You Never Forget Your First
A sailor’s first ship is usually the one he remembers the best. The first ship marks the transition from life as a landsman to that of a mariner. My first ship was a Great Lakes ore freighter, the Benson Ford. She was already 55 years old when I climbed aboard as a green deck cadet in the summer of 1979. Years later, I had the chance to revisit what was left of her—the bow and forward cabins preserved as a private cottage on Lake Erie’s South Bass Island. As expected, a lot of old memories came flooding back.
History
Completion of the Rouge River Short Cut Canal in 1923 eliminated the necessity of having small vessels navigate the narrow, curving, natural river channel from its mouth on the Detroit River. The largest class of vessels could now be used to feed raw materials into the huge Ford Motor Company Rouge plant. To take advantage of the new canal, Henry Ford gave contracts to the American Ship Building Company in Lorain, Ohio, to build the motor vessel Henry Ford II and to the Great Lakes Engineering Works in nearby River Rouge, Michigan, to build the motor vessel Benson Ford. The two new ships were named after Ford’s two grandsons who were seven and five years old, respectively, at the time.
The Henry was launched on March 1, 1924 but did not make her maiden voyage until August 14 of the same year. The Benson, which was actually finished first, was launched on April 26, 1924 and first sailed on August 2. The ships were virtual twins, each with a length of 612 feet, a width of 62 feet, and a carrying capacity of 13,400 gross tons. Similar as they were, Mr. Ford always favored the Henry and she was always considered the fleet flagship.
Always the innovator, Henry Ford had some unique features designed into his new ships. In a radical departure from the usual coal-fired steam propulsion plants of the time, both ships were outfitted with a British designed 3,000 HP Sun-Doxford diesel engine. This huge engine had a very distinctive exhaust note, one that I will never forget. The thump of the exhaust could be heard for miles, especially in the confines of river channels. The steady thump was a matter of pride within the Ford fleet and it was joked that the noise sounded like the words ‘making money, making money.’
Other unique features included the first electric winches, electric steering gear, and a freight (or service) elevator flush with the spar deck just aft of the forward cabins that connected with storage areas below. Both ships were equipped with telescoping hatch covers that had to be waterproofed during the rougher weather of the spring and fall. Canvas tarps and batten boards were clamped over the hatch covers to keep them watertight. The elevator was a great help to the deck crew in getting these heavy tarps and boards on deck.
Both ships had an extra deck forward to provide guest accommodations. Each had a total of four guest staterooms and a spacious passenger lounge. A small stainless steel, electrically powered forward galley was located between separate passenger and officer dining rooms. The staterooms and dining rooms featured mahogany paneling. Lesser cabins were paneled in oak. While other ships at the time used steam to operate equipment and provide heat, Ford’s freighters used electric heaters controlled by individual thermostats installed in each of the forward cabins.
Long before the advent of modern telecommunication systems, contact with the Ford ships was maintained through the use of Morse code radiotelegraphy. Well into the early 1930s,
no other Great Lakes ships had communications with shore-side stations. This communication system was tied in with a radio station set up in Dearborn at the Ford Airport. Another modern touch was the use of chrome plating on most hardware and pilothouse fittings to minimize the amount of time spent polishing brass.
After World War II, the passenger quarters on the Ford boats were refurbished several times to keep them suitable for corporate guests. Other technological improvements were applied as they became available. The Benson carried wireless operators until the end of the 1948 season. Thereafter the first AM ship-to-shore radiotelephone was installed. Radar was installed at the same time. By 1958, the VHF radio telephone had been developed and was installed alongside the old AM set. A gyrocompass was installed in 1953, stern anchor in 1959, and a bowthruster in 1963. Other ship systems were continually upgraded over the years.
By the early 1980s, time had run out for the two once innovative vessels. The Benson was laid up for the last time at the end of the 1981 season. Her name was changed to John Dykstra (2) although she never sailed under that name. She was sold for scrap in 1985. Her forward deckhouse and a large portion of the bow were removed in Cleveland in 1986 and sold to Frank and Lydia Sullivan. This forward superstructure was delivered via barge to South Bass Island, Ohio, on July 18, 1986 and hoisted onto its present location on the west side of the island. Shortly thereafter the new owner painted his own name on the bow. The rest of the hull was scrapped in Humberstone, Ontario, in 1987.
Needless to say, the purchase, move and conversion of the forward end into a private home proved to be an expensive operation. Plans to operate the Benson as the ‘Victory Point Bed and Breakfast’ never came to fruition. The Benson Ford Cottage was finally sold at auction on September 21, 1999 to current owners Jerry and Bryan Kasper of Sandusky, Ohio for $410,000. As part of their renovations, the ship’s proper name was restored.
Not many ships are as lucky as the BensonFord has been to survive, at least in part, after their useful commercial lives have ended. Although largely intact, many of the Benson’s original fittings were removed long before the present owners took possession. What remains though, is in great condition. The Benson Ford Cottage is a nautical time capsule providing a rare look back at the height of luxury travel aboard a working Great Lakes freighter.