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/