Boatnerd News – August 11, 2025

August 11, 2025

Cleveland Boatnerd Gathering Planned Sept. 6

Cleveland’s first annual Boatnerd get together will be at the Whiskey Island Still & Eatery in Cleveland on September 6 at noon. Join us for an informal gathering of food, fellowship and hopefully some boat watching as well. Meet your fellow area boat fans! Food will be ordered off the menu and table service provided by the staff of the restaurant, which is located adjacent to the historic C&P Dock, where the 1,000 footers unload.

Directions and info for the restaurant: https://www.whiskeyislandstillandeatery.net/

Bill Kloss

2025 Luck of the Lakes Raffle Includes Ship Trips

Your raffle ticket purchase supports the Great Lakes Historical Society and its National Museum of the Great Lakes whose mission is to preserve, share, and celebrate the past, present, and future of the Great Lakes story.
Details here:
https://nmgl.org/2025lolraffle/?fbclid=IwY2xjawMDBTFleHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETFZUGV4UFMxNFFGYUpPbTZ2AR5OikAHiWMuo30CZrAqM9nuK93_xmmqYBsoAerabXJ3sBlZWNxpz7mZwoLuFw_aem_1pxrUONQfReTGS4dlnAgzg

Know Your Ships EXTRA Magazine 2025 Released

When Patrick Devine found out, in the summer of 1975, that he was being moved over to the Edmund Fitzgerald as a relief deckhand he was on top on the world. He had gone from one of the oldest boats in the fleet to one of the newest and best. He was devastated when union rules forced him off that September. He had lost his dream job. Then came the sinking and its horrific aftermath. He hasn’t talked about his experience until recently, and he gave Know Your Ships an exclusive interview for the 2025 Know Your Ships EXTRA midsummer magazine, now on sale.

The magazine also includes an interview with Great Lakes top cook Sissy Payment. Find out her recipe for success and learn something surprising about her in the story.

EXTRA 2025 remembers the loss 50 years ago of the EDMUND FITZGERALD with four stories.

  • EXCLUSIVE! Meet Patrick Devine, who thought he had found his dream job when he signed on to the Fitz as a relief deckhand in June 1975.
  • Explore the Fitzgerald’s influence in popular culture: Music, art, literature and – yes – souvenirs.
  • Did you know there were two vessels named Fitzgerald on the Great Lakes, and both were lost in November storms? And yes, their namesakes were related.
  • Consider what might have been if the Fitz had not gone down.

ALSO

  • Check out the Great Lakes Lore Museum at Rogers City, MI, where sailors are in the spotlight.
  • Read about the William G. Mather, the ‘Ship That Built Cleveland,’ which turns 100 this year.
  • Litton on the Lakes: Find out how a group of California upstarts turned the Great Lakes shipping industry upside down in the 1970s with their fancy ideas about 1,000-footers.
  • Catch up with the latest Great Lakes/Seaway news.
  • Enjoy even more images from readers in the ongoing series FAN-TASTIC PHOTOS.

This is the third year for the Know Your Ships EXTRA Magazine, which offers even more ship, sailor and industry stories, recent shipping news and many more of the stunning photos – current and historic – for which Know Your Ships has become known for the past 66 years. Please note that the Extra, which is a feature magazine, does not duplicate the vessel and fleet listings found in the regular Know Your Ships book.

Order at www.knowyourships.com 

EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY
Municipal Port Director – City of Milwaukee

Recruitment #2508-5750-001
VIEW COMPLETE JOB LISTING

The City of Milwaukee is seeking a Municipal Port Director to lead Port Milwaukee operations, strategy, and long-term growth. This cabinet-level position offers a unique opportunity to shape the future of a dynamic port, advance economic development, and strengthen international partnerships.

ABOUT THE POSITION
As a member of the Mayor’s Cabinet, the Municipal Port Director (“Director”) works closely with the seven-member BHC, providing leadership, strategic planning, and executive direction over all port activities and operations. The Director plays a key role in maximizing job creation and revenues by administering the Port’s existing leases, maintaining tenant and customer relations, and marketing Port Milwaukee assets domestically and internationally.

THE IDEAL CANDIDATE
The ideal candidate will be an experienced leader with strong management skills and in-depth knowledge about port administration and operations, including lease negotiation, carrier negotiations, business development, financial planning, and economic and market research. The City is seeking a visionary leader, a consensus builder, and an excellent communicator with the ability to build partnerships with all levels of municipal, state/provincial, and federal government in the United States and Canada.
  Screening for this position will be based on an evaluation of each applicant’s education, experience, and professional accomplishments, which should be detailed in a cover letter and resume. Cover letter and resume must be received via email before 5:00 p.m. on Friday, August 22, 2025 for consideration.

View the complete job listing here