SS Alpena a Lake freighter like the L6 ships built in 1942
Class overview
Name	Type L6 ship
Builders	American Ship Building Company and Great Lakes Engineering Works
Built	1943 (U.S. shipyards)
In service	1943 –
Completed	16
Active	1
Lost	0
General characteristics
Class and type	Maritimer class - L6
Tonnage	15,825 DWT
Length	620 ft 0 in (188.98 m) (design)
Beam	60 ft 0 in (18.29 m) (design)
Depth	35 ft 0 in (10.67 m) (design)
Installed power	2,500 shp triple expansion steam engine
Propulsion	Two coal-fired water tube boilers *(some coveted to diesel engine)

The Type L6 ship is a United States Maritime Administration (MARAD) designation for World War II as a Great Lakes dry break bulk cargo ship. The L-Type Great Lakes Dry Bulk Cargo Ships were built in 1943 to carry much-needed iron ore from the upper Great Lakes to the steel and iron production facilities on Lakes Erie and Ontario in support of the war effort. The ships have a 15,675 tonne deadweight tonnage. The L6 ships were built by two companies: American Ship Building Company, in the case of the type L6-S-A1 models, of which 6 were built; and Great Lakes Engineering Works, Ashtabula, Ohio/ Great Lakes Engineering Works, River Rouge, Michigan, in the case of the type L6-S-B1, which produced 10 ships. Steel supply needed for World War was great. To supply iron ore from Lake Superior to steel foundries, the United States Commission had a series of L6 Lakers ship built. The Maritime Commission ordered ten Great Lakes Bulk Carriers of the L6-S-B1 type. The L6-S-B1 was design with a 3-cylinder triple expansion steam engines. The L6-S-A1 used a lentz 4-cylinder compound engine. All L6 ships were coal burning and delivered between May and November 1943.^[1] L6-S-B1 was built for the US Maritime Commission under USMC contract MCc-1834 in 1943 at the River Rouge yard. Each L6 ship cost $2.265 million. The first L6-S-B1 was the SS Adirondack/Richard J. Reiss, hull 290, keel was laid on March 9, 1942 and launched on September 19, 1942. The ships are often called the Class Lake Bulk Freighter now.^[2]

Specifications

• Dimensions: 620 feet
• Beam 60 feet
• GRT 9057
• NRT 6793
• Dwt 15,800
• Two coal-fired water tube boilers.
• L6-S-A1 type had Lenz 4 cylinder compound steam engine
• L6-S-B1 type had a 2,500 shp, 3 cylinder triple expansion steam engine

^[3][4]

Ships in Class

• L6-S-A1 Maritimer class
  • Thomas Wilson Hull #826 USMC #565, Sank in Sank 1987.
  • Sewell Avery Hull #827 USMC #566 Used as a dock at Sault Ste Marie,Ont. 1987^[5]
  • J. Burton Ayers, renamed Cuyahoga Hull#828 USMC #567 Converted Diesel 3,084 bhp in 1999^[6]
  • E. G. Grace, renamed Lincolnshire Hull #829 USMC #568, Scrapped 1984 at Port Colborne Ont.^[7]
  • Belle Isle, renamed Champlain Hull #1009 USMC #569 Scrapped in Turkey October 1987^[8]
  • John T. Hutchinson Hull #1010 USMC #570 Scrapped in Taiwan Oct 2, 1988^[9]
• L6-S-B1 Maritimer class
  • Adirondack, renamed Richard J. Reiss, then Manistee Hull #290 USMC #579 Converted to 2,950 horsepower diesel engine in 1976^[10]
  • Lake Angelina, renamed Cadillac Hull #291 USMC #580 Scrap in 1962 at Hamilton Ont.^[11]
  • Hill Annex , renamed George A. Sloan then Mississagi Hull #292 USMC #581 Converted in 1984 to 4,500 bhp 12-cylinder diesel engine. Sent for scrap in 2021 ^[12]
  • Pilot Knob, renamed Frank Armstrong Hull #522 USMC #582 Scrapped in Turkey 1988.^[13]
  • Clarence B. Randall Hull #523 USMC #583 Scrapped in Taiwan Oct 2, 1988^[14]
  • McIntyre, renamed Frank Purnell Hull #293 USMC #584 Used as barge, now laid up on the Calumet River.^[15]
  • Robert C. Stanley Hull #294 USMC # 585 Scrapped in Turkey May,1989.
  • ' "Lehigh," renamed "Joseph X. Robert," then "Willowglen," scrapped in 2006.

Active

Ship still active on the lakes:

• Cuyahoga (former: J. Burton Ayers), New diesel engine install in 2000.^[16]

Notable incidents

• SS Thomas Wilson After worked on the Lakes from 1943 to 1987. She was sold for scrap to Corostel Trading Co. of Montreal, Que. Canada in September 1987. Tugs were towing her to Taiwan for scrapping. On December 21, 1987 they hit a storm in the Atlantic Ocean and the towline broke. The Thomas Wilson sank 250 miles northeast of Bermuda,^[17] sank near 34 08'N by 61 35'12"W.^[18]
• SS Sewell Avery was sold 1986 to A. B. McLean Ltd., she was sunk in May 1987 to be used as part of a dock at Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario.^[19]
• J. Burton Ayers grounded at Stoneport, MI resulting on September 10, 1980, with much bottom damage, she was repaired. She was also grounded in the Detroit River, near the Renaissance Center, on May 8, 1981; she was released by three tugs.