# USN Ships - Great Lakes **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [November 29, 2013, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/usn-ships-great-lakes/675096 "2013-11-29T21:01:13Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![SanDiegoTim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/85e7bf/32.png) [@SanDiegoTim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SanDiegoTim)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2013, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/usn-ships-great-lakes/675096/1 "2013-11-29T21:01:13Z")
Anyone know what is the largest ship in the current US Navy inventory could be negotiated into Lake Michigan from the Atlantic? ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2013, 9:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/usn-ships-great-lakes/675096/2 "2013-11-29T21:18:04Z")
I know of two _Oliver Hazard Perry_-class frigates which have docked in Cleveland, Ohio, on Lake Erie, in recent years: [Oliver Hazard Perry-class frigate - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oliver_Hazard_Perry-class_frigate). Nothing bigger that I’m aware of. ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2013, 9:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/usn-ships-great-lakes/675096/3 "2013-11-29T21:27:13Z")
Looks like the St. Lawrence Seaway locks can handle 740’ long with a draft of 70’. A _Ticonderoga_ class cruiser is 567’ with a draft of 55’. I don’t think either the _New Jersey_, the last battleship to be decommissioned, or any of the post-WW2 aircraft carriers could navigate the locks. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2013, 11:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/usn-ships-great-lakes/675096/4 "2013-11-29T23:10:19Z")
> [@kunilou](#): > > Looks like the St. Lawrence Seaway locks can handle 740’ long with a draft of 70’. Access to Lake Superior is apparently more limited. The deepest of the locks into that lake is 32 feet. ---
**Author:** ![Isilder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/cc9497/32.png) [@Isilder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Isilder)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2013, 12:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/usn-ships-great-lakes/675096/5 "2013-11-30T00:22:06Z")
Ships on Lake Michagan were limited to 25’ draught early in 2013 due to “drought” , and they still bump along. In regular times, they can go to 28’ draught. I figure the Navy don’t want to take anything in if there is a risk it might bump into something solid in the depths… so add some feet on for safety They had a flight deck on USS Sable … but of course it was built for the purpose, taking a lake steamer and re-fitting it as a floating runway … ---
**Author:** ![Toledo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/34f0e0/32.png) [@Toledo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Toledo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2013, 4:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/usn-ships-great-lakes/675096/6 "2013-11-30T04:34:19Z")
I think somebody is a bit confused: The 55’ and 70’ numbers are the beam (width), not the draft. Most of the lake shipping channels are only dredged (where needed) to 35-38 feet. I don’t know of any locks anywhere with 70’ draft over sills. The only USN ships which would draw that much water would submerged submarines. ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2013, 4:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/usn-ships-great-lakes/675096/7 "2013-11-30T04:40:02Z")
Here’s the stats for getting through the St. Lawrence seaway: \*St. Lawrence River- (6) depth, 26 feet (7.9 meters); (7) width, 76 feet (23.16 meters); (8) Length, 730 feet (222.5 meters) when certain conditions are met; (9) vertical, 117 feet (35.6 meters). From my friends at [boatnerd.com](http://boatnerd.com) [http://www.boatnerd.com/facts-figures/cpgreat.htm](http://www.boatnerd.com/facts-figures/cpgreat.htm) ---
**Author:** ![Duckster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duckster/32/1244_2.png) [@Duckster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duckster)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2013, 5:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/usn-ships-great-lakes/675096/8 "2013-11-30T05:18:00Z")
I think the [Coast Guard](http://www.uscg.mil/d9/) would have something to say about the USN navigating in their waters. ---
**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:** [November 30, 2013, 6:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/usn-ships-great-lakes/675096/9 "2013-11-30T06:11:15Z")
> [@Duckster](#): > > I think the [Coast Guard](http://www.uscg.mil/d9/) would have something to say about the USN navigating in their waters. Why? I doubt if the USCG would care. They have completely different functions. ---
**Author:** ![Slithy\_Tove](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slithy_tove/32/18248_2.png) [@Slithy\_Tove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slithy_Tove)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2013, 12:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/usn-ships-great-lakes/675096/10 "2013-11-30T12:32:50Z")
Well _somebody_ tagged the sign at Navy Pier in Chicago, and they were wearing blue. That’s all I’m saying. ---
**Author:** ![Bear\_Nenno](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bear_nenno/32/3358_2.png) [@Bear\_Nenno](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bear_Nenno)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2013, 1:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/usn-ships-great-lakes/675096/11 "2013-11-30T13:18:36Z")
> [@Duckster](#): > > I think the [Coast Guard](http://www.uscg.mil/d9/) would have something to say about the USN navigating in their waters. The US Navy is always navigating in Coast Guard waters. How the hell do you think they make port?