Boat reconditioning and publicity work in March

Captain Ron Fitzsimmons completed the installation of the boat name and home port on the Lightkeeper. The rebuilt transmissions and engines are ready to install, so Andy Thomas and I will likely haul her over to the boat yard later this week. I spent the last couple of days setting up the brackets for the loading platform on the transom. We are still waiting for the stairs to be delivered but the platform is ready to install.

On March 21st, John Nelson and I presented a lecture on the history and status of the Lighthouse at a benefit for FILA and GTHLM organized by the Grand Traverse Lighthouse Museum at the Great Lakes Maritime Academy in Traverse City. We had a chance to have a public dialog with 93 year old Doug McCormick. His recollections of growing up at the Fox Island station and subsequent visits there over the intervening years were the hit of the evening.

Phil von Voigtlander March 27, 2007