Homer, Arthur B.

1960                                   Arthur B. Homer                                      1986

Steel Great Lakes bulk freighter

Built at River Rouge MI by Great Lakes Engineering Works, Hull 303
Keel laid March 18, 1959;  launched Nov 7, 1959
Last vessel built by this shipyard

730’ LOA, 711’ LBP, 75’ beam, 39’ depth
1 deck, arch cargo hold construction, hatches @ 24’, oil-fired boilers, steam turbine engine, 8000 SHP

Enrolled at
711.2 x 75.1 x 33.4, 13390 GT, 8442 NT     US 280946     to:
Bethlehem Steel Corporation, Cleveland OH (home port Wilmington DE)

Entered service April 20, 1960

Lengthened 1975 at Superior WI by Fraser Shipyards
Remeasured to 807.2 length and 15200 GT, 10225 NT

Laid up Oct 4, 1980 at Erie PA and did not operate again

Sold for scrap 1986 to Port Colborne Marine Terminals, Port Colborne ON.  Towed to Port Colborne and scrapped there.

IMO 5025627

See history in Detroit Marine Historian Nov and Dec 1997 (#14)

 

6001

 

 

 

 

 

 

12 thoughts on “Homer, Arthur B.

  1. the homer was large ship. I was 21 years old when I shipped out with her I got on the ship in two harbors minnesota thay had great crew and lot of great food. I miss the time I was with those guys and still miss them. the first frend I made name john becker he just so happen to be my older brothers uncle by marriage thoses were some best days of my life.

  2. This was very interesting and did you know that there is more sisters? The ss reserve, William clay ford, Armco, and buckeye.

  3. My dad–Judson W. Cowles passed away on the Homer June 6th 1976 coming into Duluth Harbor. He started Great Lakes sailing right out of high school in 1929. Went on to salt water sailing in 1934 and sailed the world. He joined the Navy in 1941 and served on a rescue Crash boat in the So. Pacific. He returned to Port Huron and went back to sailing in 1968 delivering munitions to Viet Nam. 1970 returned to Great Lakes sailing and was hand picked to be on board the newest and biggest ship-Stuart J. Cort in1972.He continued sailing until his death. His ashes were spread out on Lake Superior by the crew of the Homer.

  4. You left off the part that the Homer Started in Louisiana, towed to River Rouge Ship Yard via, Mississippi via Chicago then towed to Detroit.
    Shipped on her 1964 and 1965. as a Wiper/Coal Passer.
    This is where I learned he history from 1st Engineer John Schmit. that was lost on the Sinking of The Danial. J. Morrel.

    • You must be thinking of the Johnstown or Sparrows Point. Arthur B. Homer was constructed at River Rouge by Great Lakes Engineering Works in 1960 as a sister ship to the Edmund Fitzgerald for Bethlehem Steel Corp. She never tasted saltwater.

      • No, John Schmidt said she was towed in two sections and welded together at Great Lakes Engineering. I don’t think he would have any reason to tell me that if not true. She was completed there, I believe he was on her when she left there in 1960. John was on the Home till 1965 and went to the ship Bethlehem and finished the season or her. The last time I saw John the Lehigh was leaving Lackawanna and Bethlehem was coming in. I was transferred to the Lehigh to fire. He asked me to fire for him the next season because he was going to be Chief Engineer on another boat. On the way back down I had to get off the join the Navy. John was the Chief on the Danial J.Morrell when she sank, in November 1966. I was doing my first tour in Vietnam.

  5. I just realized the Ship Pictured above is the Danial J. Morrel. Do you know when this picture was taken. I was to have sailed on her the 1966 Season, but went into the Navy in 1965 right after being asked by 1st Engineer John Schmit to Fire for him on her.

    • I,m not sure where the slide is with the date on it, but my recollection was that it was about in the summer of 1960. Downbound in the lower St. Clair River of course.

  6. I live in East Peoria Illinois and used to go down to the Peoria lock and dam as a kid to watch the barges pass through. As the lock is only six hundred feet long, it is difficult to imagine a great lakes ore carrier passing through it, not to mention passing through the old Franklin street bridge at Peoria. Then there is the matter of getting under the low bridges at Chicago to get into Calumet Harbor. I know that during WW2 they brought 34 submarines built at Manitowoc down river. They would put hem in floating drydocks at Calumet and remove the periscope shears and lay them on the subs deck. The drydocks were built by the same company that built he subs. If anyone knows how they moved ships up the Illinois river, it would be interesting to hear. An interesting side note is that the Cedar street bridge in Peoria has a high arch is because it was thought that they would build or rebuild all the bridges on the Mississippi and Illinois rivers that way so ships, not just barges could pass this way from the gulf to the great lakes. With only a fourteen foot channel, even ships in the thirties made this highly improbable.

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