1942 Enders M. Voorhees 1987
Steel Great Lakes bulk freighter
Built at River Rouge MI by Great Lakes Engineering Works, Hull 288
Keel laid July 1, 1941; launched April 11, 1942
With Leon Fraser, A. H. Ferbert, Benjamin F. Fairless and Irving S.Olds longest vessel on the Great Lakes (until Wilfred Sykes of 1950 – superseded Carl D. Bradley of 1927)
639’6” LOA, 623’3” LBP, 67’ beam, 35’ depth
1 deck, arch cargo hold construction, hatches @ 24’, coal-fired boilers, steam turbine engine, 4000 SHP
Enrolled at Detroit
622.65 x 67.02 x 30.33, 10294 GT, 6439 NT US 242023 to:
Pittsburgh Steamship Co., Cleveland OH (home port Duluth MN)
Entered service July 29, 1942 clearing River Rouge MI light for Duluth MN
Permanent enrollment at Duluth MN July 31, 1938
Fleet reincorporated 1949 in Delaware (home port to Wilmington DE)
Fleet merged July 1951 into parent United States Steel Corporation (home port to New York NY)
Fleet renamed United States Steel Great Lakes Fleet 1967 (home port to Wilmington DE)
Boilers converted 1973 to oil firing at Sturgeon Bay WI by Bay Shipbuilding Co.
Remeasured to 6403 NT
Fleet made a subsidiary of United States Steel Corporation 1981, renamed USS Great Lakes Fleet Inc., Duluth MN (home port to Duluth MN)
Laid up Dec 26, 1981 at Duluth MN and did not operate again
Sold for scrap 1987 to Aaron A. Ferer & Sons. Resold to Turkish shipbreakers. Cleared Quebec QC Sept 15, 1987 with str. Thomas W. Lamont towed by British tug Irving Cedar. Tow arrived Algeciras Spain Oct 24. Cleared Algeciras Jan 13, 1988 for Aliaga Turkey towed by Greek tug Everest. Towline broke Jan 24, 1988 in storm and vessel grounded on Kithnos Island, Aegean Sea 60 miles south of Athens Greece and broke up. (Lamont had been towed out earlier and had arrived at Aliaga Turkey Dec 27, 1987). Sections recovered 1989 and towed to Aliaga for scrapping.
IMO 5104124
See history in Scanner May 1990 (#183)
Also in Great Lakes Ships We Remember III p. 400
4202
I was a deck watch on her in 1970 and part of 1971, in 1970 we laid up at Green Bay and fitted out in 1971. Just looking to see what became of her.
My Grandfather was on the Voorhees. I still have the postcard that he sent to my Grandmother as it was unloading Iron Ore.
was deckhand 1943 and on return from service wheelsman1946
My father was a Wheeisman on the Voorhees also
Hello, my brother was a hand on your vesso in 1971…he passed away in Dec that year. I was wondering if there any photos of that crew from that summer. Thanks . Ed Benoit
Hi, I have pictures of the Voorhees crew in late 1971/early 1972 I believe.
My brother served on her as 2nd cook the year before he married ‘72 season till it wintered over in Milwaukee. I was on the Fairless under captain Simo
I was a deckhand during the 1969 season. She was a St. Lawrence Seaway boat during those years and we made several trips out to salt water, visiting Baie-Comeaux with 500,000 bushels of wheat from Toledo and loading black Schefferville ore at Port Cartier. Locking through the Wellend and the Seaway, serving watch and watch was a high point. We also hauled ore from Duluth and limestone from Rogers City.
We were on Lake Huron during the November 29, 1969 storm a few dozen miles from the Daniel J. Morell when she broke up. It was a nasty night. We were heavily iced, loaded with Canadian ore, but riding low came through without difficulty. It did take an extra day in South Chicago to clear the ice and get the hatches off. We began to hear about the Morell downbound on L. Michigan on the 30th.
We laid up at Cleveland just before Christmas. As the sign-up clipboard was passed around, the Cap took it from my hands and said, “Kid go back to college.” I was 19 at the time, and will always look back a that year as the one during which I grew up.
Did you go back to college or stay aboard another ship?
I have the MOB (Man overboard) ring from the Vorhees when it was decommissioned.
It is coming off of my wall and needs a final home. Any ideas?
My name is Thomas Voorhees if you still have it I’d like to hang it on my wall
Hi Thomas, are
you related to Ender Voorhees who had Pennywise in Cape Vincent? If so, I’d like to connect about the house and your family.
Sarah
My grandfather served on the Vorhees from 1969 to 1976 as 2nd Mate. Was wondering if anyone personally knew him, his name is Wallace Candler, but went by Ole. Sadly he passed away in 2009, but I was able to get some great stories from him, included a cook named “Susie” who was a male…any stories anyone may have would be awesome. Grandpa sailed for Pittsburgh Steamship Co and US Steel from 1950-1983.
I have a compass in a wooden box from this ship, its really a nice piece.