My nautical background comes from my mother, and my Grand Father who sailed on his Fathers Scow Schooner (Aunt Ruth). My Great Uncle’s Captained other various schooners such as the Kilderhouse out of Alpena. I grew up with nautical tales and sayings handed down to me from them. Two of my Cousins are currently Great Lake Captains and while sailing under one on the E.M. Ford, built in 1898, we were anchored in Munising Harbor on Lake Superior during the 1975 storm that sunk the Edmund Fitzgerald 75 miles away. I spent my summers on Lake Huron at our Families Cabin and explored my own private shipwreck (Maid of the Mist) in the shallow waters of Huron Beach. I was fascinated watching the Port Huron to Mackinaw and Alpena sailboat races go by. I started sailing my Mothers’ 16’ sailboat at 12 and bought my own 23’ sloop in the 80’s. Spent the 90’s vacationing in the Canadian North Channel, and after becoming scuba certified I converted my boating interests to those that didn’t float anymore.
Located four shallow shipwrecks in the Alpena area with Daryl Wright (www.TheWrightView.com) since 2002. Two of which had grounded on Thunder Bay Island, Benjamin Franklin (sunk 1850), and James Davidson (lost 1883). The D.M. Wilson, which foundered in 1894 a couple of miles north of Thunder Bay Island, and the Schooner Ellen off of Black River.
Interests:
Great Lakes nautical history, searching for, identifying, and diving on shipwrecks. Exploring the sinkholes of Northeast Michigan. Sharing my excitement for Great Lakes Nautical History with those unaware of how much history is lying in the waters just off the shore of Northeast Michigan and still find time to write Computer Programs.
"DIVING THUNDER BAY" What's our 1st freshwater National Marine Sanctuary all about!
An informative powerpoint on the how's and why's of diving Thunder Bay and video presentation of some of the wrecks of Thunder Bay.