The original Madeline was built in Fairport, Ohio, in the 19th century. It hauled goods like iron and fish across the Great Lakes. The Maritime Heritage Alliance wanted to reconstruct a boat like it.
Madeline was picked for its history. A five-man crew in 1850 spent a winter on Bowers Harbor along Old Mission Peninsula, learning to read and write to get a competitive edge in business.
One them was the great grandfather of Edmund Fitzgerald for whom the infamous freighter would be named in the 20th century.
On the day we're aboard, it’s almost 90 degrees with endless blue skies. The Madeline can take up to 20 passengers, free of charge.
Captain Rod Jones is giving orders to the crew as they hoist sails and tie lines, among other duties on board.
Crew member and volunteer Carlton Korzeniowski has crewed on race boats along Lake Saint Clair, Lake Erie, Lake Michigan, “but this is like cool," he said. "This is way sexier.”
Out on the bay, the engine is off and the sails are up. But the wind is not cooperating.
But it is serene out here. The quiet. The blue water. And it’s easy to imagine what it would be like a century ago, to have sails pumping with air, cruising the bay.
