SCUTTLE

The brand-new Maritimo Yacht

M75 Flybridge

Motor Yacht and S75 Sedan Motor

Yacht made their global debut at the Sanctuary Cove International Boat Show in May. The M75 and S75 are the largest motoryachts ever designed and built by Maritimo.

Three men from Northern Michigan are ready to complete their goal of crossing all five Great Lakes on a stand-up paddleboard, with their Lake Ontario voyage scheduled for June 7-14. Over the last eight years, Jeff Guy, Kwin Morris and Joe Lorenz have crossed Lakes Michigan (in 2015), Huron (2017), Superior (2018) and Erie (2019).

The crossings started as a challenge but have since morphed into the trio launching their own nonprofit — Stand Up for Great Lakes — and raising tens of thousands of dollars for nonprofits helping the Great Lakes. The money raised from this year’s crossing is going to Cooperative Institute for Great Lakes Research to support its work protecting Lake Ontario from coastal flooding and water level issues. In the past, the trio has raised $10,000 for the Alliance for the Great Lakes (Lake Michigan), $7,000 for Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary (Lake Huron), $15,000 for the Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum (Lake Superior), and $16,000 for the Cooperative Institute for Great Lakes Research (Lake Erie).

The 65-mile round-trip Lake Ontario journey is estimated to take 24 hours to complete. The trio will depart from Toronto, paddle across to Niagara-on-the-Lake/Fort Niagara in New York, and then return to Toronto.

For more info, visit STANDUPFORGREATLAKES.COM.

Sail Place Named True North Yachts Authorized Dealer

True North Yachts has named Sail Place, Inc. as an authorized dealer in the Great Lakes region. With locations in Muskegon, Michigan, and Kenosha, Wisconsin, Sail Place is an authorized Beneteau dealer and the longest running Catalina Yachts dealer in the U.S.

“We are excited to be one of the first dealers to represent True North Yachts, and to add a complementary powerboat line to our sailing brands,” says Sail Place’s Dave Fulbright. “As Catalina’s longest running dealer, we know that the quality and craftsmanship customers have come to expect in a Catalina sailboat will be replicated in each True North Yacht built.”

True North enters the growing market segment of Downeast-style powerboats with traditional style, great performance and Catalina craftsmanship.

“We are excited to work with Sail Place as we introduce True North Yachts to the Great Lakes region,” adds Sharon Day, president of Catalina and True North Yachts.

To learn more, visit SAILPLACE.COM.

“Voices of the Vessel” Podcast Dives Into History of SS Badger Ferry

To celebrate 70 years since its maiden voyage, the SS Badger carferry has released a brand-new podcast entitled “Voices of the Vessel,” in partnership with Pure Ludington and Visit Manitowoc. The weekly podcast highlights the people and voices from over the years who have made the Badger — the last remaining coal-fired passenger steamship in operation in the U.S. — what she is today. These stories include the daughter of the ship’s first captain; the president and CEO of Interlake Maritime Services (the parent company of the Lake Michigan Carferry); as well as the director of tourism for Visit Manitowoc.

“Everyone seems to have a story about the Badger,” Shelby Soberalsk, the ship’s director of sales and marketing, told Shoreline Media. “Whether those stories pull at your heartstrings, or whether they are funny or sad stories. I love hearing them, in fact I can’t get enough of them… It’s the perfect opportunity to pause and reflect on what we are doing but also what the future holds. We all know that the Badger has a storied history to her, but she also has a bright future.”

To learn more, visit SSBADGER.COM. To listen to the podcast, visit VOICESOFTHEVESSEL.BUZZSPROUT.COM.

Sign Up For Chicago’s New On-Water Powerboat Class

The Coast Guard Foundation announced that Crystal Sabol recently joined the Foundation’s fundraising team as regional director for the Great Lakes. Learn more at COASTGUARD FOUNDATION.ORG.

Lake Superior’s Largest Private Island Will Soon be Protected

Batchewana Island, Lake Superior’s largest privately owned island is on the verge of being protected by the Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC), who has recently reached a purchase agreement with the current owners and is raising funds to finalize the sale. Boasting nearly 17 miles of pristine shoreline, Batchewana Island is home to intact old-growth forests, undisturbed wetlands and important species, including gray wolf, black bear, moose and more than 30 provincially significant bird species. Many fish, including endangered lake sturgeon, spawn in the shallows offshore. Once under its ownership, NCC will protect the island from future development.

“This is our best and possibly last chance to see this incredible island protected for the future,” says — Kaitlin Richardson, NCC program director. “The impact of conserving Lake Superior’s largest privately owned island cannot be understated. The communities of plants and animals that rely on Batchewana Island are unique and precious. I can’t wait for the day when we can say they get to stay that way forever.”

Visit NATURECONSERVANCY.CA/BATCHEWANA for more information.

Chicago boaters, start the season with a refresher course!

A new partnership between Boat Safe Chicago, Carefree Boat Club, and the BoatUS Foundation for Boating Safety and Clean Water is launching a series of three-hour courses for beginner and experienced boat operators at the 31st Street Boat Harbor in Chicago. Courses are offered aboard 19- to 26-foot single-engine powerboats.

“You’ll get real hands-on experience, helping you learn how to safely maneuver a boat and build confidence,” says Alan Dennison, program supervisor for BoatUS Foundation. “These courses are great for those who just bought a boat, as well as anyone seeking to increase their boat handling skills.”

Class size is limited to four students per vessel, ensuring each gets sufficient time at the helm under the watchful eye of a U.S. Coast Guard-licensed captain certified to teach the National Safe Boating Council modular curriculum. All courses depart from Carefree Boat Club Chicago at 31st Street Harbor.

Sign-up at BOATUS.ORG/CHICAGO.

Skipperi and Starcraft Expand Fleet on Lake Ontario

Ontario boaters in Hamilton, Pickering and Port Dalhousie will have a new boat rental option this summer. Skipperi, a Finland-based startup, announced it will launch new locations in these Ontario towns, in addition to its existing Toronto location, just in time for the new boating season. Rather than signing up for an annual subscription, Great Lakes boaters can enjoy a subscription from May-October, offering users access to a new, fully equipped, smart fleet of motorboats without the hassle of ownership. Skipperi has partnered with Starcraft Marine to provide users with more than 40 new fully equipped Starcraft SVX 171, 190, 191, 210 and 231 boats with Yamaha outboard engines. To use the platform, boaters purchase a seasonal membership, which starts at $475 per month (early bird pricing), and offers unlimited weekday access at all the Ontario harbors. You can also add on the Weekends package for $280 per month. On top of that, users only have to pay for fuel.

For more information, visit SKIPPERI.CA.

GLSHS Finds Two of Three Lost Vessels That Sank in 1914

The Great Lakes Shipwreck Historical Society (GLSHS), in partnership with Marine Sonic Technology, has announced the discovery of two vessels that sank in Lake Superior in 1914.

On November 18th, 1914, the Steamship C.F. Curtis was towing the schooner barges Selden E. Marvin and Annie M. Peterson from Baraga, Michigan, to Tonawanda, New York. The three ships got stuck in a storm and were never seen again. All 28 passengers aboard the three ships lost their lives that day.

In 2021, GLSHS located the Curtis, but was unable to find Marvin and Peterson. After a lot of searching, the shipwreck society located the Marvin in the summer of 2022.

“The combined losses of the C.F. Curtis, Selden E. Marvin and Annie M. Peterson have comprised one of the more tragic stories of shipwreck on the Great Lakes and certainly became one of Lake Superior’s enduring mysteries,” says GLSHS Executive Director Bruce Lynn. “To locate the Curtis and Marvin in a space of two years has been amazing. Now we just have to find the Peterson!”

Visit SHIPWRECKMUSEUM.COM.

Pearl Seas Cruises’ Pearl Mist Undergoes Complete Interior Redesign

In anticipation of the 2023 cruise season, Pearl Seas Cruises announced a major interior redesign of the Pearl Mist, a 210-passenger cruise boat that is the only fully stabilized all-balcony small ship cruising the Great Lakes. Pearl Seas, which has been offering personalized cruises in the Great Lakes, New England and Canada since 2014, has commissioned Miami-based Studio DADO with the redesign, which was revealed to guests on the first cruise of the season on May 6, departing from Portland, Maine.

The redesign features a fresh color palette, new luxurious textiles and linens, new furniture and carpets, with every space reimagined to highlight local historical, cultural and geographic influences of the regions Pearl Mist sails.

Pearl Seas Cruises’ Great Lakes season opened on May 28 with the Line’s 11-Night Great Lakes & Georgian Bay itinerary, followed by the shorter 7-Night Great Lakes itinerary departing June 8. Both Great Lakes itineraries operate all summer through the end of August.

To learn more, visit PEARLSEASCRUISES.COM.

Modern Prefab Boathouse Designed for the Muskoka Region

Residential architecture firm Turkel Design has launched a modern take on boathouses with its Muskoka Cottage Boathouse.

The lake-filled Muskoka region of Ontario, Canada, has a long tradition as a summer retreat. The Muskoka Cottage Boathouse was designed as a recreational outbuilding for the modern summer cottage.

Turkel Design devised a prefab package that shelters equipment from the elements, but also includes a roof deck and an entertainment extension accessible through large sliding doors. The regionally appropriate Douglas fir wood that comprises the boathouse acquires a natural silver patina over time, allowing it to evolve with its environment. For more information, visit TURKELDESIGN.COM.

Two Wisconsin Shipwrecks Added to Register of Historic Places

Two shipwrecks discovered in the waters off Wisconsin — Advance and Emeline — have recently been added to the state’s Register of Historic Places.

Built in Milwaukee in 1853, schooner Advance shipped lumber and grain throughout the Great Lakes. In September of 1885, the vessel capsized southeast of Sheboygan. The ship sank within 200 feet of shore, with five lives lost. Today, the vessel sits upright and broken on the lake bottom with most of its hull components extant with artifacts located within the hull, including the vessel’s centerboard, windlass, bowsprit and jibboom. The Advance shipwreck provides historians and archaeologists the chance to study early schooner construction.

The remains of the wooden double centerboard schooner Emeline lie in about 18 feet of water near Baileys Harbor. Built in 1862, the ship spent most of its career carrying lumber throughout the Great Lakes region. In 1896, Emeline capsized after being caught in a squall.

For more info, visit WISCONSINHISTORY.ORG.