I recall with fond memories the passing of Article submitted to Crain’s Detroit Business -- Ford 100th Anniversary Issue January 2003 I recall with fond memories the passing of ships on Lake St. Clair. Growing up as a child on the foot of Grand Marais in Grosse Pointe Park, the subtle sounds of ships engines that propelled these great freighters was as common as birds chirping. Added to this was the horn signaling of the approaching vessels, meaning -- keep to my port. You would know when ships were of the same company fleet, for they would salute one another using one long blast followed by two short.

The Ford Motor Company fleet consisted of the Henry Ford II, Benson, William Clay, John Dykstra and ErnestBreech. A beautiful fleet it was with their charcoal gray gunnels, burgundy draft lines, and white topside markings. Of course, let's not forget the Ford insignia on their stacks. The ships names were prominently displayed on both sides of their bows.

Upon my completion of graduate school, and hundreds of thousands of miles in business travel, I returned to Grosse Pointe Park. As a boat owner that appreciates our wonderful resource of Lake St. Clair, I began to collect marine art. Without a doubt, one of my favorite pieces is a limited edition print of the William Clay Ford freighter by Robert McGreevy. I had Captain Donald E. Erickson sign this beautiful painting. Additionally, my father,who worked at the Ford Design Center for 33 years, had Mr.. Ford sign it as well.

The S.S. William Clay Ford was the flagship of the Ford Motor Company fleet. Built in 1953 at the Great Lakes Engineering Works in River Rouge,Michigan, she sailed in Ford colors for 33 years until her scrapping in 1986. The vessel was 767 feet in length with a beam of 70 feet. She had 24 hatches and three compartments as large as 288 feet long. Her power plant was that of an oil fired steam turbine that produced 7,000 horsepower. Cargo Capacity was 24,000 gross tons with a top speed of 16 mph (loaded) and 18 mph (unloaded).

The Ford fleet was disbanded years ago and either scrapped or sold to various companies worldwide. However, upon retiring the hull of the William Clay Ford, the pilot house was removed and placed in it's entirety atop the Dossin Great Lakes Museum on Belle Isle in Detroit. During the freighters years of service between 1953 and 1986, this ship's design, craftsmanship,and beauty boasted luxurious mahogany suites and compartments that carried members of the Ford family and their guests, dignitaries and executives on journeys throughout the great lakes system.

In addition ,add to its great history, the William Clay Ford freighter, under the command of Captain Erickson, was the first ship to arrive on-site at the last known coordinates of the S.S. Edmund Fitzgerald, after her demise on that stormy November morning in Lake Superior. Greg Chancey Grosse Pointe Park, Michigan