Vibe with Mike is showing off an original, heavily weathered life ring from the Adam E. Cornelius, the third Great Lakes vessel to carry that name. This ship was built in 1959 and sailed under the Adam E. Cornelius name until 1989.

What makes this life ring so cool is its condition. Just look at all that wear! You can almost feel the history behind it and imagine the years it spent aboard a working Great Lakes freighter. It's one thing to see old photographs of these ships, but something completely different to see an actual piece of their history still around today.

The Adam E. Cornelius was a 666-foot Great Lakes freighter built in Manitowoc, Wisconsin, for the American Steamship Company. In 1989, the vessel was converted into a barge and eventually became known as the Sarah Spencer. After decades on the Great Lakes and several name changes, the vessel was scrapped in 2020.

The ship may be gone, but this life ring is a reminder of the generations of sailors, ships, and stories that are part of Great Lakes maritime history.

In this video, Vibe with Mike takes a closer look at the life ring, its weathered appearance, and the history of the ship it once belonged to. For anyone who loves Great Lakes shipping, it's pretty amazing to see a piece of the past preserved like this!

Want to learn more about the Adam E. Cornelius and see historical photos of the ship? Check out this history page:

https://greatlakesships.wordpress.com/adam-e-cornelius-3/

Something about the forward sitting pilot houses is so sexy.

The Whitefish Bay clearing Lock 3 on the Welland Canal in August.

Full Res: https://flic.kr/ps/45LLeD

This question is for anyone who has worked on a Great Lakes freighter. What are your thoughts on an entry level position like OS (ordinary seaman)? I grew up on the Lakes and I always thought working on a ship would be cool, but no one in my family knows anything about what it's like. I would really appreciate if you guys could explain stuff like the crew culture, the hours, danger risks, and the hiring season. Thanks in advance!

For a brief moment, the Robert S. Pierson was at the end of the rainbow while anchored in Tawas Bay.

Sampling in Thunder Bay during the 2026 Summer Survey in August.

Better resolution: https://flic.kr/ps/45LLeD

I’ve noticed this ship has been anchored outside the break wall in Thunder Bay for at least three week. I’m wondering why this might be. I get sometimes ships stay put when they need repairs but wouldn’t that more likely be at a dock instead of at anchor. Just seems odd to me.

aboard the tug Undaunted

Spotted this out on the Mentor Headlands east of Cleveland Monday afternoon heading east on Lake Erie. Forgot to check marine traffic right away. Checked in the evening on the map, but couldn't find anything that matched, all the way into Lake Ontario. Looks like it might be a tug/barge, but not sure.

Watching the Lee lock through at the Soo with the Colorado. I was wondering if there were any problems with the Lee, as I've seen her go through a few times before and never seen a tug guide her before. Impressive history to know the ship across from me was at the surrender of Japan.

Saw the Paul lock through an hour ago, and saw the Alpena as we were crossing the bridge, so we saw the oldest and the largest ships on the lake today.

Photos were just taken with an Android phone, so nothing special.

Anchored are: (in order east to west)

Brant
Scot Stuttgart (since mid August)
Wicky Spirit
Federal Kumano
Vectis Progress

For it to be where it is, it went under a lift bridge, which I wasn’t sure was possible. Not fitting under lift bridges would mean this technology is a non starter for use the Great Lakes. But here we are. Very cool.

Foggy evening on the Detroit River with the Federal Dee at anchor. Nights like this are perfect for photos. This was taken without a filter using an iPhone 17 Pro.

Can anyone here tell me the name of the ship that hit the wall/boardwalk just south of the Bluewater Bridge in 1985 or 86? Trying to find that and the date of the incident. I believe it was the first freighter to hit after the boardwalk was constructed. I’ve always wondered how much the removal of the rip-rap, and the steel wall replacing it, changed the behavior of the current in that bend and if that contributed to the collision. I plan on contacting the pilots association to see if I can get my hands on the report (I assume there had to have been one, though I’m not sure they would be the body responsible for the investigation).

Thanks for any help.