Deckhand: Life on Freighters of the Great Lakes

by Nelson Haydamacker, Alan D. Millar

Long before popular television shows such as Dirty Jobs and The Deadliest Catch , everyday men and women---the unsung heroes of the job world---toiled in important but mostly anonymous jobs. One of those jobs was deckhand on the ore boats. With numerous photographs and engaging stories, Deckhand offers an insider's view of both the mundane and the intriguing duties performed by deckhands on these gritty cargo vessels. Boisterous port saloons, monster ice jams, near drownings, and the daily drudgery of soogeying---cleaning dirt and grime off the ships---are just a few of the experiences Mickey Haydamacker had as a young deckhand working on freighters of the Great Lakes in the early 1960s. Haydamacker sailed five Interlake Steamship Company boats, from the modern Elton Hoyt 2nd to the ancient coal-powered Colonel James Pickands with its backbreaking tarp-covered hatches. Deckhand will appeal to shipping buffs and to anyone interested in Great Lakes shipping and maritime history as it chronicles the adventures of living on the lakes from the seldom-seen view of a deckhand. Mickey Haydamacker spent his youth as a deckhand sailing on the freighters of the Great Lakes. During the 1962 and '63 seasons Nelson sailed five different Interlake Steamship Company ore boats. He later went on to become an arson expert with the Michigan State Police, retiring with the rank of Detective Sergeant. Alan D. Millar, to whom Haydamacker related his tale of deckhanding, spent his career as a gift store owner and often wrote copy for local newspaper, TV, and radio.

152 pages, Paperback

First published February 24, 2009

Reviews

[Peter · Rating 3 out of 5]

As sea lit goes, seemingly rare is a book re: maritime life on the Great Lakes. Here is a first “hand” account of a young man’s trials and tribulations starting out as a Deckhand, the lowest rung on the ladder. Eminently readable. Primarily a memoir, there’s detail galore on loading, transporting, and unloading coal, iron ore, etc. to satisfy the geekiest student of the subject or the curious landlubber.

[Ralph Joseph, A. Wasche Jr. · Rating 5 out of 5]

I sailed on the Great lakes between 1967and 1970. This book took me back in memorial of my own experience.This is a exceletnt

I sailed on the Great lakes between 1967and 1970. This book took me back in memorial of my own experience.This is a exceletnt story line with great description of the job as ordinary seaman on deck hand. I could really relate to the work the crews and the food from the Galley.

[Debra Jarus · Rating 5 out of 5]

A must read for boatnerds!

This is a wonderful look at Great Lakes shipping in the 1960's! Things on the Lakes have changed so much in so many ways, but old boatnerds, like me, are bound to enjoy hearing about the boats (what we call Lake Freighters) of our childhood while they were still in service.

[Julie Ousley · Rating 5 out of 5]

My grandson vacations with us in Michigan every summer. He loves the Soo Locks. We looked to see if there was a book about the freighters on the Lakes and found this book.it was wonderful. Totally appropriate for the whole family. We read a little bit together every day after school. Good descriptions of life on the lakes aboard these large ships.

[John Heid · Rating 3 out of 5]

Is it well written? No. Did I expect it to be? No. But it was a quick easy read that captured at a high level life on the Great Lakes. After all, primary sources on mid century Great Lakes shipping are minimal.
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[Craig · Rating 5 out of 5]

Easy read and very informative about life on an ore boat. If you enjoy the lakes and the history of the boats, this is a good book.

[J.G. Follansbee · Rating 3 out of 5]

This review also appears on Joe Follansbee's blog.

So much of maritime history is the stories of great captains, visionary leaders, or risk-taking entrepreneurs. Of course, most of the actual work was done by people below them on the hierarchy from officers down to deck hands. As it turns out, even the lowliest mariners have great yarns to tell, and that’s the case with Nelson “Mickey” Haydamacker, who began his working life as a deck “ape” on Great Lakes bulk carriers in the early 1960s. With writer Alan D. Millar, Haydamacker has shared his early adventures in a new memoir, Deck Hand: Life on Freighters of the Great Lakes. It’s an immensely likeable story told as if Mickey were sharing a beer with you in one of the dives he visited in many lake ports.

In 1962, Haydamacker was an 18-year-old kid anxious to make his way in the world. Following the lead of relatives, Haydamacker applied for a job with the Ohio-based Interlake Steamship Company, one of the largest operators of taconite ore and coal carriers on the Great Lakes. Haydamacker vividly describes his trepidation and excitement as he boards the Elton Hoyt 2nd in Ashtabula. The young man had barely traveled outside his home town of Algonac, Mich., on the St. Clair River. He’s soon put to work fitting out the Hoyt for the upcoming season.

As the new man, he gets the worst jobs, starting with painting the exterior of the Hoyt the classic fire engine red of the ore freighter. He also explains “soogeying,” a term so obscure that it’s hard to find in dictionaries. It means scrubbing and cleaning the ship so that it’s spotless, and the work is never-ending. Haydamacker accepts the job good-naturedly–he doesn’t admit to much grumbling–and eventually he’s rewarded with a promotion to “deckwatch” by his second season. The new job has new responsibilities aboard a new ship, but the reader gets the sense that this intelligent fellow is getting a bit bored.

After two years, five ships, one serious mishap, and numerous visits to ports from Taconite Harbor, Minn., to Tonawonda, N.Y., Haydamacker decides that another career path, law enforcement, is more to his taste. He soon joins the Michigan State Police. But the two years aboard the ore boats adds critical lessons to his early years, and his memories are a fine addition to the big picture of life as a Great Lakes mariner.

[University of Michigan Press]

Long before popular television shows such as "Dirty Jobs" and "The Deadliest Catch," everyday men and women—the unsung heroes of the job world—toiled in important but mostly anonymous jobs.

One of those jobs was deckhand on the ore boats, and this book offers an insider's view of life on some of the ships that plied their trade on the Great Lakes. With numerous photographs and engaging stories, Deckhand illustrates both the mundane and the intriguing duties performed by deckhands on these gritty cargo vessels. Boisterous port saloons, monster ice jams, near drownings, and the daily drudgery of soogeying—cleaning dirt and grime off the ships—are just a few of the experiences Mickey Haydamacker had as a young deckhand working on freighters of the Great Lakes in the early 1960s. Haydamacker sailed five Interlake Steamship Company boats, from the modern Elton Hoyt 2nd to the ancient coal-powered Col. James Pickands with its backbreaking tarp-covered hatches.

Deckhand will appeal to shipping buffs and to anyone interested in Great Lakes shipping and maritime history as it chronicles the adventures of living on the lakes from the seldom-seen view of a deckhand.

[Kent District Library]

Deckhand (Non-fiction) a personal account of a man in the early 1960’s who signed on as a deckhand with the great lakes freighters. His narration of the day-to-day work provides a glimpse into the life of a great lakes sailor. If you’ve ever watched a ship go by and wondered what the crew is up to, this book is for you.

[Tim Laitas · Rating 3 out of 5]

Decent read about growing up working on the Great Lakes freighters. Feels like it was missing something though. When you hype it in the description with comparing it to the Deadliest Catch, you anticipate more excitement. Was expecting more but still great insight into life working on the big ships.

[Tara · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed the book. I always wondered what went on on the ships that I see on the St. Lawrence river

[Bob]

A very well written book about the author's life as a deckhand on a Great Lakes freighter. Not an easy job!!!