By Chris Winters

An engineer stands the final throttle watch aboard the Manitowoc-built self-unloader JOHN G. MUNSON on approach to the Sturgeon Bay traffic buoy. The MUNSON (1952) tied up at Fincanteri Bay Shipbuilding later that evening to begin conversion from her original steam turbine to a new 8,000 H.P. Caterpillar | MaK Tier-2 diesel powerplant, December 2015.

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The steel JOHN G. MUNSON was built in 1952 at Manitowoc, Wisconsin, by the Manitowoc Ship Building Co. for the Bradley Transportation Line a division of US Steel.  She measured 649.3 x 72.2 x 34.5 and in 1952 was the largest self-unloader built on the Lakes.  She currently sails for the Great Lakes Fleet.

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Chris Winters is a Trustee and Vice President 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.