# How many big steam ships are still sailing? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [September 18, 2009, 4:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-big-steam-ships-are-still-sailing/510551 "2009-09-18T04:12:56Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Snnipe\_70E](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5a626/32.png) [@Snnipe\_70E](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snnipe_70E)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2015, 4:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-big-steam-ships-are-still-sailing/510551/21 "2015-08-21T04:51:32Z")
> [@Floater](#): > > Just a wee nitpick. She has steam **turbines** giving power to generators producing the electricity that powers the electrical motors that make her move. In my book to be called a steam ship it should have a steam **engine**. A steam turbine is a steam engine. ---
**Author:** ![Machine\_Elf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/82dd89/32.png) [@Machine\_Elf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Machine_Elf)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2015, 11:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-big-steam-ships-are-still-sailing/510551/22 "2015-08-21T11:59:33Z")
> [@dogman69](#): > > Just to update and revive the “steam ships in service” posts, the 410-foot S.S. Badger is a coal-fired steamship built in 1952 that’s homeported in Ludington, Michigan, and still operates as a car ferry across Lake Michigan. It’s said to be the largest coal-fired passenger steamship still operating in the U.S. in 2015. This should satisfy the nitpickers in this thread, in that [the S.S. Badger](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SS_Badger) is powered by an honest-to-god [Skinner Unaflow reciprocating-piston steam engine.](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uniflow_steam_engine) ---
**Author:** ![Bimmer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/db5fbb/32.png) [@Bimmer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bimmer)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2015, 12:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-big-steam-ships-are-still-sailing/510551/23 "2015-08-21T12:32:22Z")
I think the SS Universe is still floating around Hong Kong somewhere. It used to be an ‘Alaskan cruise ship’ and was also leased out to, I believe, the U of Pittsburg to take students on world cruises. Now I think it’s a passenger ferry. ---
**Author:** ![Isilder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/cc9497/32.png) [@Isilder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Isilder)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2015, 2:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-big-steam-ships-are-still-sailing/510551/24 "2015-08-21T14:16:58Z")
> [@Bimmer](#): > > I think the SS Universe is still floating around Hong Kong somewhere. NO. It went to scrappers in 96. ---
**Author:** ![Isilder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/cc9497/32.png) [@Isilder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Isilder)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2015, 2:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-big-steam-ships-are-still-sailing/510551/25 "2015-08-21T14:39:34Z")
> [@minor7flat5](#): > > As has been mentioned, there are many steam-driven vessels in the Navy. Well there are 8 Wasp class ships that use boilers to drive turbines. Other than them,what is there ? The 2 hospital ships… and 3 Gopher State Cranes. Any more ? 13. ---
**Author:** ![Xema](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/9de053/32.png) [@Xema](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Xema)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2015, 3:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-big-steam-ships-are-still-sailing/510551/26 "2015-08-21T15:56:02Z")
> [@Isilder](#): > > Any more ? As noted above, numerous nuclear-powered submarines and aircraft carriers. ---
**Author:** ![minor7flat5](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/minor7flat5/32/258_2.png) [@minor7flat5](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/minor7flat5)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2015, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-big-steam-ships-are-still-sailing/510551/27 "2015-08-21T16:38:23Z")
Indeed… I was a nuclear Machinist’s Mate on the Nimitz–a job that would be pointless without a steam plant (MM’s are steam plant workers). [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-big-steam-ships-are-still-sailing/510551.md?page=1)