A whaleback was a type of cargo steamship of unusual design, with a hull that continuously curved above the waterline from vertical to horizontal. When fully loaded, only the rounded portion of the hull could be seen above the waterline. With sides curved in towards the ends, it had a spoon bow and a very convex upper deck. It was formerly used on the Great Lakes of Canada and the United States, notably for carrying grain or ore. The sole surviving ship of the "whaleback" design is the SS Meteor, which is docked in Superior, Wisconsin, as a museum ship.
Joseph L. Colby, built 1890, scrapped 1935, was the second whaleback built by McDougall
SS Meteor, the only remaining whaleback in existence, now a museum ship
An early photograph of a whaleback barge circa 1888-1890 from All The Decor
SS Thomas Wilson in the Soo Locks, unladen, with two consort barges, also whalebacks
SS Meteor is the sole surviving ship of the unconventional "whaleback" design. The design, created by Scottish captain Alexander McDougall, enabled her to carry a maximum amount of cargo with a minimum of draft. Meteor was built in 1896 in Superior, Wisconsin, United States, and, with a number of modifications, sailed until 1969. She is now a museum ship in the city of her construction.
SS Meteor, the only remaining intact "whaleback", Superior, Wisconsin
Closer view of the SS Meteor
SS Meteor in 2006.