MI reps. request Trump administration send at least 1 new icebreaker from Finland to the Great Lakes
Two U.S. representatives from Michigan are asking the federal government to send at least one new icebreaker ship to the Great Lakes as part of a deal between the U.S. and Finland.
Earlier this month, President Donald Trump and Finnish President Alexander Stubb signed a memorandum of understanding that would allow the U.S. to purchase 11 new icebreakers from the Nordic nation.
On Tuesday, Rep. Tom Barrett (R – MI 7) and Rep. Hillary Scholten (D – MI 3) wrote a letter to Office of Management and Budget Director Russell Vought, urging the office to ensure at least one of the new ships will be planned for winter navigation on the Great Lakes.
“The Great Lakes can easily be overlooked by some as part of the Coast Guard’s mission. Relentless winters on the Great Lakes often result in heavy ice accumulation that only icebreakers can navigate through. Without these USCG vessels consistently patrolling the water border between the United States and Canada, our federal law enforcement will be unable to effectively deter border crossings year-round,” the letter reads. “The Great Lakes are also key pillars of our economy, creating $3.1 trillion in gross domestic products and employing 25.8 million people. A failure to keep them clear of ice can lead to major economic loss and threaten thousands of jobs, which makes the procurement of a new icebreaker even more significant.”
Under the MOU between the U.S. and Finland, four ships will be built in Finland and up to seven additional ships will be built at U.S. shipyards
The full letter can be read by clicking on this link: https://barrett.house.gov/sites/evo-subsites/barrett.house.gov/files/evo-media-document/quill-letter-l30056-ice-breakers-for-the-great-lakes-version-1-10-21-2025-09-33-am.pdf
Burger Boat Company promotes Ron Cleveringa to SVP product portfolio management
Manitowoc, Wis.-based Burger Boat Company has promoted Ron Cleveringa to senior vice president – product portfolio management, reporting to Rich Thompson, chief sales & marketing officer.
Burger, which announced a leadership transition earlier this month, says that as part of an ongoing reimagining of its business and brand, it is strengthening its focus on three key customer-facing functions: sales & business development, marketing, and product management.
In this newly defined role, Cleveringa will lead the development of Burger’s product development and design DNA across the company’s four business segments: custom yachts, commercial vessels, repair & refit, and military applications. He will be responsible for defining how Burger’s legacy of craftsmanship and innovation translates into each product line, ensuring that every vessel reflects the company’s distinctive identity and delivers a consistent customer experience from concept to completion.
A veteran of Burger Boat Company for more than 25 years and an industry professional for over 40 years, Cleveringa is an active participant in the global yachting industry, serving on the International Superyacht Society (ISS) Board of Directors, its talent pledge and marketing committees, and is an ISS Design and Leadership Awards judge. He is also a member of the Lloyd’s Register Technical Committee, and the Superyacht Builders Association Marketing Committee. In addition, he is an IYBA (International Yacht Brokers Association) member and a licensed Florida yacht broker.
“Ron’s experience and knowledge base are unmatched in the industry,” said Thompson. “This role allows us to leverage his unique insight into our customers, our products, and our market in ways that will drive Burger forward. His leadership will play a key role in delivering on the Burger brand promise and shaping the future of our brand through understanding and utilizing its’ DNA and visual brand language.”
“I’m honored to take on this new challenge and help guide the next chapter of Burger’s legacy,” said Cleveringa. “Our goal is to define and incorporate Burger’s brand DNA across all the segments we serve — to further develop the brand promise and experience that our customers have come to expect and enjoy on a regular basis.”
As Cleveringa works to ensure alignment between customer expectations, brand expression, and operational excellence, he will continue to serve as Burger’s primary client contact until a new point of contact is announced
[MarineLog]
Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum Offers 2
Special Edmund Fitzgerald Events
WHITEFISH POINT, MI – Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum has two special events happening before the Fitzgerald memorial on November 10th. One on November 7th and one on the 9th. All our events this fall are free to the public…please read below.
NOVEMBER 7th
The Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum will host an Edmund Fitzgerald speaker panel to take place on Friday, November 7, 2025 (6:30pm) at the Whitefish Township Community Center in Paradise, MI. Panelists will range from historians and surviving Fitzgerald family members…to Shipwreck Society staff and a former engineer on the Fitzgerald. This is a free event and seating will be on a first-come, first serve basis. The event will last approximately 1.5 hours. The Whitefish Township Community Center is located at: 7052 M-123, Paradise, MI 49768.
ON NOVEMBER 9th
The Great Lakes Shipwreck Historical Society will soon release the second edition of its popular Edmund Fitzgerald publication, The Legend Lives On. With an additional 48-pages of content, this richly illustrated book features historic imagery and artwork of “Big Fitz” during its working life and of this ship’s ongoing story across the years since November 10, 1975. The GLSHS official release and book signing of The Legend Lives On will take place at the Shipwreck Coast Museum Store on the Shipwreck Museum campus (Whitefish Point) on Sunday, November 9, 2025 from 1pm-3pm. Authors Bruce Lynn and Christopher Winters will be signing copies of the book at this time
Boo on the Boat Marks Halloween
at National Museum of the Great Lakes
Toledo, Ohio – The National Museum of the Great Lakes (NMGL) invites families to celebrate Halloween at Boo on the Boat, happening Friday, October 24 through Sunday, October 26. Join us during museum hours for Halloween fun aboard two of Toledo’s most historic haunts—the Col. James M. Schoonmaker Museum Ship and the Museum Tug Ohio.
Costumed trick-or-treaters can explore the pilothouses and galleys, collecting treats in pre-portioned, sealed bags at haunted stations along the way. The event offers a frightfully fun way for young explorers to dive into Great Lakes history while enjoying the spooky season.
[See details in the gallery below.]
Fitzgerald Memorial Plans Announced By
Great Lakes Shipwreck Historical Society
The Great Lakes Shipwreck Historical Society will hold an outdoor public remembrance service for the 50th Edmund Fitzgerald Memorial at Whitefish Point on Monday, November 10th, 2025 at 2 p.m.
PLAN AHEAD – WHAT TO EXPECT:
Outdoor Shelter: NO tent or seating will be setup for the outdoor public ceremony, as November can have volatile weather that would cause more harm than good. Check the weather forecast prior to traveling to Whitefish Point, and know your limits.
*(Seating will be provided for speakers and individuals ringing the bell.)
Parking: LIMITED parking is available at Whitefish Point. No RVs, Campers, or trailers will be allowed to park in the PAVED parking areas. Once paved parking areas are filled, be prepared to park along the shoulder of the road prior to reaching Whitefish Point.
No Shuttle Services: Be prepared to walk the distance from where you parked to get to Whitefish Point. Know your limits!
Museum Closed: The Museum will be closed to the public. Restrooms will be open.
Grounds Cleared: In order to make room (and parking available) for Fitzgerald families driving-in for the evening ceremony, daytime visitors will be asked to leave the grounds by 5PM.
A ceremony for family members only will take place at 7:00 PM, which will be livestreamed for the public. Under no circumstances will the evening ceremony for the family members of the Edmund Fitzgerald be open to the public.
The live stream link of the evening ceremony will be made available prior to the ceremony via our website and social media channels.
[Great Lakes Shipwreck Historical Society]
National Museum of the Great Lakes Remembers the Fitzgerald
Fifty years after the Edmund Fitzgerald tragically met its demise in Lake Superior, the National Museum of the Great Lakes invites you to Toledo for four powerful days of stories, music and reflection remembering the ship’s 29-man crew-many of whom called Toledo home.
[See the two-page flyer in the gallery.]
Mark 50 years since Edmund Fitzgerald sinking with historic cuisine, wreath laying
DETROIT, MI – From dining on authentic cuisine served on the ill-fated freighter to a solemn laying of wreaths on the water, the Detroit Historical Society is hosting a weekend of events to honor the 29 mariners who died in the sinking of the Edmund Fitzgerald nearly 50 years ago.
The museum is planning several opportunities, paid and free, to honor the Fitzgerald, which went down in a violent storm on Nov. 10, 1975, and is remembered in the Gordon Lightfoot ballad.
Rebecca Salminen-Witt, a spokeswoman for the Detroit Historical Society, said tickets are expected to sell out fast for a special brunch set for Sunday, Nov. 9, and the solemn wreath-laying ceremony on Nov. 10. Free events also are scheduled at the museum throughout the weekend.
“It’s important for people to learn about this history ― there’s a lot of it. And Detroit played a huge role in the maritime history of the state and in the whole country,” Salminen-Witt said.
Friday Nov. 7
The commemorative weekend kicks off at 11 a.m. with a book talk featuring Thomas Nelson, the author of “Wrecked: the Edmund Fitzgerald and the Sinking of the American Economy.”
Salminen-Witt said Nelson’s book takes a unique perspective on the ship’s sinking and how the loss of thousands of pounds of ore affected Michigan’s manufacturing economy, ultimately impacting the nation’s economy.
Register for the book talk here: https://www.detroithistorical.org/events/book-talk-wrecked
Detroit Free Press
Huge crowd expected for 50th anniversary
memorial of sinking of the Edmund Fitzgerald
A crowd of about 2,000 people is expected to turn out next month when Split Rock Lighthouse and the Minnesota Historical Society host a memorial to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the sinking of the Edmund Fitzgerald on Nov. 10.
The ship left port in Superior, Wis., in 1975 “With a load of iron ore, 26,000 tons more, than the Edmund Fitzgerald weighed empty,” as immortalized in Gordon Lightfoot’s famous song about the wreck. The Fitz would have passed just a few miles off shore from Split Rock.
For the past 40 years, the lighthouse has observed the anniversary with a ceremony in which the names of the 29 crew members who perished in Lake Superior are read aloud to the tolling of a ship’s bell. Then Split Rock’s beacon is lit in their honor.
This year’s event will continue that tradition. In addition, former Split Rock Lighthouse Site Manager Lee Radzak will discuss why he started the annual memorial 40 years ago.
“My first one that I attended was actually the first day I was here on site, back in 2019, and the emotional response that I had was just very striking to me,” recalls current site manager Hayes Scriven.
“Listening to the names and the bell being rung, and all of sudden the light comes on, it’s very moving.”
Scriven said they’ve already sold more tickets in advance this year than they ever have for past events. He advises those interested in attending to arrive a few hours before it starts at 4 pm. Free shuttles will also be available from Silver Bay.
He believes there are a few reasons why the tragedy still resonates so deeply with people today. Many know it through the iconic song “The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald.” There’s also the enduring mystery of what precisely led to the ship and crew’s demise.
Thousands of tourists flock to Duluth and the North Shore of Lake Superior to see up close the giant 1,000-foot freighters that carry iron ore and other materials across the Great Lakes. Scriven says many people have a hard time fathoming how one of those enormous ships could disappear.
“We’re just trying to provide a little place for memory and for remembrance and to really put into perspective the power of the lake,” Scriven says. “So that’s why we think it’s very important for us to keep doing this.”
MPR News
Detroit Historical Society hosts several events for 50th anniversary of Edmund Fitzgerald sinking
By: Max White
(WXYZ) — The Detroit Historical Society is hosting a full weekend of activities to mark the 50th anniversary of the sinking of the Edmund Fitzgerald.
According to the society, the activities all take place at the Dossin Great Lakes Museum on Belle Isle, and will kick off on Friday, Nov. 7, with a talk by author Thomas Nelson, who wrote the book “WRECKED: the Edmund Fitzgerald and the Sinking of the American Economy.”
On Saturday, Nov. 8, curators and docents will host drop-in tours of the Edmund Fitzgerald exhibit on the lower level of the Dossin Great Lakes Museum. Also, the Great Lakes Maritime Institute will be there for information and merchandise.
Also on Saturday, the Livonia Amateur Radio Club will be in DeRoy Hall for the Edmund Fitzgerald radio broadcast, and a new pop-up exhibit will debut.
Sunday morning, the museum will host its first-ever Maritime Brunch, which will feature a chef-prepared meal directly from the Edmund Fitzgerald’s on-ship menu, along with a video presentation from Ship-to-Shore Chef Catherine Schmuck.
During the brunch, a new film will premiere about the Edmund Fitzgerald with experts from around the Great Lakes. Tickets for the brunch are available now.
Finally, on Monday, the society will host its 26th annual Lost Mariner’s Remembrance, which is a tribute to the sailors who were lost on the Great Lakes. The event takes place from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. and begins with a lantern vigil at the Fitzgerald’s bow setting. Officials say the event sells out every year, and tickets are available now.
Click to see Full story and videos: https://www.wxyz.com/news/detroit-historical-society-hosts-several-events-for-50th-anniversary-of-edmund-fitzgerald-sinking?sfnsn=mo&fbclid=IwY2xjawMsZ1VleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHi7V_IMl1KDLaV2aLwAgHT9l68-iG1GT4NPz0DBD_7FrGRv3vNimb9LJi74Q_aem_jJq4jLDiDZj4tCbMK3qspw
ISMA Milwaukee Lodge, Wisconsin Marine Historical Society
Will Host 50th Anniversary Fitzgerald Commemoration
International Ship Masters Association Milwaukee Lodge and the
Wisconsin Marine Historical Society have partnered to commemorate
the SS Edmund Fitzgerald and her Crew on the 50th anniversary of
her sinking.
Join us on Monday, November 10th, from 5-8 PM, at The
Cooperage (822 S. Water St., Milwaukee). The event will feature a
solemn bell ringing ceremony at 6:10 PM in memory of the 29 lost
crew members, followed by speakers sharing their personal
connections to this historic event.
Admission includes heavy hors d’oeuvres and a cash bar. Tickets
are $20 presale, or $40 at the door if space allows. Secure your spot
early – the first 200 tickets sold will receive a commemorative
challenge coin and gift bag. Presale ends November 5, 2025.
Don’t miss this unique opportunity to reflect on a solemn and
significant event in Great Lakes history. Space is limited, so purchase
your tickets today at:
http://www.shipmaster.org/lodge-6
This event is a commemoration, not a fund raiser.
