As Mainship Many Moons continues her journey homeward through Lake Superior, we are reminded of the beauty and also the moodiness of all the Great Lakes, and this one in particular - the largest of the five. (Will I miss sunrise on the water? Yes. Yes, I will. Not so much the early wake-ups that … Continue reading Return to Munising
I write tonight from chilly and foggy Whitefish Point, infamous for the nearby sinking of the Edmund Fitzgerald, which juts out like a claw into Lake Superior. A foghorn blasts loudly nearby. We were here exactly 11 months ago -- on August 5, 2021 -- just six days into this grand adventure. How strange to … Continue reading The Soo & Whitefish Pt. (Replay)
June 9, 2021 - Here in the far north, boating season is under way - but not quite making way. Huh? "Under way" means a vessel is free to move-- in other words, has left the dock or anchorage. "Making way" means it's actually moving, under its own power. (I learned this on board Navy … Continue reading Under Way, Making Way!
July 29, 2020. We lost two ducklings. Yesterday, there were seven. Today, just five. I know it's silly to personalize it that way. This is wildlife, and they succumb to the wildness of nature. Nature = natural! But still, I still feel sad. This duck family swims by our dock several times a day, and … Continue reading And Then There Were Five
July 25, 2020. You don't have to live on an ocean or river to experience high water. Here in the Great Lakes, it's caused by a seiche (pronounced saysh) -- an oscillating wave in a standing body of water. Folks here call it "the bathtub effect." It's the inland equivalent of a tide, but it … Continue reading High Water – The Seiche Effect
August 2-3, 2019. The Mainship Many Moons is crossing Lake Superior tonight, bound for Isle Royal on its maiden voyage. When we leave North Portage Entry on the Keweenaw Peninsula, about 50 miles of open water awaits us before we arrive at Chippewa Harbor. Our hope is to arrive there around sunrise, with enough visibility … Continue reading Night Crossing on Lake Superior
August 2, 2019. Jeff is the captain of the Mainship Many Moons. For her maiden voyage, he chose a night-crossing of Lake Superior, to the remote national park called Isle Royal. I'm uneasy about this but trust his judgment and his knowledge of the boat. I know the sea is calmer at night, and lots … Continue reading Bound for Isle Royal! Mainship Many Moons’ Maiden Voyage
For Many Moons 