>>1577112For a little over a century, the majority of the lakers were based on the basic design of the SS R.J. Hackett from 1869. The Hackett was essentially a motorized barge, with the wheelhouse built forward for the sake of visibility, while the enginehouse was located at the stern end so as to keep the propeller shaft out of the cargo hold. This design lasted for so long in part because of tradition, and in part because it was popular with the crews themselves. Nevertheless, beginning with new Canadian boats in the early 1960s, a single, combined deckhouse at the stern end became standard as a cost-saving measure, and the final laker designed with the traditional configuration was launched in 1974.
