We Know Our Ships
We Know Our Ships
One of the essential pieces of literature here at the Port of Monroe is Know Your Ships. Over the years, KYS has become synonymous with the Great Lakes shipping industry. Know Your Ships was founded in 1959 by Thomas Manse at Sault Ste. Marie. It began as a small staple-bound publication with 44 pages that sold for 50 cents. With the help of advertisers and industry support, Know Your Ships has grown to 200 color pages. Today, Roger LeLievre continues Tom’s legacy by speaking at libraries, historical societies, and conventions about Know Your Ships and its contribution to the Great Lakes maritime community.
The book continues to be a resource for anyone interested in learning basic information about the vessels on the Great Lakes. It has changed lives and kickstarted careers in the maritime industry. Every year, photographers from all over the lakes contribute their sensational images to Know Your Ships, which helps the book share to its readers and fans the best of what the Great Lakes shipping industry has to offer.
After looking through a copy of Know Your Ships, one will understand what cargoes the ships on the Great Lakes carry, what a master salute is, and how to identify ships based on their smokestack markings. It provides statistics on all the American and Canadian-flagged ships, as well as the many different saltwater ships that visit the Great Lakes during the shipping season.
For the second straight season, we are proud to sponsor an exclusive “Port of Monroe” cover of Know Your Ships. On the front cover is Interlake’s motor vessel Mark W. Barker inbound on the River Raisin passing the Paul R. Tregurtha unloading at the DTE Monroe Power Plant. On the back cover is the Great Lakes Towing Tug Georgia docked with the Mark W. Barker using the Port’s turning basin in the background. Both of these images were captured by our Port Director Paul C. LaMarre III.
It is important for us to support Know Your Ships as it is the premier source for information about Great Lakes vessels. We frequently use it to reference vessel dimensions of the ships that call on the Port and also as a tool to educate those unfamiliar with our industry. Copies of Know Your Ships can be found all along the shores of the Great Lakes in bookstores. You can also order your own copy online at www.knowyourships.com.
