The largest straight-decker, the 806-foot John Sherwin, has not sailed under its own power since 1981, and its conversion to a diesel self-unloader in 2008 was suspended because of the world economic downturn. Some self unloaders can have a rather straight decker look. For example, the 1000-foot Stewart J. Cort has a shuttle boom inside the aft deckhouse. The shuttle boom can be extended to reach hoppers on the docks, specially designed for the purpose. History Early in the 20th century, a new design was becoming prevalent on Great Lakes ore/ bulk cargo freighters. Instead of locating the pilothouse and deckhouses in the center of the ship, the new design placed deck houses at the extreme front and back of the boat. The name "straight deck" referred to the large flat cargo hold expanse in between. This design permitted higher capacity and easier loading and unloading. Self-unloaders were developed later and then the common meaning of the term evolved to mean a lake carrier without self-unloading equipment and capability. References Ship types