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Ship of the Month - cont'd. could be seen. The radar set had not yet been commissioned and Capt. Anderson repeatedly came to the pilothouse window to ask whether any of the six men standing on the bow could hear the fog signal. Suddenly the fog lif­ ted and there was Cape Croker close ahead! The ship quickly was turned to­ ward Collingwood and returned to port. At daylight on Wednesday, June 1st, 1955, FORT HENRY cleared Collingwood for Sarnia. One board was just one rail car of fuel, for the first trip of FORT HENRY would take her to the Imperial Oil dock at Sarnia for bunkering. After the bunker tanks were filled, FORT HENRY ran upbound to the C. S. L. freight shed at Point Edward, where she was met by several company officials toge­ ther with their invited guests. While she was docked, several C. S. L and Northern Navigation captains came aboard to see the new ship, and a two- hour party ensued. Then FORT HENRY departed for Windsor, running fast down the St. Clair River and throwing up a big wake behind her. Her arrival at Windsor was cause for another celebration aboard the ship. Harry Moore had the bridge as the steamer made her first trip down through the Livingstone Channel and out to Southeast Shoal on Lake Erie. Upon the ship's arrival at the former C. S. L. passenger terminal (then used by Cayuga Steamships Limited) at the foot of Yonge Street, Toronto, tables were set up for a banquet on the 'tween deck. The formal christening ceremony was then held, and Cody Ostrander came aboard FORT HENRY as second mate. An unsourced clipping from the Ivan Brookes collection, dated Saturday, June 4th, commented: "New Lake Vessel Docks in Hamilton Port Today. A new lake boat described as the largest and most modern inland package freighter, ss FORT HENRY, will arrive to take on her first cargo in Hamilton today. The Canada Steamship Lines boat was host yesterday in Toronto to a bevy of ship­ ping officials, newspapermen and out-of-town harbour interests, including Ellis Corman from the Hamilton Harbour Commission. "Built at Collingwood, FORT HENRY was completed last month and given her trial runs in late May. C. S. L. officials estimate she is the fastest of her kind on the Great Lakes today. The vessel hit a top speed of 20 mph during her trials. "Yesterday at her berth at Pier 9, Queen's Quay (Toronto), she was tied up alongside (read across the slip from' - Ed. ) an ocean-going freighter from Germany. The FORT HENRY was easily twice as long (sic) as the other ship. (The salty was full canal size -Ed. ) "She (FORT HENRY) is primarily designed for efficient carriage of package freight but will also be suitable for grain cargo. "Guests aboard the ship were given the freedom to wander where they chose. Inspections of the wheelhouse, hot, hot engineroom, crew's quarters and the lone passenger stateroom were made by the visitors. "When she leaves Hamilton after taking on her (first) freight she will set course for Fort William. Her owners expect her back in Toronto next Satur­ day, sufficient evidence of the vessel's speed. " A young Jay Bascom was one of the visitors who boarded FORT HENRY at Toronto and he recalled recently: "I well remember when she arrived here on her first trip and they opened her up to the public. My Dad took me aboard and I was much impressed. I believe it was my first time aboard a freighter. For the public showing, they didn't have her in the Bay Street slip where a package freighter normally would go. Instead, they had her in the Yonge Street slip alongside the passenger ship terminal. She looked to me 'almost' as impressive as the RENVOYLE! " Capt. Moore recalled that after the celebration at Toronto came to an end, FORT HENRY departed for Hamilton where her first upbound freight was loaded. At Windsor, 100 cars were driven aboard and placed on the main deck. When