FIRST THOUSAND FOOT GREAT LAKES FREIGHTER

The STEWART J. CORT was the first thousand foot Great Lakes freighter

to be constructed. It was commissioned on April 1, 1972.

This photo shows the CORT downbound as it enters the Poe Lock

at Sault Sainte Marie, Michigan in August of 1972.

After passing through the Soo Locks, the CORT headed downstream, made a turn at Mission Point, and is shown here opposite Rotary Island on its way south toward Lake Huron via The Saint Marys River.

The bow and the stern of the CORT were built in Pascagoula, Mississippi for Bethleham Steel. The two sections were welded together, nicknamed "STUBBY", and then headed toward Erie, Pennsylvania by way of the Gulf of Mexico and the Saint Lawrence Seaway. It was a 2600 mile journey.

This newspaper photo shows that the forward cabin has already been welded to the

816 foot long cargo section of the vessel. The CORT has two variable pitch

propellors as well as two bow thrusters and two stern thrusters to

help it maneuver in relatively tight places. It boasts four

20 cylinder GM Diesel Engines which provide a total

horesepower rating of 14,400.

The CORT enters the Poe Lock on June 12, 2005. As you can see, after 33 years of service, it is still very much a working ship.