Lake freighter

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Lake freighters, also called lakers, are bulk carriers operating on the Great Lakes of North America. Freighters typically have a long, narrow hull, a raised pilothouse, and the engine located at the rear of the ship. The lake freighter's recognizable design emerged from years of innovation in Great Lakes shipping and blended two distinct styles of ship. These vessels are traditionally called boats, despite being technically classified as ships. Lakers have been used since the late 19th century to haul raw material from docks in the Great Lakes and St Lawrence Seaway regions to the industrial centers of Ontario, Quebec, and the American Midwest. The navigation season typically runs from late March through the following mid-January due to the formation of ice on the lakes.The largest lake freighters can travel up to 15 knots (28 km/h; 17 mph) and can carry as much as 78,850 long tons (80,120 t) of bulk cargo. SS Edmund Fitzgerald, which sank in 1975, became widely known as the largest vessel to be wrecked on the Great Lakes.