Luxury Ship Refitting
The Seeandbee's superstructure was removed before it was towed to Buffalo for a refurbishment by the American Shipbuilding Company. Because it cannot fit in a dry dock due to its size, the installations were completed while the ship was still afloat. To provide security, a Coast Guard substation was established, and no people were permitted near the worksite. It was stated that she was saluted by others onboard the vessels in the region before leaving its dock in Detroit. The cabins and superstructures of the Greater Buffalo were dismantled by the same shipbuilding company's Erie Plant, leaving only the main deck. It, too, was retrofitted with arresting wires and other equipment to teach pilots for carrier take-offs and landings. A training that turned out to be a difficult learning curve.
A Strenuous Training
Wolverine and Sable have constraints that made training more difficult because they were not real aircraft carriers. These ships were the largest steam-powered passenger ships in inland waters, however they pale in comparison to aircraft carriers. Their flight decks were nearly a third shorter, at 550 feet. Another difficulty is that, being side-paddled vehicles, Wolverine and Sable sit lower in the water. With its lower top speed and insufficient “wind over deck,” taking off and landing on calm days became a difficulty. As a result, it was said that if a student passed their credentials on these two ships, they could land on anything.