Know Your Ships 2026
More than just a boatwatching guide...
Know Your Ships has 200 pages bursting with color photos of lakers past and present, and is meant not only for those with a casual interest in the parade of nautical commerce that passes our shores, but also for more serious-minded individuals who have a passion for the ships that ply the inland seas. Some refer to the annual Know Your Ships as the Boatwatchers' Bible, however we consider it as a field guide to boats and boatwatching on the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Seaway.
Know Your Ships offers everything ship fans need to know about the freighters, tankers, tugs, barges, salties, passenger ships, international visitors and other vessels in regular Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Seaway, including owner and port of registry, year and shipyard where built, length, beam, depth, cargo capacity and former names, type of engine and horsepower.
​Our cover image
The cover photo for the 2026 edition was taken our own Sam Hankinson. It shows the 1,000’-long Paul R. Tregurtha and ties in with a story Sam wrote that appears in the book about the responsibility the PRT carries as Queen of the Lakes. Seriously – it’s not easy!
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What else?
Complete listings of all vessels in service on the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Seaway, including frequent saltwater visitors. The Passages section chronicles changes in the shipping scene since our previous year’s edition.
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The book also includes meanings of whistle signals, seven pages of colorful stack markings of all Great Lakes & Seaway fleets, including stack markings of many of the saltwater fleets that regularly visit the Seaway system, a comprehensive guide to Great Lakes and Seaway locks and canals, maps of the Great Lakes and Seaway system, a guide to Great Lakes Marine Museums, an Extra Tonnage section that includes a look at cargoes carried by lakers and charts that show travel times and call-in points for the St. Marys, St. Clair and Detroit rivers so you can track the progress of your favorite freighter.
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We feature nearly 200 superb pictures (we counted them!) taken by photographers and fans from all over the Great Lakes region. Through the lenses of our photographers, Know Your Ships 2026 tells the story of Great Lakes shipping and the changes that have taken place since our last edition. This includes the arrival of new vessels, unique cargoes and port calls, and the retirement of old ships. Thanks to the dozens of talented photographers who submitted images for consideration!
Spotlight
This year, we place our spotlight on the story of the veteran laker Cuyahoga. Recently scrapped, we offer her complete history including the role she played in the formation of the upstart Lower Lakes Towing Co. We also talk with Capt. T.J. Per, who has cultivated a YouTube following with his videos about his life and how things work on lakers. We look at how the modern-day carrier Blair McKeil carries on a trade pioneered by the Great Lakes classic Yankcaunck. And, of course, there is Sam Hankinson’s story that was inspired by a trip he took on the Paul R. Tregurtha. There are others too, but we’ll leave you to discover those on your own!
History
We continue to honor the past with a historic photo gallery featuring more images from our archives showing lakers from bygone years. You might recognize some of the ships in the historic photo gallery as vessels that have recently been retired.
Legacy
Know Your Ships has covered the waterfront for more almost 70 years (OK, now we feel officially old!). Our team has enjoyed putting the 2026 edition together, and we hope our fans enjoy using it to find out more about the ships that sail the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Seaway. Smooth sailing!
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