Great Lakes Steamship George W Perkins

The pictures are of the Great Lakes Steamship the George W Perkins. My maternal grandfather Claude Champney (1886-1959) sailed on this ship as a 2nd mate while working for the Pittsburgh Steamship Division.

Like today this was a well paying job but which came with a price. That price was 8 months way from your family. My mother told me that everyonce in awhile her mother and family (2 sisters & 2 brothers) would travel from Rapid City to Roger City to visit her dad while his ship was on layover while being loaded with iron ore and coal. This was not an easy trip considering the cars of the late 1930's and unpaved roads of the day.

I once got to experience what it is like to sail the Great Lakes when Kelly and I took a vacation to Isle Royale. This trip included a 5 hour ferry ride from Copper Harbor to the Island. Apparently sea legs are not hereditary because I became sea sick before the ferry even left the harbor. I don't remember the actual name of the ferry but I do remember its nickname "The Barf Barge".

Because of having a grandfather who sailed the Great Lakes; seeing the huge freighters up close go through the Soo Locks and from a distance navigating the shipping lanes while swimming on the shores of Lake Huron; Gordon Lightfoot's song The Wreck Of The Edmond Fitzgerald ranks has one of my all time favorite songs. There is not to many songs that I can say gives me goosebumps as this song does. This song is a chilling reminder that the Great Lakes are not just lakes, but rather fresh water seas capable of sinking 1000' ships.