By Chris Winters

The galley crew of the steamer EDWARD L. RYERSON don neoprene “Gumby” survival suits during a weekly lifeboat drill, upbound on Lake Superior, November 2006. Survival suits became required lifesaving equipment aboard lake freighters after the loss of the EDMUND FITZGERALD in November 1975.

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The EDWARD L. RYERSON was built in 1960 at Manitowoc, Wisconsin, by the Manitowoc Shipbuilding Co. for Inland Steel.  She measured 730 x 75 x 39 and was built to solely carry iron ore.  The RYERSON entered a long-term layup in 2009 at the Fraser Shipyard in Superior and remains there today.   She is currently owned by Cleveland Cliffs, Inc. and managed by Central Marine Logistics.

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Chris Winters is a Trustee of the Wisconsin Marine Historical Society, a well-known author and has been a photojournalist for over 25 years.  He and his cameras have enjoyed a privileged glimpse into the lives of merchant mariners aboard some of the Great Lakes best-known and best-loved vessels.