How fast do Great Lakes freighters go?

Self-unloading equipment and enormous cargo capacity make them very efficient carriers. Invented on the Great Lakes, the self-unloading technology allows a 1,000-foot vessel to routinely discharge as much as 70,000 tons of iron ore or coal in less than 10 hours! The vessels are dieselpowered with speeds up to 15 knots.



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The average lifespan of a laker is 40-50 years. Most Lakers are subject to unique size constraints that allow them to travel from the Great Lakes waterway through the St. Lawrence Seaway to the Atlantic Ocean. The term 'Seawaymax' refers to the largest vessel size that can fit through the canal locks of the St.

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In addition to their cargo load, these ships can also carry up to 12 people, which can include luckily travelers if there's space. You usually don't buy a ticket for these journeys. Rather, you need to either know someone in the crew or win a ticket in a raffle.

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They hold union jobs, all the way up to the captain, and crew members say the pay and benefits are worth the sacrifices they make to be on board. Deckhands average about $55,000 to $65,000 a season, which usually equates to six or seven months of work. Officers start around $90,000.

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It was during that time that the Alpena was converted into a self-unloading freighter. Later that year, the ship was purchased by New Management Enterprises, which officially renamed it the Alpena. The Alpena is currently the oldest ship sailing the lakes.

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It turns out, it takes a sizable team. Freighters are out at sea for up to 120 days at a time and the ship doubles as both home and workspace for two dozen or more crew during long stretches away from shore.

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Of course, the most famous Great Lakes shipwreck was that of the Edmund Fitzgerald in 1975, with none of the 29 members of its crew surviving the waters of Lake Superior. And the most deadly event was the 1958 sinking of the Carl Bradley in Lake Michigan, claiming the lives of all but two of 35 shipmates onboard.

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