Although she’s been seen recently over in Superior and Two Harbors, Saginaw makes her first Canal appearance since 2022! Built in 1953 as the John J Boland (yes, that name should sound familiar), sailing for American Steamship Company. She has been a rare sight in the city for quite some time now, with her fleetmate Michipicoten taking nearly all the Sault Ste Marie runs in 2023. This year there appears to be a bit more variety in which ships take that run however! She measures 639ft and can carry 20,500 tons.

While most classic lakers have long lists of extreme transformations in their histories, such as lengthening, shortening, conversions and other fairly extreme measures to keep the vessels up to date over their years of service, the Saginaw is a unique look into the past, the only remaining 1950s era laker that’s virtually unchanged from when she was first constructed. The only major alterations to the vessel came in 1999 when she received her current name and paint scheme, and in 2007 when her steam engines were replaced with modern diesel engines.

One of only three lakers built in the 1950s equipped with self unloading equipment from the beginning, while most other currently active ships from that era had them added on in the 70s. The other two self unloaders were John G Munson and the long scrapped ship Detroit Edison. In 1973 the cables supporting her unloading boom snapped in Green Bay, Wisconsin, destroying the boom. For a short time she sailed as a straight decker until her boom could be replaced. In the late 1970s and through the 1980s, American Steamship replaced nearly their entire fleet with new, modern style lakers, and the classic ships were phased out. The Boland was laid up in Superior in 1984, and would remain in storage for the next 8 years, awaiting the scrap yard along with the rest of her older fleetmates. In 1992 she made a surprise return to service as the oldest ship in their fleet, modernized slightly with new equipment and renovated accommodations for her crew. She sailed running stone and coal for the next 6 years until 1998 when the ship was returned to layup, her name was scrubbed off and given to one of her newer fleetmates, and the calls went out to scrapyards that the ship was available for sale.

However, instead of going to scrap, the ship was bought up by Lower Lakes Towing Company, at that time a small startup company with a handful of small ships. Renamed the Saginaw, the vessel was the largest and newest in their fleet at the time and proved to be a very successful vessel with a wider role, hauling more varied cargo types. The company has since gone onto become one of the largest on the lakes. In 2007 her engines were replaced, and in 2011 she had her boom collapse a second time in Thunder Bay, this time into the water so it was salvageable and replaced onto the ship. Ironically, the modern John J Boland is currently operating under charter for Lower Lakes, once again putting the two ships in the same fleet for the time being.

As for today… Not going to lie, watching her come in I got an odd feeling from the ship that I haven’t before, with any vessel. Seeing her come down the canal seemed weirdly odd somehow, as if she shouldn’t be. Unlike many classic lakers, which have been restored and rebuilt so many times they appear almost new, the Saginaw shows her age, both in her design and her condition. I’m not sure if it was the weather, her slow speed or what exactly, but atmosphere around her in person was tired and fragile. A ship that felt on the verge of giving up, being pushed along only by the willpower of her crew. I’ve never felt that from any vessel before, and it was a disturbing feeling. Not sure I can explain it, there are certainly vessels that physically look worse for wear. Hopefully she gets some work done in the near future, with the potential loss of the Cuyahoga after her fires she’s a needed part of their fleet, now more than ever. But should her time ever come, she’s served with distinction, and far, far longer than anyone ever expected her to. Until that time comes, hopefully far in the future, we’ll continue to enjoy her and her history, a tough ship that just refuses to quit.