Captain Timothy Alfson, a Lowell resident, spoke about being the captain of the Edwin H. Gott, a thousand (plus 4) foot Great Lakes freighter. Chuck, my husband, and I attended the event which was sponsored by the Lowell Historical Museum. Join us as we learn about maritime economics and “GOTT the GOTT” antics on the fresh water seas. Following his presentation a young man, Luke, surprised the Captain asking for the mariner’s autograph. It was quiet a night!

Edwin H. Gott

With a specialized long boom the Edwin H. Gott can load faster, go faster and unload faster than other ships carrying iron ore. “No one can compete with us.” Captain Alfson smiled. “Both The (American) Spirit and The Gott unload using a hopper system.”

63,000 tons of iron ore can be loaded in 9 hours as ballast tanks are adjusted by the crew of 20 individuals. “The ship will flex and bend as gates are opened and closed.” Captain Alfson explained. “Great Lakes Fleet,” the owners of The Gott, always put safety first. “Safety first comes from the top on down.” Captain Timothy Alfson stated confidently.

“There’s a lot of technology on board.” Timothy expanded by explaining an electronic GPS (Global Positioning System using satellites), three radars and bow thrusters (for easier maneuvering) as well as NOAH (a weather monitoring system) to help navigate The Gott along it’s three day course.

“Lake Superior’s storms run north – south which causes us to navigate along either the northern shoreline or the southern. Lake Michigan is the opposite with storms running east – west.” The Captain described how the weather really dictates their journey. “NOAH’s reports, along with experience, helps us know where to hide, when to wait and what the ship can handle.”

Captain Timothy Alfson

“People ask me, ‘How did you become a captain?’ Well, as a child our family took a vacation on The Badger car ferry.” Somehow Tim’s Dad had organized a meeting with the third mate, a young female. “She gave me a tour.” Then at John Ball Zoo School, Timothy’s teacher sang “The Edmund Fitzgerald.” He was hooked on the maritime lifestyle. Timothy graduated with his pilot endorsement from the Great Lakes Maritime Academy in 1999. He’s been working on Great Lake vessels ever since.

Captain Alfson relayed the long history of the shipping industry on the Great Lakes. “It has been estimated that 6,000 vessels have been lost on the Great Lakes.” He explained, “Following WWII, other countries needed to rebuild their infrastructure from scratch, where the United States made due with their same fleets.” In this way, other countries surpassed the USA in shipping technology.

Shipping On The Great Lakes

Over his career, Captain Alfson has worked on the Gott, the Blough and the Spear. The Great Lake freighters haul iron ore, coal and stone. This cargo is moved across the waterway, through the Soo Locks, from March 25th until January 15th each year. However, they still experience wintery weather.

A cost benefit study had been conducted in 1980 with a focus on using railroads more than shipping. It was found that building the rail infrastructure would be ten times the cost compared to remodeling the Poll Lock, which handles 70% of the freighters, for shipping.

John Rice, Wheelman

In the photo below, John Rice, wheelman, demonstrated how working on a Great Lakes freighter demands dedication and a high tolerance for hardships.

GOTT the GOTT

John Rice, wheelsman, (photo above) had started the “GOTT the GOTT” antics. This friendly competition was all about capturing the Edwin H. Gott on camera while John Rice tried to capture observers of the freighter with his device. Participants would post their photos on Facebook. Below you can see John’s picture of a duo clicking The Gott in their frames as John captured this moment.

That beam of light must have caused quiet a ruckus on shore! I have followed these “GOTT the GOTT” posts on the Neebish Island Facebook group since our visit there in 2021. Lori and Connie, islanders, had shared about “GOTT the GOTT.” I had been intrigued. So, you can imagine that I was pretty excited to be hearing Captain Alfson speak!

Captain Timothy Alfson’s Parents

Remember how The Gott’s crew would shine a spot light? Well, last summer Captain Timothy Alfson happened to direct the spot light on his parent’s camping site during the dark hours. As you can imagine, this beam had awoken many campers from their slumber.

Luke

At a nearby campsite was young Luke and his grandparents. The next morning Luke spoke of how the spotlight had kept him awake. The Captain’s parents claimed blame for his late night interruption and gave Luke a wooden plaque with The Edwin H. Gott, explaining that their son was the Captain and had shined the light in their direction.

After the program, Luke and his father stood in line to talk to the mariner who had caused such a ruckus. Laughter was shared among the group. Luke produced a Sharpie. “Oh,” Captain Timothy responded with surprise, “Where would you like me to sign this?” Luke pointed to the center of the plaque just below The Gott. (bottom left picture)

“Have You Ever Had Pizza Delivered?”

My husband, Chuck, asked, “Have you ever had pizza delivered?” The Captain and his parents shared a look followed by a laugh. “Well, there was that one time we threw burgers over the fence.” Timothy’s Dad answered. “Yeah,” Timothy grinned, “We almost got in trouble.” It had obviously been a memorable moment. Chuck turned to me, “Maybe we could arrange to deliver pizza to The Gott or even White Shoal Lighthouse in Thor. (our zodiac boat)” Plans are now brewing for another summer adventure. Stay tuned!

Why Had The Ship Been Named The Edwin H. Gott?

Edwin H. Gott had been named for a Chairman on the United States Steel Corporation Board of Directors. Edwin had joined USS Corp. in 1937. He worked as an engineer and in 1956 became a Vice President. Another promotion followed in 1959 where his title designated him as Administrative V.P.

He had become chairman and chief executive officer of the corporation on Feb. 1, 1969. Mr. Gott retired in 1973 when he was 65 years old but remained on the board of directors and the executive and finance committee until 1980. He passed at age 78 in 1986.

Thank You

Thank you to The Lowell Historical Museum, Captain Timothy Alfson and Luke, too! We learned a lot and are now even more curious about shipping. Did you know that there has been a lottery so people could be selected as passengers aboard a freighter. Now, that sounds like an amazing experience! I had registered with hope last year, but we hadn’t been selected. Maybe one day . . .

Resources:

Captain Timothy Alfson

Luke

Michigan Shipwreck Website

New York Times Obituary