September 2007
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September 2007
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Volume 74 Number 1
CONTENTSFrom The Bridge ..........................2Great Lakes News and Views.........5Leamington Rally..........................6My Lighthouse..............................7From A New Catalog ....................7Man Overboard ............................8Where In The World Are We?......10GLCC Move to Port Huron .........11Rendezvous 2007.......................12Wilderness Rallies 2007 ..............16Sarnia Revisited..........................17Welcome Aboard ........................18Member to Member ....................21I Remember When......................22Coming Events ...........................22
Official Publication of theGreat Lakes Cruising Club
28 E. Jackson Blvd., Suite 1300Chicago, Illinois 60604-2284Phone: 312.431.0904 Fax:
312.431.0908Email: [email protected]
Home Page: http://www.glcclub.com
PublisherGreat Lakes Cruising Club
EditorDavid G. Allen
OfficeMary FaulhaberToni Koranek
CorrespondentsAll GLCC Members
IMPORTANT NOTICEThe membership application included withthis issue of Lifeline – as in every issue –is for your use in signing up a new member.It DOES NOT mean that your membershiphas expired. It is just a reminder that GLCCis always interested in new members, andyou are the source. Sign up a newmember today!
Editorial Closing DatesEditorial copy and change of address shouldbe submitted no later than the 1st of themonth preceding issue date, to theGLCC Office.
LIFELINE (ISSN: 0745-9718), is published inDecember, March, June, and September bythe Great Lakes Cruising Club, 28 E. JacksonBlvd., Suite 1300, Chicago, Illinois 60604-2284.The subscription rate is $23 annually, availableonly to Club members. Copyrighted by The GreatLakes Cruising Club. Periodicals postage paidat Chicago, IL and at additional mailing offices.POSTMASTER: Send change of addressnotice to LIFELINE, Great Lakes Cruising Club,28E. Jackson Blvd., Suite 1300, Chicago, Illinois60604-2284.
© 2007 GREAT LAKES CRUISING CLUB
FromThe Bridge
I extend my end-of-the-summergreetings to all of you as thesummer comes to a close and wetransition into fall cruising and finishthe 2007 boating season at theannual meeting in Chicago onOctober 27th at the Chicago YachtClub. With the wind at your backand calm seas and wonderfulcruising days in our memory bankwe do, in fact, lose track of thepressure of our daily lives and enjoythe freedom of the seas whilecruising wherever that might be.Seeing a GLCC burgee flying on aboat’s bow or mast spreader is awelcome sign that adds to ourenjoyment and is part of the traditionof this wonderful organization.
That was certainly the case at theJuly 15th,16th and 17th Great LakesCruising Club Rendezvous inSuperior, Wisconsin, at Barker’sIsland Marina. The burgees wereflying and the boats were all in greatshape at the fleet review. This yearRear Commodore Duane Flynn andassisted by his wife Mar and PortCaptain Bill Rohde and assisted byhis wife Judy organized a fantasticthree-day event complete with goodweather and wonderful facilities atthe Barker’s Island Marina and Inn.
Not to be outdone RearCommodore (Retired) MonnieGoldfine provided wonderful staffassistance from his office personnelValerie and others and manyorganizational details and, ofcourse, we all enjoyed a prime ribdinner aboard his Vista Starexcursion boat on Monday evening.Duluth had so many activities andoptions to entertain the membersand guests that all I can say is I canhardly wait to come back again tothe co-ports of Duluth and Superior.I would have to say the MaritimeMuseum operated by the US Army
Corps of Engineers and theAquarium were highlights of thingson a must see list in Duluth and theMilitary World War II Museum inSuperior is also a must see onanyone’s l ist. I was also veryimpressed with the friendly attitudeof all the people at the places wevisited while at the Rendezvous.
After the Rendezvous many of theboats with their skipper and crewwho made the long trip from thelower Great Lakes to the upper LakeSuperior went on a “north shorecruise” which you will be readingmore about from Director RichardMiller in a future issue of the Lifeline.He organized the event andstimulated the interest to explore thatbeautiful part of Lake Superior.
There was a bit of excitement forthose of us who arrived a few daysearly. First it was cold, then it washot, then it rained and “then it waswindy” as sung by Becki Boehlkeand Lynne Campian with herhusband George who were aboardTim and Becki’s boat Sweet N Low.The wind came up about 10 am onTuesday before the Rendezvous in abig way and blew over 50 knots withgreat force. If George had not savedmy wife Mary Lou from blowing offthe dock, she would have been“blowing in the wind” and I might nothave seen her again. Over in theApostle Islands we heard onesailboat broke its moorings and wentup on the beach, and out in the biglake the waves were EdmundFitzgerald size memories. Back onshore the Ship’s Store under thedirection of Bobbe Miller, and theRendezvous clothing offered by Marand her able volunteers, made gooduse of the enthusiasm of themembership and many articles ofclothing were sold. On Mondaymorning the Bridge Officers assisted
ON OUR COVERBarker’s Island Marina in Superior, Wisconsin was the site of the
2007 Rendezvous. Photo © Jeff Frey Photography
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in serving a pancake breakfastwhich by all remarks was a greatsuccess. Rear Commodore DaveMiller was flipping pancakes andVice Commodore Jim Richlak andyour Commodore were busy servingup the flap jacks as fast as Davecould fire them off the grill.
All of the other usual events wereincluded and enjoyed by all. TheRag Haulers became depressed asthe Stink-potters managed to hold onto the volleyball championship foranother year. All I can say is “Hangin there Rear Commodore Bud Zalonbecause next year in Little Current Ifeel the winds of change may come.”
On the more serious side, yourBoard of Directors after muchplanning and work has resolved tomove your Great Lakes CruisingClub forward to a new level ofawareness, visibility, internationalcooperation and location byrelocating the business office fromits traditional mooring in Chicago toa new marit ime facil i ty to beconstructed in Port Huron, Michiganat the intersection of the Black andSt. Clair Rivers by Acheson Venturesbeginning next year. You will bereading more about this decision inthe Lifeline in an article written byDirector Mel Wallbank and RearCommodore J.E. Fordyce in thisissue.
Next year we will move into atemporary facility adjacent to the siteof the new Maritime Center Buildingwhich is to be completed in 2009and then move into permanentspace in the new facility.
I said during the Board meeting
Commodore Heninger had an opportunity to highlight GLCC activities for theCoast Guard when they paid a courtesy visit to the Rendezvous in their localCutter. The crew also provided tours of their vessel for members.
Traveling the furthest to the Rendezvous (980 miles) were Ernst and MargaretRenner on Makara.
the move to Port Huron will be thebeginning of an exciting new era forthe Great Lakes Cruising Club. Wewill still maintain our links to Chicagowhere the Club was founded overseventy years ago and we wil lcontinue to hold many events there.In addition to making good businesssense, moving our off ice to theMaritime Center in Port Huron willprovide an impetus for growth andrenewal.
Our membership over the yearshas shifted east and a location onthe international border betweenCanada and the US wil l alsostrengthen our relationship ofCorinthian Yachtsmen in bothcountries. There wil l be new
technology in the Maritime Center.The location will provide the Clubwith a more public place and imagealong with other maritime GreatLakes organizations in anatmosphere of maritime influence,education and cooperation. This isattributable to a great extent to thevision of Acheson Ventures and theplanning they have done indeveloping the plans for this newopportunity in the best of all maritimevenues just below the Blue WaterBridge. Your board of directors wasunanimous in its decision to movecontinued on next page
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the Club forward to achieve a newlevel of influence and benefits for themembership.
On Tuesday evening theCommodore’s Dinner was a bountifulaffair and well attended in the Inn atBarker’s Island. I was very privilegedto have all four of my children andmost members of their families asguests at the Rendezvous and thatevening Bill Rohde who was theMaster of Ceremonies had everymember stand and introducethemselves, their spouse and guest.When my family all stood up theremight be a new award created forwho has the largest number of familyin attendance. I had eleven and afew had summer jobs or business inoverseas locations so they could notattend but they have all said theycan’t wait until next year when wewill be in Little Current, Ontario.That evening I was privileged tomake two awards. The William J.Kivell Award in recognition ofoutstanding contributions to the clubfor 2006 went to Jim Wooll, PortCaptain at the French River and hiswife Bobbie. The Commodore’sAward went to Ernst and MargaretRenner to the member who traveledfarthest by boat for the specificpurpose of attending the AnnualRendezvous. They submitted anexcellent log showing they traveled980 miles.
This year I discovered there areseveral ways to cruise. In order toget our 40’ Formula PC cruiser Skip2 M’Lou to Barker’s Island from ourhome port of Davenport on theMississippi River, we cruised up theMississippi River to Prescott,Wisconsin and then had our boat
Twenty six first timers to a Rendezvous were warmly welcomed by Rendezvous Chair Duane and Mar Flynn (left) andCommodore Heninger (far right).
trucked cross country to Barker’sIsland. We found that to be arelaxing and efficient manner to bothcruise and travel by water and byland to the beautiful shores of LakeSuperior. In today’s world of higherenergy costs we sometimes forgetthe time we spend, although it maybe short on the water in our boatswith friends and family, it createsmemories for a l ifetime and arepriceless. Spending a few moredollars for fuel is a small price to payfor the rejuvenation of our maritimesouls.
I am writing this last “From theBridge” at the end of July followingthe Rendezvous and have justrealized this wil l be my finalopportunity to write these series ofarticles that have been appearing inthe Lifeline over the last two years ofmy term as your Commodore. As Isaid in my initial piece, I wouldinclude in each article anexperience that has occurred duringmy years of cruising on the GreatLakes and its tributaries that have
been memorable. I can say that oneof the memories I will always cherishhas been the opportunity to be yourCommodore. This is a familytradition. As many of you know, myfather joined the Great LakesCruising Club after his return fromthe Pacific as a Marine in World WarII and that was followed a few yearslater when he became Treasurer in1979. Then my brother Georgebecame Commodore in 1982 andnow I have had the privi lege offollowing in that tradition.
I wish to thank the Board ofDirectors and the Officers for themany hours of work they haveinvested in our many meetings and Ilook forward to seeing all of you atthe annual meeting at the ChicagoYacht Club on October 28th of thisyear.
Ralph H. Heninger, Commodore
Port Captain Jim Wooll (right) was this year’s recipient of the William J. KivellAward in recognition of a Port Captain who had made an outstandingcontribution to the program.
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Great LakesNews and Views
New Web Site forBoatU.S.
Signs (and docks) at local restaurants welcoming boaters are a great idea.
Finding a wireless internet signalcan be a challenge but AlexandraTimm found a solution in Bark’s Bayat the Rendezvous.
BoatU.S., an affiliate of the GLCC,has a new web site designed forMembers-Only. It is very userfriendly and contains a wealth ofrecreational boating information.Take a look and you will be veryimpressed.
The new features of the siteinclude: • An easy to use map interface tohelp locate buoy and tideinformation • New content on Conservationnews (located under Fishing News &Information) • A minimize button to help organizeyour page• Graphical Tides & Currents
In a recent email to members theynoted: “We are constantly looking fornew ways to get the most effectiveinformation to our Members fingertips through the Members-Only site.If you have any suggestions aboutdifferent content you would like tosee or a different way to format theinformation, please click on thesuggestion box and share yourideas.”
GLCC members should contact:Matt Startzel, Membership Dept. at800-395-2628 for more info.
Sportsman’s InnRecently Sold
Killarney’s Sportsman’s Inn hasbeen sold and the new owner hasexciting plans in the future for the site.
Boaters arriving this spring foundthe marina fenced off and noservices available. As the marinawith greatest number of transientslips and selling the largest volumeof gas and diesel in Killarney, theclosure was a major problem forboaters arriving off Georgian Bay orpreparing to head out to the NorthChannel. The Sportsman’s Inn wasalso the site of the very successful2004 GLCC Rendezvous.
The new owner is Jerome Davis ofSudbury, Ontario.
The plan is to build new docksover the winter and extend themwest up the channel on the GeorgeIsland side. He owns the vastmajority of the island. Eventuallythere will be new docks on bothsides of the channel. Jerome has adetailed business plan for the futureincluding boat storage and transientdockage. He offered docking thissummer as a promotion at $0.50 perfoot with no pump out or fuel. He isalso tidying up the fuel storage.There are no plans for replacing theexisting building at this point.
State to CloseMackinac IslandHarbor forRenovations
LANSING, Mich. (AP) — TheMackinac Island State Harbor willclose after Labor Day forrenovations and will reopen nextApril or May for the 2008 boatingseason.
The Michigan Department ofNatural Resources announcedrecently that it plans to replace theelectric, water and sewer service atthe harbor, which sits just east of theisland's downtown area. Newlandscaping and decking also willbe added.
Mackinac Island State Harbor isthe ending point for the annual PortHuron to Mackinac boat race andthe annual Chicago to MackinacIsland boat race. The harbor has 76total slips and usually is open fromlate May until mid Sept.
Funds for the renovation will comefrom the Michigan State WaterwaysFund, which collects revenue fromboating registrations and fuel taxesdesignated for the fund.
Unfortunately, there are no plansto add more slips to the marina.
Jody Tverdal, Vice-President andDirector, is actively seeking investorsto assist in the restoration of thishistoric building which celebrated its100th anniversary in 2003. Foradditional information please call(705) 287-2000 or email [email protected]
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Leamington Rally, June 15 to 17, 2007
Fish flies, May flies, Canadiansoldiers – call them what you will,those of us who attend this Rallyhave always “enjoyed” theircompany in June. NOT THIS YEAR –or so we thought. Along with the factthat we had perfect June weatherwhile at dockside, we didn’t see asingle bug until Sunday morning.But even those unwelcome guestscould not put a damper on anabsolutely wonderful weekend inLeamington, Ontario.
Thursday evening, about twentyof the early birds were escorted toMuscedere Winery by LeamingtonHarbourmaster Ronan Oliver. This isa recent addition to the Lake ErieWine Route, and a superb one. Wewere treated to wine tasting whilebeing given a tour of the vineyardand one of the owners, Fabio,explained some of the intricacies ofviticulture. We were then served ascrumptious Italian dinner, seatedunder a lovely white tent in the yard.The wine continued to flow, and avery good time was had by all.
Friday morning dawned brightand sunny, and over the course ofthe day the rest of our boats joinedthe party. It was a lazy day with lotsof visiting, and by supper time wehad almost fifty boats, and over 115people joined us in our annualFriday night Broasted Chicken andPerch dinner in the Marina pavilion.Special attendees were Mike andSandy Kilbreath, from Sarnia BayMarina who were aboard Class Ehwith the Lawsons.
Saturday brought another day inparadise and the Port Captains’meeting following coffee anddonuts. Then the fun really began.This is the first year for Jim andJanice Ehrman to organize our rally,and they did a fantastic job. Theyhad lots of surprises for us,including “Games People Play” onthe deck behind the pavilion. Theseincluded tossing water balloons,passing them on the top ofcardboard tubes, transferring waterby sponge from one pail to anotherusing a line of people, tossing 8 lb.anchors and one game designed tosee which team could rescue the
Story by Susan AtkinsonPhotos by Jim Ehrman
“drowning” victim quickest. Theafternoon was quite warm, and thewater games soon expanded toseeing just how wet we could geteach other. Judging by the volumeof laughter, everyone had a greattime.
Saturday evening, we weretreated to a new caterer – Spago’s ofLeamington who served up a greatarray of hors d’ouvres followed bymouth watering Italian food. Thencame the sweet sounds of The KinTones to help us “Dance through theDecades” – which was the theme forthe evening. Several couplesdressed for their favourite decade,including Roger Hankle and JoyceRogers representing the forties, andRon and Ramonda DeCapio dressedfor the sixties. Toes were tappingand bodies swaying well into thenight.
Sunday morning dawned brightand clear and saw us once againreceive a Blessing for our Fleet by
Chaplain Carl Tucker to send ussafely on our way for the rest of ourboating season. We look forward toonce again enjoying the LeamingtonRally in June 2008!
The “first timers” to the Leamington Rally all indicated a return visit was in order.
Vice Commodore Jim Richlak presents Port Captain Ned and Sharon Brommwith their 25 year burgee.
Who is this Leamington boater withthe two-tone legs? Please helpidentify him. Send us an email!
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GLCC members often feel aspecial affinity for lighthouses abeacon in the night, a speciallandfall, a spectacular piece ofarchitecture that catches the breathand speeds up the heart.
Shown below is a lighthouse wellknown to Lake Superior cruisers. Canyou identify it?
Please share your thoughts on new marine product purchases for futurecolumns in Lifeline. We would like to hear from you. Chances are others arelooking for the same product and would appreciate knowing of yourexperiences. Reviews should be sent to the GLCC office. Commercial productreviews will not be published nor endorsements given to any product.
MyLighthouse
From ANew Catalog...
New Antenna for Wireless InternetOne of the new products
demonstrated at the SuperiorRendezvous in July was a WirelessInternet Antenna designed forexterior use.
Frequently wireless signals areblocked either by buildings betweenthe transmitter and the receiver or inthe case of marinas orcampgrounds, bigger boats orlarger recreational vehicles. It is ex-tremely frustrating to have whatappears to be a wireless internetservice with a reasonably strongsignal only to find you cannot log onto it because of an obstruction.
This new antenna, approximately24 inches in length, screws on to amarine antenna base. The base (notincluded in the sale price) can eitherbe a rail mount or the more familiarpivoting base for mounting on thesides or tops of a boat’ssuperstructure. The antenna wirecomes with a standard USBconnector and as an option you canbuy an additional powered USBcable for longer runs to your laptopor base computer. A powered USBcable is essential for longerdistances. As with any antenna, andthis one is no exception, the higherthe antenna the better itsperformance. Performance can alsobe improved by adding a standardfour or eight foot antenna extensionavailable from any marine productssupplier.
The antenna has its own selfcontained (within the antenna)wireless internet hardware making itunnecessary for the computer tohave a wireless card or similar
hardware built in. With a simple in-stallation of a driver (mini discincluded) to your computer you areup and running automatically.
At Barker’s Island for example, theone wireless signal that wasavailable throughout the marina wasa source of great frustration as thestrength of the signal variedconsiderably. Many could not getonline without going to the office.Not only did the new antennainstantly pick up the signal at ahigher strength, four additionalsignals were detected in the vicinityof the marina, with half of themunencrypted and available for publicuse.
In a demonstration to a neighboursubsequent to the Rendezvous, alaptop showing only two signalswithout the antenna became alaptop with 20 available signals withthe antenna attached.
The antenna was being shown atthe Rendezvous by Superior MarineElectronics and sells for $150. Themarine mount is additional at around$10.
No doubt other suppliers havesimilar products on the market or willsoon be selling them but for this avidinternet user, this was a first and ifthe Rendezvous sales were anyindication it is a product that reallyhits the mark. If wireless internet isan important part of your boatingexperience, I would highlyrecommend this product. In the off-boating season I expect to use itattached to the roof ladder of ourrecreational vehicle using the samemarine mount.
The Hudson Athens Lighthouse(shown below) was correctlyidentified by Brian and CoraleeLogan. They wrote, “This lighthouseis about three miles north of the RipVan Winkle bridge and marks theMiddle Ground Flats on the HudsonRiver. We passed this light whilebringing our Maine Cat 30, Island Girlfrom New York City to Sandusky,Ohio.”
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Man Overboard -This is Not a Drill!The BoatU.S. Foundation sponsored a major Crew Overboard Symposium. Their final report can be viewed atwww.boatus.com/foundation/findings/COBfinalreport/. Closer to home, Joann and Port Captain Chuck Mead onBlue Horizon had an experience that was not a practice. Here is their story.
The day started innocently as we were planning to travelfrom Port Stanley to Erieau, Ontario. Weather was hazybut fair until we cleared the bridge and entered a ratherunpleasantly dense fog bank. Crawling along the mooredfishing fleet and using the chart plotter to guess at theouter seawall opening, we slowly motored into Lake Erie.Our plan was to sail to Erieau, but the fog, moderate wavesand wind on the nose prompted a revision in plans and adecision to motor instead.
Chuck announced his intention to go forward and movethe main halyard from the sail back to the end of the boomas a secondary topping lift. Joann insisted he put on hisSOS-penders, which he did without argument. On his wayforward he “jokingly” asked Joann, “If I fall overboard, willyou pick me up?” Her rather curt reply was, “I’ll thinkabout it.” Just as Chuck almost had the halyard attached tothe boom, an impolite wave hit the boat broadside.Hanging out at a 45 degree angle with feet on the coamingand hands on the boom is not a normal sustaining position.Plop, Chuck is now in the water. Joann was behind thewheel and saw this happen immediately. She glared at himfrom the helm with a what-are-you-doing-in-the-water look.
Without hesitation, she turns the boat around but withthe fog, she isn’t quite sure where he is. She calls out, andhe responds. His life jacket has inflated and with the brightyellow bladder, she can just barely see him through the fog.He yells to deploy the lifesling on the stern of the boat.The Lifesling is a marvelous product which enables thehelmsman to deploy the unit and turn the boat as the linedeploys circling the in-the-water-victim, bringing thefloating horseshoe to them. However, it works best if thebitter end of the line is attached to the boat, unfortunately,it wasn’t. Chuck had installed the Lifesling bag this springand was very careful about ensuring it was flaked properlyin the bag and would deploy easily. If only he hadcompleted the installation by securing the line…oh well thetale goes on.
As the Lifesling line is playing out, Joann pushes theMOB button on the RADAR/Chartplotter. Unfortunately,she remembers the procedure for the hand held GPS butthat doesn’t work on the chart plotter. The life sling line iscoming nicely out of the bag, and as Joann is turning,heading toward Chuck, she realized that the electric swimplatform switch is not turned on. She goes below to turn iton. Since she is headed towards him, she believes shewon’t lose sight of him. Chuck is watching the line deployand then sees that the line comes completely out and is nolonger following the boat. Now both Joann and Chuck
have concluded the lifesling is well beyond the boat andcalling for it to come back was of minimal value. Joannbegins to panic as she is no longer sure how she will gethim back on the boat and she is concerned abouthypothermia. She issues a “May Day, Man Overboard” callto the coast guard. They respond promptly wanting toknow her position. She tells them outside of Port Stanleybut they want the GPS location. She gives them what shebelieves are the coordinates, but then realizes this is cursorposition, not vessel position. The chartplotter is in splitscreen with chart and radar showing but in radar modewhich means she can’t do a “find vessel.” Not used to thesplit screen, she isn’t sure how to get it to do a “find ship.”She finally gets to the right mode and gets the ship’sposition but now the coast guard is having troubleunderstanding her. This is probably because she is yelling atthe top of her lungs into the mike with it close to hermouth. They finally get the position and then start askingother questions, like the name of the person and the vesselname. She responds Blue Horizon but they don’t quiteunderstand. They get the Horizon, but not the Blue.Again, she is yelling into the mike Blue – B-L-U-E. Shedoes this three times before they get it. Either they had aweak radio or Joann’s megaphone shouting method wasnot helping. In all fairness, we do think they were trying tobe helpful and hail the boat by name instead of “Boat withstupid husband who fell overboard.”
In the meantime, Joann lost track of where Chuck wasand called out “Where are you?” Actually, she would haveseveral more chances to practice this communicationbefore the day was over due to the waves and reducedvisibility. He finally started adding qualifiers like “BehindYou.” Joann brought the boat close to Chuck (a little tooclose for his comfort) to discuss what to do next. Plan wasto get another line ready. Good idea, Joann went to worksearching for another line. In the meantime, she lost trackof where Chuck was in the water and did another chorus of“Where are you.” Turning the boat back toward where hewas put the boat on a heading that would cross the floatingline from the lifesling. Hitting a floating line really doesn’tdo much damage to the hull, but it is a nuisance for thepropeller. In our case a long length of nylon line willdefinitely cause the prop to freeze and stall the engine. Andthat is exactly what it did!
Chuck saw this from his birds-eye view in the bobbingwaves and eventually concluded Joann was stuck and if hewanted back on the boat, he had to get there on his own.Not normally a problem, but the SOS-penders are bulky
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In early July, this new Sea Ray owner and his crew had to quickly abandon ship when he hit a shoal that was clearlymarked on the GLCC Harbour Reports for Georgian Bay. Fortunately the water was warm, the shore was not far awayand there were plenty of fellow boaters in the immediate area to help with the rescue. Don’t let this happen to you.
when inflated and not well suited for easy swimming.Chuck tried a backstroke which proved a good techniquefor swimming in a circle – must be right leg dominated orsomething. Eventually he switched back to a modifiedbreast stroke where he could see where he was going andalso tell Joann he was on his way. She spotted him whenhe was about 50 feet away. The Coast Guard was stillasking questions and she finally had to tell them to stand byas she wanted to throw Chuck a line. It was a perfectthrow of a long line directly in front of him. Realizing itwasn’t attached, she held on for dear life when he startedto tug on the line as she pulled him in. Chuck marveled athow beautiful and large her eyes seemed to have become.Joann held fast on the line and in a short time, Chuck wasat the swim platform, but too weak to haul himself upwithout the ladder. Once again Joann to the rescue and hewas onboard.
The line fouling the prop was nicely braided andbunched right at the swim platform. Several whacks with arigging knife set it free. Still without propulsion, the CoastGuard wanted us to anchor but first Chuck wanted to try tostart the engine. He tried the engine a couple of timesforward, then reverse and the remaining section of line
The 2007 GLCC Annual Meeting To be held at Chicago Yacht Club
27 October 2007Please contact the Club office for reservations and details by calling 312-431-0904 or emailing
[email protected]. Please make your reservations by October 4, 2007.
freed itself. Joann made a quick, calm call to the CCG thatthe situation was resolved and we were proceeding back oncourse to Erieau.
In hindsight, there was something to be learned throughthis little adventure:
• Life Saving equipment works best when installedproperly. Jack lines work better installed than in theoriginal package stored somewhere on the boat.
• Don’t put yourself in a precarious position where youcould be knocked overboard.
• Whistles on the Life Preservers are efficient soundproducers and save energy for later climbing back on theboat
• Screaming or yelling into a microphone really does notimprove reception at the other end.
• Practice using your emergency tools including primaryand back-up GPS and chartplotter devices.
• Keep power to the swim platform in case it is needed inan emergency. It won’t draw down the batteries.
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Where in theWorld Are We?
Both of the above pictures are from the same location, taken on the sameday on the trip back from the 2007 Rendezvous in Superior, Wisconsin. Doyou know this historic locaton on the Great Lakes?
There is a great story associated with this location. Please send yourresponses to the editor of Lifeline care of the GLCC office. Correctresponses to this ‘must see’ location will be indentified in the next issue ofLifeline.
This classic wooden boat Lydiavisited the Rendezvous in Superiorthis year.
BoatU.S.ReminderThe GLCC is acooperating groupwith BoatU.S.
Being a cooperating group meansthat GLCC members can joinBoatU.S. or renew their membershipfor $12.50 which is half of the regularannual $25. dues rate. All you needdo is mention our group number—GA83834B-with your renewal.
BoatU.S. offers boating equipmentby mail order and at area stores andsponsors lobbying at the nationaland state levels.
George Campean fired the No. 2Cannon at the Rendezvous, usually in“synch” with Joe Mesenburg on No. 1.
Seen at theRendezvous
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GLCC to move to new Maritime Centerin Port Huron in 2008
The Great Lakes Maritime Center will be the crown jewel and the new home for the GLCC in the 32 acre riverfrontDesmond Landing development in Port Huron, Michigan directly across the river from Sarnia, Ontario.
At the July Rendezvous in Duluth,your Board unanimously voted tomove the GLCC office to Port Huron,Michigan.
Our lease in Chicago expires inJanuary 2008. The timing of themove will reflect that and the need tocomplete the move before thesummer cruising season begins.
The new office will be part of thepermanent Great Lakes MaritimeCenter being established byAcheson Ventures on the Port Huronwaterfront. Initially we will be intemporary space adjacent to the siteof the new Maritime Center building,scheduled for completion in 2009.
The permanent Maritime Centerwill be the crown jewel in the 32 acreriverfront Desmond Landingdevelopment. The location for thepermanent Maritime Center is calledVantage Point in Desmond Landing,on the waterfront where the BlackRiver meets the majestic St. ClairRiver where 1000 foot ore carriers
pass daily. Many GLCC memberswill actually see our office as theyjourney up and down the St. ClairRiver.
The temporary quarters for theMarit ime Center have been aremarkable success with heavyvolunteer support and many GLCCmembers have visited the Center.The GLCC office is a perfect fit forthat location and the Club will benefitgreatly from being associated withthe Maritime Center. You can obtainmore information on DesmondLanding and the Great LakesMarit ime Center on the web atwww.achesonventures.com/desmondlanding.asp or search for“Desmond Landing”.
Port Huron is centrally located foreasy access by the many GLCCmembers in Michigan, Ohio andOntario and sti l l in reasonableproximity to Chicago and withinmoderate driving range of most ofthe heavily populated Great Lakes
region. Detroit Metro Airport is 90minutes away. The Sarnia, Ontarioairport is even closer.
Commodore Ralph Heninger saidafter the Board meeting: “This will bethe beginning of an exciting new erafor the Great Lakes Cruising Club.We will still maintain our links toChicago, where the Club wasfounded over seventy years ago andwe will continue to hold events there.In addition to making good businesssense, moving our off ice to theMaritime Center in Port Huron willprovide an impetus for growth andrenewal.” Doug Austin, CEO ofAcheson Ventures, who made apresentation to the Board meeting,responded: “We are delighted thatthe Great Lakes Cruising Club hasdecided to become part of theMaritime Center community. Yourpresence will add a great deal to theprestige of the Center and wewelcome you.”
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Rendezvous 2007“The Lake put on a great show for all of us!”
This summer’s Rendezvous inSuperior, Wisconsin provided aunique opportunity for GLCCmembers and their guests toexperience Lake Superior in all itsglory, legend and perhaps evenmyth.
For those travelling by boat fromthe Sault across the south shore,gale force winds in the days prior tothe Rendezvous, demonstrated thefury of the lake. Short lived, the winddied down and for the Rendezvousand the month that fol lowed,Superior experienced one of thecalmest four week periods. Recordhigh temperatures meant that thelake, where swimming was normallyrelegated to a few sheltered coves inmid summer, was the perfect placeto cool off. Rumours of daily fogbanks were just that and by noonhour existing patches of fog quicklygave way to clear blue skies andgentle breezes.
In all some 200 members andguests arrived by boat, recreationalvehicle and car to the Barker’sIsland Marina where the facilitiesand staff were superb. In contrast tothe Rendezvous of recent previousyears, the number of boats weredown given the long distance toDuluth and, not surprising, car andRV arrivals were up. Particularlyencouraging were the greaternumber of Lake Superior boatspresent given this year’s “backyard”location.
Rear Commodore Duane Flynnand his wife Marlene along withretired Rear Commodore MonnieGoldfine and his wife Lil l ianorchestrated a series of events bothon and off the water that kepteveryone on the move, visit ingentirely new venues and enjoyingsome of the finest weather of thesummer. On hand daily and alwaysready to oblige, Marina manager JoeRadtke made sure all attendeeswhether at the dock or out in theparking lot were well looked after.
As with past Rendezvous,docking was capably managed by avery organized Nelson Stone andcrew and by Saturday, July 14 themajority of boats were in and theprogram underway. A highlight ofthe f irst day was the excursion(some by boat, some by car ormotorcycle to the United StatesPower Squadron dock, a few milessouth of the marina for a Receptionand Barbecue hosted by the localUSPS. With perfect weather no onewas in any hurry to return to themarina. What a barbecue!
Sunday brought the customaryDressing of the Ships and later in the
day, the Fleet Review - always agreat photo opportunity The dayconcluded with the Commodore’sReception in the adjacent hotel anda special welcome to thoseattending their f irst GLCCRendezvous. This year 26 first timerswere present.
A highlight of the Superior/DuluthRendezvous was the ferry ride,dinner cruise and return trip aboardone of the Vista Cruise Boatscourtesy of retired Rear CommodoreMonnie Goldfine. The sit-downdinner and tour of the Superior andDuluth harbours and the sceniclighthouses marking the entrances to
photos by Robert Bakker, JoyceBerdie, Wayne LeBlanc, Susan Smith,and Boni & Phil Thibert
GLCC members were warmly welcomed in Superior and Duluth. Evidently“Rendezvous” was not a word they could spell!
Reeve Hutchinson in his Ranger 21 from Crows Nest Yachts was pleased tochauffeur the Commodore and his Bridge for the Fleet Review.
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both harbours wil l long beremembered. Those membersstarting out earlier even had anopportunity to shop in the manyCanal Park boutiques in the dockarea.
Tuesday saw the GLCC tent filledwith speakers and equipment forthose wanting to learn more aboutnew electronics, cruising LakeSuperior or new products availablein weather forecasting. In trueRendezvous tradition, Tuesday alsosaw the “stink-potters” beat the “rag-haulers” in volleyball. The annualbilge auction which raises funds forthe Great Lakes Foundationenabled many to clean out unwanted“stuff” from their lockers to be sold atthe auction. This year we werecontinued on page 15
The Vista dinner cruise provided an opportunity to see up close Duluthharbour’s interesting mix of commercial and recreational boats.
Lots of advice was provided to those planning on returning via the NorthShore in the flotilla.
Port Captains Niels Jensen andChuck Mead confer regarding thedocking procedure.
Members of the Bridge preparedbreakfast for Rendezvousparticipants and early risers.
Port Captain Bill Rohde acted asMaster of Ceremonies at theCommodore’s Dinner
Fleet Surgeon Dr. Gail Bowdishdiscussing medical emergencies atone of the GLCC seminars.
Retired Rear Commodore MonnieGoldfine, Rear Commodore DuaneFlynn and Past Commodore BobBarclay were part of the welcomingparty at Barker’s Island.
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Terri Kennedy
Port Captain Ardy Barclay presents the Walter Senior Pet Aboard Award toPort Captain Dave and Donna Steffens.
Port Captain Phil and Althea Doolittle at the Commodore’s Dinner.
Cooking up dinner at the USPS dock was a pleasure in perfect barbeque weather.
Honorary Member John Winter
Joan Miller
Rear Commodore Bud Zalon
Retired Rear CommodoreDavid Williams
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fortunate to have a number of hoteland special attraction voucherscourtesy of Monnie Goldfine for useduring the auction. In all $1800 wasraised in support of the Foundation.Who can forget retired RearCommodore Harold Darch ridingthat bicycle around the ballroom inan unsuccessful attempt to sell it atauction.
The Commodore’s Dinnerconcluded Tuesday’s events andfrom all accounts, the meal, thevenue (Barker’s Island Inn) and thegreat camaraderie was consideredto be “one of the best”. In addition toa number of presentations notedelsewhere in Lifeline, CommodoreHeninger was pleased to note thatthe 2008 Rendezvous would be inLittle Current, Ontario under thechairmanship of Little Current PortCaptain, Jib Turner.
Wednesday, a carbon copy of theprevious days, dawned warm andsunny and after the continentalbreakfast and the Blessing of theFleet by Nelson Stone, membersbegan to move out. As a flotilla,many of the Rendezvousparticipants were soon underwayheading to Thunder Bay. From therethey would go along the north shoreof Lake Superior and back into themore familiar waters of the NorthChannel and the lower lakes.Fortunately the good weatherfollowed them all the way back. Theadventures of the floti l la will becovered in more detail in a futureissue of Lifeline.
continued from page 13
New weather reporting resources for boaters on the Great Lakes wereshowcased by Carol Christenson, NOAA Warning Coordination Officer.
Sea conditions were perfect for theradio controlled boats.
In spite of having the sheriff on their side, the sailors went down to defeatin volleyball.
Commodore Heninger adds somespit and polish to his shoes prior tothe Fleet Review.
Port Captain Nelson Stone, played thebagpipes and concluded the Rendezvouswith the Blessing of the Fleet.
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Wilderness Rallies
It was a busy summer formembers interested in wildernesscruising. There were three rallies onthe calendar to choose from, spreadout over three different cruisinggrounds.
The wildernesses season startedwith a rally at Bad River in northernGeorgian Bay. On arrival, 23 July,we found six participants, includingourselves (Tom and MichelleLawson), but in true GLCC spirit,50% power and 50% sail. On thesailing side, Trillium V captained byTed and Venetia Moorhouse kept allspirits charged along with the Hyattson Blue Heron and the Dulcamarason Charger.
Michelle Lawson presented awelcome package to all, including,an itinerary, a bottle of wine, and ahomemade kit for entry into thefishing derby. Activities includedawards for blueberry picking (plusan awareness of known rattlesnakeareas), an award for the best naturalmusical instrument, and the fishingderby. The pot luck dinner was aresounding success as were thesocial activit ies which includedblueberry pancakes and “schmoors”
Photos by Rear Commodore J.E.Fordyce and Port Captain Jim WoollStory by Rear Commodore TomLawson and Port Captain Jim Wooll
by the fire.The water levels were too high to
allow further explorations of “Devil’sDoor” and beyond. But for those inattendance, wonderful memoriesthat will last!
The annual rendezvous inSuperior was followed by a shareddestination cruise of the North Shoreof Lake Superior. About fourteenboats used the cruise format andcoordination of a daily radio call tomeet separate and re-gather atsome of the many wonderfulanchorages. Two boats went as farnorth as Nipigon and havecertificates for having gone north ofthe 49th parallel. The Slate Islandsand the Pukaskwa Park area werereported as favorites by manycruisers for the natural beauty andthe wildlife.
At the south end of Lake Superiorthere was a rally at Batchawana Bay.A total of thirteen boats enjoyed theirstop at the bay over a period of aweek. The Club was allowed use ofBatchawana Island for shore parties.Joe Acheson even sent the islandblack bear to a nearby beach toreinforce the wilderness aspects ofthe event. On the second day HartHarding led a dinghy ride up theBatchawana River. Hart is veryfamiliar with the area as his familyhad a cottage on the shore for a
number of years.The final event on the wilderness
cruising calendar was a rally atHotham Island in the North Channel.The weather dictated the potlucksupper ashore the first night. NoChicago style hot dogs wereavailable so a regular hot dog roastwhere all condiments were welcomewas held. Pictures of the event arelimited as the official photographertook one too many steps backwardand ended up winning the wetturtleneck contest.
Day two of the event featuredstrong winds and the shore cocktailparty had l imited attendance.Weather held most boats over for afinal day and only one person stoodat the shore party site drinking hisbeverage in his foul weather gear atfive on the last day.
We hope to plan events that willcoordinate well with the Rendezvousin Little Current for 2008.
A dramatic squall line moves through the WildernessRally at Hotham Harbour.
Sunset at Batchawana Bay.
Rear Commodore J.E. Fordyce andMichele hiking around Indian Harbourin Lake Superior Provincial Park.
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Sarnia Bay Marina, last year’sRendezvous destination, played hostto the late summer Lake Huron Rally.Once again this annual eventseemed to be the icing on the caketo a very successful cruising season.Many had worked their way backfrom Superior and were now in theirhome waters and could relax withthe more familiar surroundings of thethe southern Lake Huron port.
Twenty five boats with 60 superbpeople arrived and several joined usby car. Cocktails were enjoyed in thepavilion followed by a great chickenand rib dinner catered by Stokes onthe Bay. Music was provided byGerry Stapleton, and a great timewas had by all. The weather mansupplied the entertainment in theform of a terrific lightning stormwhich seemed to go on forever andlit up the sky over Sarnia and the St.Clair River. We were glad to beunder cover in the pavilion, and ableto enjoy the show without gettingwet.
Saturday morning coffee anddonuts were served in thebreezeway of the Marina. At 9:30a.m. Harbourmaster Mike Kilbreathand Rear Commodore Tom Lawsonsurprised us by preparing “Caesars”on the dock for anyone who wantedto imbibe that early in the day. PaulaRichlak once again organized ateam to try their hands at DragonBoat Racing – even though therewas only one boat and therefore noracing. Everyone had a great time,with no casualties.
The afternoon games by the poolhad to be cancelled due to theweather – more rain – but we allgathered once again at the pavilionfor wine tasting and cheese prior toa delicious prime rib dinner cateredby Stokes Inland. Then we wereentranced by the skills of MasterHypnotist Paul Anthony fromHamilton, Ontario. He captivated theattention of all and the minds of afew.
Sunday morning dawned clearand bright with the promise of finecruising on our way home.
Lake Huron Rally in SarniaCaps Great Summer CruisingText by Susan A. Atkinson, and Photos by Bobbe Miller and Sheridan Atkinson
Paula Richlak organized a team to try out for Dragon Boat racing.
Hypnotist Paul Anthony has some very willing GLCC members to work on.
Bloody Marys prepared on thedock were a great hit.
Rear Commodore Dave Miller withPort Captain Gerry Barclay and hisnew bride Julie Turynstra.
We welcome these new members to the fellowshipof the Great Lakes Cruising Club:
Quinn BrennanSister Bay, WI PATRIOT, 36-P
Roger ColburnSuttons Bay, MINOMAD, 50-S
Roger CratonHarbor Springs, MIROCKING LAZY SEA, 31-P
Michael J. GillettThornbury, ONEASY, 34-P
Kevin M. GregoryBuffalo, NYODYSSEY, 44-S
Reeve HutchinsonPikes Bay, WI
Andrzej KesickWiarton, ONJOHANNA, 26-S
Gregory E. KorstadBayfield, WIGAUIIDAE, 36-S
Ron LakeSarnia, ONMOMENTUM, 28-P
Barbara J. LeuchtagSandusky, OHFREEDOM’S SONG II, 40-S
Joseph J. MaustCaseville, MITRILOGY, 41-S
Glenn A. MettsToledo, OHTHE OFFICE, 48-P
Michael D. RiehlGrosse Pointe, MIREEL “E” HOOKED, 55-P
Charles RollingSandusky, OHMISS HIGGINS, 42-P
Ronald SchaupeterGrosse Pointe, MILADY PRISCILLA, 48-P
Michael C. SchrageDetroit, MIHOOZ-A-BUM IV, 35-P
Richard A. SimonBurnham Harbor-Chicago, ILRELENTLESS, 70-P
Mark SmithSuperior, WIORCA, 24-P
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Stacey SpiegelWiarton, ONWATERMARK, 40-S
John StarnesPort Huron, MICATHU, 33-S
David R. StokesDuluth, MNPURR-ECIOUS TIME, 36-P
Colin ToothillAyr, ONNIMBUS, P
Perfect weather greeted boats arriving at the Rendezvous in the twin ports of Superior, Wisconsin and Duluth, Minnesota.
21
Member-to-Member ads are available only to GLCC members. The ads are intended solelyfor personal boats and boating-related gear and for cruising activities, such as boat-swapping. They are not available for commercial advertising. Ads run a maximum of threeissues.
For Sale or Rent: Covered boat well 20’ x 70’ River HouseClinton River. Please call Ty Totte at 313-530-7701. Submitted 4/16/07
For Sale: A 17’ Boston Whaler Dauntless, 115 hpEvinrude less than 50 hours with newtrailer. Please contact Ty Totte 313-530-7701. Submitted 4/16/07
For Sale:Raymarine (Ratheon) HSB series rl80crcPathfinder radar & chartplotter with 10.4"color lcd display, sun cover, originaloperating manual and five (5) c-map cards:p&t/lake michigan; p&t/lake erie; p&t/lakehuron & lake st. clair; nt+/lake michigan &north channel; nt+/lake superior, lakemichigan & the north channel. Asking$1,500 for the rl80crc and cards combined.Please respond to home phone @ 231-780-4899 before 9 pm est or email [email protected]. Submitted 4/17/07
For Sale:53' Ocean Yacht Super Sport, 1991, twinDDC 8V92TA's 760 horsepower each.Awesome cruising boat, pristine condition,fresh water only, updated electronics, sofaand dinette, new surround sound system,air conditioned and heated, galley up,three staterooms and two heads, newwasher and dryer. Factory hardtop withhard enclosure on three sides and canvasenclosure aft with Stratoglass windows. Theforedeck features a Marquipt electric davitand an Aquascan jet boat. Contact ConnieReynolds at [email protected] or 708-474-2444. Submitted 4/30/07
For Sale - Three Boats:1. 40 ft. Nautilus Pilothouse FiberglassSailboat, 1985, name; "JUPITER". Wellknown by our GLCC Wilderness friends.Perfect "live-aboard" vessel. Excellentcondition. Totally refitted and upgraded,includes Avon dinghy & motor, on strongdavitts. Built for long distance cruising.Stored inside heated building at
Drummond Island, MI. Asking $189,000.Please contact Bill Yunker 920-621-7772(cell) or e-mail [email protected]. 36 ft. Steel Tug Trawler. 1955. Solid hull,Engine totally overhauled. Ready forcompletion of interior and exteriorrestoration. Located at Baileys Harbor, WI.Asking $9,900. Please contact Bill Yunker920-621-7772 (cell) or [email protected]. 32 ft. Galaxy Fiberglass Sailing Sloop,with trailer 1960. Beautiful condition. DieselEngine. Needs an avid sailor who enjoystrue sailing adventures on a super stablesafe vessel. Stored inside at BaileysHarbor, WI. Asking $11,500. Pleasecontact Bill Yunker 920-621-7772 (cell) ore-mail [email protected] 4/26/07
For Sale:Post Time. 42’ Post, Sportf ish, 15’9”beam, flybridge with hardtop & enclosure,1982. 671TI Detroits, 450 hp each, justfinished complete overhaul. 30 mph max,25+ cruise. All fiberglass boat, beautifulteak interior, joinery, and taffrail. Largesalon, galley down (with full size refrig.,freezer & icemaker), great storage. Sleeps6 in main & guest cabins and sofabed insalon. Fully equiped with 7.5 KW Onan,new 10” screen Faruno GPS/plotter &autopilot, Raytheon radar, VHF/hailer,stainless anchor, TVs, sound system andmore $179K. Stored inside heated inSandusky, OH. 772-225-1402 until 4/7,330-802-0821 after, 330-645-6239 cell, oremail [email protected] 5/15/07
Dream of exploring the North Channel in comfort, but don’t want to invest?GLCC member seeks experienced boatingenthusiast to share our 1998 45.2 JenneauSun Odyssey during summer (or ongoing)2007. Sleeps 6-7. Fully equipped withnavigational equipment, air-conditioning,generator and safety equipment, includinglife- raft. Extended charter (3-4 weeks ormore) or fractional ownership desired.
Member To Member
Location on Great Lakes negotiable, butprefer Lake Huron, North Channel, orGeorgian Bay. Call Joe or Karen at (734)761 9962. $8K/month or fraction ofappraised value with share of ongoingexpenses. Submitted 5/15/07
For Sale:1996 45' Tollycraft, Fiberglass, Twin DieselEngine, 100% fresh water vessel with everypossible option even including bowthruster and Niad stabalizers. She has3208 (435hp) Cats with approx 700 hrs andhas always been in heated indoor winterstorage. This boat has been maintainedwith an open check book. After owning thisbeautiful yacht for over 10 years we haveher up for sale so someone else may enjoyher. The reason for selling is poor health.This vessel has always been berthed andwinter stored at Charlevoix, Michigan. Theprice has just been dropped from $379,000to $345,000 to expedite the sale. ContactDick Sarns at 734-761-5504. Submitted 5/15/07For Sale:1986 50’ Bestway Cockpit Motor Yacht (44’+6’) Thru The Years 14’10” beam 3’10”draft Fresh water boat completed loop inJuly 2007. 2 Helms 3 sets of controls – (flybridge, salon and cockpit) GPS, Sonar,Radar in all three, Twin 305 HP VolvoTAMD 70 w/synchronizer, 12 KWWesterbeke Generator 2200 hours, 650gallons fuel, 180 gallons water,2 Heads(new vacuflush toilets)Guest State Roomdouble bed, Aft state room walk aroundqueen bed, make up area plus separatewasher and dryer, Open galley downw/new microwave, corian counters & sinkplus dinette that sleeps 2 more, Spacioussalon with beautiful teak and furnishings,Sun deck has bar area w/sink, ice maker,stereo extention and furniture to relax,Cockpit has stainless steel built in full sizebarbeque grill, sink & third set of controls,(Great for backing into slip) 2 reverse cycleair conditioners/heat and 2 electric heatersin each stateroom, 2500 Trace inverter,dripless shafts, KVH statellite TV, New2004 Ray Marine Radar, Sonar, Auto pilot,Speed, Wind, Rudder, Compasses at eachhelm, new dripless shafts & 4 blade props,barrier coat, engine breathers, coolers &heaters, Sea Recovery watermaker, singlesideband radio, 90’ auto retractor PowerCord, double Racor fuel f i l ters, newstrainers,(5)dual 150 amp alternators,Caribe hard bottom dinghy w/ 15 hp motor& electric davit. $249,900. Please contactDean or Miriam Gillman 847-772-4020 orEmail [email protected] for moreinformation!Submitted 8/30/07
Support your Club by using the Membership Applicationincluded with this issue to sign-up a new member!
GREAT LAKESCRUISING CLUB
Calendar of Events
27 October 2007ANNUAL MEETINGChicago Yacht Club
“at the foot of Monroe Street”GLCC Office 312-431-0904
12 January 200822nd Annual Lake SuperiorMid-Winter Dinner Meeting
Northland Inn,Brooklyn Park, MinnesotaPort Captain Bill Rohde
11-20 January 2008Toronto International Boat ShowRear Commodore J.E.Fordyce
23-27 January 2008Minneapolis Boat Show
Rear Commodore Duane Flynn218-525-4580
31 January - 3 February 2008Strictly Sail Boat Show
Chicago, IllinoisTreasurer Tim Boehlke
25 April 2008Grosse Pointe 35th Regional Meeting
Grosse Pointe Yacht ClubRear Commodore Ted Smith
26 April 2008Southwestern Ontario Regional Meeting
Sarnia, Ontario
One of the more popular boatingdestinations on the north shore ofLake Superior is Neys ProvincialPark.
Located just east of Terrace Bay,Ontario, and midway betweenThunder Bay and Wawa, this parkhas one of the finest beaches ofLake Superior’s north shore. It wasimmortalized on canvas by TheGroup of Seven artists owing to thespectacular scenery combiningrugged rocky islands, shelteredharbours, dense bush and the rarewoodland caribou. Immediatelyadjacent to the park are the well-known Slate Islands, long visited byGLCC boaters. This summer was noexception for the contingent of boats“doing the North Shore” after theRendezvous.
What makes Neys unique andalso the feature of Lifel ine’s “IRemember When” is the little knownfact that this location was a Prisonerof War camp in World War II.Between 1941 and 1945 the parkwas home to German Prisoners ofWar and was known as Camp W-one of 21 POW camps in Canadaduring the war. The camp also hasa significant maritime history as canbe seen from the above photo.
Camp W’s location had beencarefully chosen because a freezingcold lake (Lake Superior) provided anatural border to the south and themosquito/black fly infested forestdeterred escapes on the other threesides. Additionally, the sandy soilensured that escape tunnels wouldbe difficult to dig.
POW’s from Neys became theprimary source of manpower for thearea’s logging industry. The PigeonRiver Timber Company, operatingnorth of Neys, made quick use ofPOW labour and the seven loggingcamps along the Little Pic Riveroffered prisoners physical activity,paid employment and a workingenvironment that made life as aprisoner a little more tolerable. Totransport the prisoners a uniquetype of river boat was designed andto this day the decaying remnants ofthe sheet metal clad wooden boatsserve as a reminder of times past.In a documented escape attemptthat Superior cruisers will find highlyamusing a prisoner constructed iceskates out of his bed and attemptedto skate across Lake Superior. Hegot a bit of a shock when heeventually reached open water andhad to turn back.
Camp W closed in 1948 afterbeing used as a relocation camp forJapanese-Canadians who had beeninterned during the war and was torndown in 1953. In 1989 at a reunionof four men who were imprisonedhere, one said, “We talk about thisperiod of our l ives with suchfondness that back home we arecalled ex-Canadians….those werethe good days.” For those fourprisoners they can truly say………..Iremember when.
David G. AllenEditor, GLCC Lifeline
This is another in a series of articles by GLCC members, sharing personalexperiences and events. Please forward your own story to the GLCC office.
I remember when…
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