The 2025-2026 winter layup list is now up and running at  https://boatnerd3.jasonbowlerdesign.com/winter-lay-up-list-2025-2026

USCG cutter Mobile Bay breaks out Sugar Island ferry channel

    SAULT STE. MARIE, MI – Thanks to the USCG cutter Mobile Bay, the ferry Sugar Islander II was able to resume regular runs from the mainland to the island on Sunday. Ice had clogged the ferry channel at Mission Point for several days, causing schedule disruptions.
   The thickness of the ice chunks in the ferry’s path ranged from six inches to two feet, and the Sugar Islander II is not made to cut through ice that thick as it risks severe damage to the vessel.
   On Sunday evening the tanker Algonova ws northbound on Lake Huron with destination Sault Ste. Marie, ON. Her passage through Soo Harbor ice could send more broken ice into the ferry channel.

Obituary: Richard W. Jenkins, friend to many,
tried to save steamers E.M. Ford and S.T. Crapo

    Richard W. Jenkins, beloved husband, brother, son, uncle, friend, colleague, and steamship enthusiast without peer, passed away suddenly at his home in Lawrence, MA, on February 19, 2026. He was 53 years of age. When one thinks of how Richard had few equals, it is his kindness, humor, knowledge, infectious enthusiasm, and all-around good nature that first spring to mind.
   Richard was born in Oxford, England in April 1972, the son of Anthony P Jenkins and the late Pamela D (Robinson) Jenkins of Sterling, VA. The family moved from England to White Bear Lake, Minnesota in 1976, and Richard graduated with lifelong friends from White Bear Lake Area High School in 1990. He loved steam trains and ships from a young age, even “publishing” his own steamship magazine for his club of family members and stuffed animals. He volunteered at the Minnesota Transportation Museum with his father. Once he discovered that steam-powered freighters were still operating on the Great Lakes, documenting and preserving them became his lifelong passion.
   Richard earned his Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from the University of Minnesota, Duluth in 1994. Between lectures, he worked as a tour guide on the William A. Irvin museum ship, befriended the crews of the many freighters in the harbor (and checked out their engine rooms, of course), and helped a local artist catalog an extensive photograph collection of Great Lakes ships. He drew and photographed many historically significant ships that have since been scrapped.
   A compulsory unit on graphic design in his final semester awakened Richard to the world of computers, and he enrolled in further graphics classes at the St. Martin Art School in London. To pay for this he worked as a barman for a couple of years on the Tattershall Castle, a steamship-turned-bar moored on the Thames, working on restoring the engine room when not serving drinks.
   Returning to the U.S., Richard moved to the Boston area to be near his sister Kate and launch his career. He first turned his artistic talents towards web design at Groove Networks and then designed web-based applications for non-profits. In 2012 Richard joined Fidelity Investments, where he was lauded as a quiet leader, a mentor, a subject matter expert, and the steady heart of his teams. Richard worked at Fidelity until the time of his passing, most recently as Director of Architecture.
   In 2008, Richard met Lisa Hollis, and there followed an 18-year relationship filled with love and adventure. And also procrastination and marriage, in that order. They built a life based on a shared love of travel, friends, and dorky pursuits including Dr. Who and Star Trek, and lest you think this somehow derogatory, the word “dork” appeared prominently in their self-written wedding vows.
   Richard’s enthusiasm, breadth of knowledge, and irrepressible friendliness made him a towering figure (and a world-renowned expert) in steam preservation circles. He valiantly attempted to save the Great Lakes steam freighters the J. B. Ford and the S.T. Crapo through the Great Lakes Steamship Society, as well as the Henry Steinbrenner. Richard helped spearhead the successful effort to rehome the four “Lost Engines of Roanoke” steam trains. He was active in the New Hampshire Garden Railway society and built a large live steam garden railway in his rather small backyard. Not to be outdone, his driveway acquired a 1957 Chevy and an antique wooden boat “Maggie” which Richard planned to convert to steam power.
   Richard also enjoyed sharing his musical talents. He loved to belt out ‘80s power ballads and other songs at karaoke with friends. He taught his two enthusiastic nieces, at ages perhaps 4 and 6, to sing the backup vocals to Bon Jovi’s “Wanted” when he was babysitting and they didn’t want to go to bed. He was a beloved member of the handbell and vocal choirs at Old South United Methodist Church in Reading, MA.
   In recent years, Richard was also a cancer survivor. He underwent treatment for multiple myeloma that included a full bone marrow transplant and fought through months of discomfort and weakness to come out victorious in the end. He remained hopeful and steadfast through it all. He had been nearly two full years in remission at the time of his passing.
   Despite a lifetime of achievements and artistic creations that would make anyone proud, Richard will be most remembered by friends and family for his beautiful goofball spirit, a smile that instantly said you were in good company, and an ability to connect to anyone instantly with humor and sincerity. We will all miss him terribly but also be forever thankful for the time we had together.
   In addition to his father Anthony, Richard is survived by his beloved wife Lisa D (Hollis) Jenkins; his sister Katharine M (“little Kate”) Jenkins and her husband Dorian R Hart; his adoring nieces Elanor Hart and Kira Hart; his father’s wife Constance W Jenkins and her daughter Ramona M Goff; and numerous aunts, uncles, cousins, and friends around the world.
   A memorial service celebrating Richard’s life will be held on Saturday, March 7, 2026, at the Old South United Methodist Church 6 Salem St. Reading, MA at 11:00am EST.  The service will be streamed via Facebook Live, showing up as a post on the church’s Facebook page a few minutes before the service begins, and remaining available for a month afterwards: https://www.facebook.com/oldsouthumc
   In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made in Richard’s memory to The Michigan Maritime Museum https://michiganmaritimemuseum.org/  or The Great Lakes Museum (The S.S. Keewatin) https://greatlakesmuseum.ca/  For directions and online guest book, see Richard’s obituary page at www.johnbdouglassfuneralhome.com

Door County Maritime Museum Speaker Series-March 5

The next presentation of the Door County Medical Center Maritime Speaker Series will be held both in person and online on Thursday, March 5 at 7pm, featuring Christy Corp’s Last Stand, by presenter Brennan Christianson, Collections Manager at the Door County Maritime Museum.
   Christy Corporation is well known in Door County for the construction of magnificent ships such as the Spartan and Badger. They saw great financial success from the founding in the late 1940s through the 1950s. By the 1960s, however, they faced a difficult decision. The shipyard started to lose money, requiring Christy Corp. to either change its business strategy or risk going bankrupt. Over the next decade, several large contracts were taken on, yet all was not well.
   The construction of one of these vessels, the USCGC Active, resulted in delays, miscommunication, and disputes, which resulted in the United States Coast Guard being sued and the selling of Christy Corp. Join Brennan Christianson, DCMM Collections Coordinator, as he discusses the last stand of Christy Corp.​​​​​​​
   The Door County Medical Center Maritime Speaker Series programs are held the first Thursday of each month, October through April, beginning at 7pm, on the second floor of the Museum in Sturgeon Bay, as well as online. There is no cost to attend; we suggest bringing a donation of a non-perishable food item, or if watching online, we ask you to donate to your local food pantry.

Memories of sailing for the Ford fleet featured at GLMI dinner April 12

   The Great Lakes Maritime Institute presents its annual dinner at 2 p.m. April 12 at the Dossin Great Lakes Museum in Detroit. Featured speaker will be Greg Rudnick, who will talk about his time sailing on the Ford Motor Co. vessels Henry Ford II and Benson Ford. See the flyer posted in the gallery for details. Reservations required by March 31.
[You can see the billing for this in the gallery below]

Make your reservation for a stay on the City of Milwaukee today

It’s time to plan your summer getaway aboard the S.S. City of Milwaukee!
   Book a room and spend the night on a floating National Historic Landmark, then explore all six decks of this 95 year old railroad car ferry.
   Step back in time, experience Great Lakes history up close, and make it a stay you won’t forget.

See you aboard! Link to site;  https://www.carferry.com/boatel?fbclid=IwY2xjawQJgrxleHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETJUOWJ6bVljek5zVE8wbVRrc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQQMjIyMDM5MTc4ODIwMDg5MgABHp09bZhg2J1_QTU2qcbLcdS7M2ZwXeUqQneAsczgLqjpCmkQQBe_O6-SGKDp_aem_wHFOXWoMgm4wqI_FHzJTSw

Chance to win a trip on a lakes freighter