecape2078]

Why was she so far upriver?

[@ScottTaipaleRail]

She is charted to Cliffs which owns the steel mill. She was a frequent visitor last season.

[@jstoli996c4s]

Talk about threading the needle 🧵 🪡