  Rhymeswithrawk Member Username: Rhymeswithrawk Post Number: 909 Registered: 11-2005 |
http://blog.mlive.com/chronicl e/2007/09/former_cruise_ship_a quarama_to.html Co-worker just sent this to me. A sad way for a legend to go. | ||
Stinger4me Member Username: Stinger4me Post Number: 59 Registered: 08-2007 |
She was quite the news maker in her day. The wake of the ship was memorable. My aunt went on the cruise, there and back in a day. A fast boat. | ||
Gnome Member Username: Gnome Post Number: 97 Registered: 08-2007 |
Mrs. Gnome's grandfather was the Aquarama's first mate | ||
Ookpik Member Username: Ookpik Post Number: 334 Registered: 01-2007 |
I think this is the Aquarama.  Ookpik | ||
The_rock Member Username: The_rock Post Number: 1960 Registered: 11-2003 |
Thats it, ookpik. The ill-fated Aquarama. Our law firm was involved in litigation for Westinghouse when the vessel was being converted back in 1955 from a C-4 carrier to a passenger ship. Her Great Lakes captain, Morgan Howell from St. Clair, was a real interesting individual and told some wonderful stories about his command. P.S. I am having trouble posting on your "Mystery Ships." I think I have a couple more answers. | ||
Mikem Member Username: Mikem Post Number: 3480 Registered: 10-2003 |
Did Morgan Howell go on to be a pilot? I think I rode with him on a pilot boat out of Marysville in the early 1970s, while he was being delivered to a downbound Greek freighter. He did had some good stories to tell, even on the short ride out to the boat. | ||
Gravitymachine Member Username: Gravitymachine Post Number: 1826 Registered: 05-2005 |
i used to see it at its mooring in buffalo when i visited friends there, it was a pretty eerie sigtht at night. | ||
Walkerpub Member Username: Walkerpub Post Number: 175 Registered: 12-2003 |
From: Postcards from the Past, Volume 1- The Border Cities (Walkerville Publishing) "The “S.S. Marine Star,” built in 1945 by the Sun Shipbuilding & Drydock Company in Chester, Pennsylvania, was commissioned as a naval troop ship, then converted to a passenger cruise ship in 1955, and renamed the “S.S. Aquarama.” She plied a route between Cleveland and Detroit and was a familiar sight along the river; she featured nine decks, four restaurants, four bars, a movie theatre, room for 260 cars and 2,600 passengers! Mothballed in 1963, she is currently docked in Buffalo, NY and faces an uncertain future."     | ||
The_rock Member Username: The_rock Post Number: 1963 Registered: 11-2003 |
Morgan Howell died in his 90's and had quite a long history on the Lakes so could well have been your skipper on the ferry, Mikem. He spoke a couple of times at the annual meeting of the Great Lakes Historical Society and his adventures in the wheelhouse of the Aquarama. It was my understanding that the thought was for the Aquarama to run between Florida and Cuba, but when a guy named Fidel took over in Cuba the plans were scrubbed and so the vessel came up here to the Great Lakes. She was always hitting and destroying docks in Toronto and Cleveland as the boat was really hard to manipulate, and her wake destroyed many a small dock too. Howell's stories left you laughing! He could really deliver a stirring tale. | ||
Sstashmoo Member Username: Sstashmoo Post Number: 429 Registered: 02-2007 |
When I was a little kid, that thing about swamped our little 40 foot boat in Livingstone channel. They were tickin everybody off up and down the river with that ship. The wake was like 8 feet high under way, or looked like it anyway. I remember some old newspaper articles talking about preventing it from going over a certain speed in areas here. Truly a grand old piece of Detroit river history. Quite frankly I thought it had been scrapped years ago. | ||
Ookpik Member Username: Ookpik Post Number: 335 Registered: 01-2007 |
Quote The_rock: "P.S. I am having trouble posting on your "Mystery Ships." I think I have a couple more answers." I'm not sure why you would be having trouble. Send me an e-mail at: ookpik72 "at" yahoo "dot" com and maybe I can figure it out. Funny thing about the Aquarama - I was completely unfamiliar with the ship and the photo I posted in this thread was going to be the next "Mystery Ship." I about fell out of the chair when I clicked the link in the first post and saw the picture. Ookpik | ||
Ed_golick Member Username: Ed_golick Post Number: 819 Registered: 10-2003 |
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Motorcitydave Member Username: Motorcitydave Post Number: 102 Registered: 11-2004 |
Speaking of cruise ships, any new info on the port by the RenCen?? Still looking at summer of 2006 for the completion date?? ;) | ||
Mdoyle Member Username: Mdoyle Post Number: 218 Registered: 10-2006 |
or for that matter any news at all on work on the river walk. is it a far as it can progress currently. Are there land allocation issues? | ||
Ltdave Member Username: Ltdave Post Number: 92 Registered: 09-2006 |
i took some pictures of Captain Howell back in 84-85 when he completed his 5th associate degree at St. Clair County Community College. we ran the pictures and story in the Erie Square Gazette... neat ol' guy... d |
