Captain's Corner

  LAKE MICHIGAN – The shipwreck legend of Michigan’s famed “Christmas Tree Ship” remains shrouded in equal parts myth and mystery. But what we do know is this: 108 years ago today, that worn-out schooner helmed by a man nicknamed “Captain Santa” and weighed down heavily by a load of U.P. Christmas trees bound for Chicago was fighting a mighty battle against intensifying winds and waves of a coming storm. In their final minutes, the Rouse Simmons’ crew had thrown out the schooner’s port anchor into Lake Michigan, hoping to hold her into the wind, archeologists later discovered. In the words of the dive team who pieced together her last tragic moments: “something had gone seriously wrong aboard the vessel.” Overcome by large waves, the three-masted schooner went down hard on the afternoon of Nov. 23, 1912, her bow leaving a 10-foot-deep gash in the bottom of Lake Michigan. Lost with her were 16 souls – her captain, crew, and a group of lumberjacks who were hitching a ride to the Windy Ci

  There is always someone out to take you money, by hook or by crook.   If you receive a letter from U.S. VESSEL DOCUMENTATION in California telling you that your USCG Document is about to expire – DO NOT REPLY! Actual vessel documentation is handled by the U.S. Coast Guard in Virginia. We have heard from several boaters that they received a very official-looking notification, and it referenced a very official-looking web site. The letter claimed that if the recipient did not reply/renew within 45 days he could be subject to a $10,000 fine and other fees. The recipient could renew for $75.00, or for 5 years for $300. The cost to legitimately renew your Document is $26.00 per year. If you need to renew yours with the USCG, you can go to  https://www.uscg.mil/hq/cg5/nvdc  . What is a Documented Vessel? A  documented vessel  is one that is registered by the Federal Government through the  U. S. Coast Guard , rather than titled and numbered by a state. Pleasure  vessels  of 5 net tons and