Central Ore's SS Mackinaw Ore Carrier
NOTES:
-Though she resembles an ore freighter, she is actually an oil tanker (Mostly because I wanted a ship to move diesel)
SHIP STATS
Length: 56m
Top Speed: 11 Knots
Crew: 12(2 officers)
Functional Lifeboats, Steam Engine, Cargo tanks, Ballast System, Auto Horn, actuating steering gear & Autopilot(Thanks to Tajin: [url=https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1584578096)]https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1584578096)[/url]
Deck 1(Forward to Aft):
-Forepeak Tank
-Bow Thruster Engine Room(Forward Ballast Tank Access)
-Boiler Room(Aft Ballast Tank Access)
-Engine Room
DECK 2(Forward to Aft):
-Forward Anchor Machinery
-Crew Bunks
-Crew Recreational Room
-Bathroom
-Cargo Tank Access
-Galley
-Aft Restroom
-Engine Room
-Steering Gear
FORWARD DECKHOUSE(Forward to Aft):
-Captain's Quarters
-Chief Mate's Quarters
-Cargo & Ballast Management Room
-Bathroom
-Bridge
AFT DECKHOUSE(Forward to Aft)
-Mess Hall
-Crew Bunks
-Lifeboats
-Aft Anchor
STARTING THE VESSEL
Upon boarding the vessel, make your way to the aft deckhouse and enter the door on the port side of the structure. Proceed down the stairs immediately in front of you and turn to the right. This should put you in the engine room. Once in the engine room, turn on the key switches labeled "Starboard Condenser Pumps" & "Port Condenser Pumps" on either side of the upper deck of the engine room. The make your way down the stairs and to the front of the engine room. On the bulkhead you should see 4 key switches(2 pairs) labeled "Starboard Boiler Pumps", "Starboard Fuel Pumps", Port Boiler Pumps" & "Port Boiler Pumps". Turn these switches on and then proceed through the door in the center of the bulkhead leading you into the boiler room.
Once in the boiler room press the button on both boilers labeled "Light Boiler". Then make your way back up to the deck of the ship by retracing your steps to where you boarded.
From there make your way up to the front of the ship and head up the stairs located on the back of the forward deckhouse. One you head in the door on the 2nd floor of the forward deckhouse turning immediately to the left, you should see a door that leads to the bridge. From there, all you have to do is advance the "Main Engine Telegraph" and she should start to move.
SHIP HISTORY
This is a fictional ship of my own design, based mainly off of the Col. James M. Schoonmaker, the SS Edmund Fitzgerald, C.T.C. No 1 & the SS Alpena, though it has a lot of features that are pretty generic to Great Lakes bulk freighters.
Following its founding in 1955 by a group of Chicago area railroads, The Central Ore Corporation ordered a pair of shiny new ore carriers from Great Lakes Engineering Works south of Detroit. 2 years later the first of those vessels was launched, the Mackinaw. She quickly assumed the a regular route from Duluth to to Burns Harbor, with occasional runs to Detroit & Cleveland, hauling iron ore.
In 1967 she received a major refit where her boilers were converted from coal to oil(represented by diesel). She returned to service the following year in 1968.
In 1981 the group of railroads that owned Central Ore dissolved and Central Ore became an independent entity.
2001 saw the Mackinaw's sister, Cheboygan, retired from service and converted to a cement barge in Chicago after a structural review revealed that her hull had deteriorated from improper maintenance over the years. This prompted a complete review of the maintenance procedures for Mackinaw. While this review revealed no major problems, the maintenance procedures for Mackinaw were beefed up to keep her in service.
As of 2026, Mackinaw remains in service, expecting to resume her regular routes in early April as the shipping season begins on the Great Lakes.
