The Roger Blough is not a "1000-footer",but she was built to be the first "super carrier" to take advantage of the expanded Poe Lock. Built for the Great Lakes Fleet at Lorain, OH at American Shipbuilding - keel laid in September, 1968) and she would have been the in fact the 1st "super" but for a tragic accident during her construction. An untimely fire in her engine room (four shipyard workmen died) in June of 1971 set her schedule back nearly a year. In the meantime, Bethlehem Steel's thousand foot Stewart J. Cort had already sailed in May of that year. With the repairs, Blough's maiden voyage was delayed until the following June.

Why "858 feet"? The Coast Guard, before the Blough was commissioned, calculated that 858' was the maximum length for a craft to make the turn at Johnson's Point in the St Mary's River. (The Coast Guard had a surprise coming on the Cort's first upbound run when she made the turn with ease.)

So, instead of being the "first" of a new class carrier to sail the lakes the "Blough" is in fact a "last" - the last classic "fore n' aft" lake boat built, which is appreciated by lots of "traditionalist" lake boat fans. But she is unique in several design details. She was the first boat designed with a "shuttle" type self-unloading system. Four boats were equipped with this system; the Blough, the Cort, and two of the Blough's Great Lakes fleetmates; the Gott and the Speer (note: the Gott was modified; adding a standard centerline boom in 1995).

It is also widely believed that the Blough is the fastest boat on the lakes since the 1997 retirement(?) of the Ryerson. Both boats are believed to be capable of attaining 20+ mph while loaded.