Episodes

Hold onto your butts or hats or minds as this week brings about a tangent-lover's dream with everything from the first steamship on Lake Superior (the SS Independence ) to Tom Sawyer's shipwreck (ironically the SS Independence ) to the evolution of propellers to the Washington Monument and probably literally everything else in-between. Andrew leaves you on a cliff-hanger and Michelle talks about the practically wild animals she was able to befriend. And somehow, someway, bananas make an appearan...

It's another review day! Andrew and Michelle are checking bad reviews for boat tour companies. Join in for the laughs and stay for the one star, do not recommends. Men's Mental Health Awareness here and also here Direct Links to Support for LGBTQ+ here + here Learn More about Allyship <3<3<3 and :) :) :) National Immigration Detention Hotline (Freedom for Immigrants) Number | ICE Detainee Locator via US Immigration | Customs Enforcement Tools (If someone is detained) | How To Find Someone In Det...

Michelle is joined by a very special guest today, her mom! Tune in as they talk about not only one of the most photographed spots in Ohio but the oldest operational lighthouse on the American side of the Great Lakes - Marblehead Lighthouse. You're in for a treat learning about this little lighthouse along with all of its twists and also, who knew Ohio was real?! Thank you so much, Maumee, for joining this episode! Direct Links to Support for LGBTQ+ here + here Learn More about Allyship <3<3<3 an...

Join Andrew and Michelle today as they talk about a boat's second chance becoming her last with one of the wildest wreck photos you might ever lay eyes on! We're talking about the SS George M. Cox formerly known as the SS Puritan . Learn what not to do when you're taking your newly renovated cruise ship out on surprisingly calm waters in Lake Superior for her first trip of the season. Anchors away! Direct Links to Support for LGBTQ+ here + here Learn More about Allyship <3<3<3 and :) :) :) Natio...

Its part two of the SS Eastland and the story only gets weirder. Andrew and Michelle thought the surprises this ship had were covered in the first episode but boy howdy were they wrong. Tune in to find out about the second life the Eastland takes on after being salvaged and turned into a naval training vessel - the USS Wilmette . And what does she have to do with a German U-boat?! Direct Links to Support for LGBTQ+ here + here Learn More about Allyship <3<3<3 and :) :) :) National Immigration De...

Andrew and Michelle are tackling the deadliest shipwreck that caused the highest loss of life on the Great Lakes: the SS Eastland . While it's a doozy, it's a good story to remember and not let history forget about. Learn all about the twists and turns that led up to the fateful day in 1915 when the Western Electric company chartered the Eastland to help ferry over 2,500 of their employees for a fun day of picnicking. What started off as a celebratory morning quickly turned into a nightmare. Com...

It's a short story this week but it's highlighted, surrounded by, and woven throughout with TRIPLE EXPANSION STEAM ENGINES! Be prepared to get your fix while learning all about the SS Norman and her untimely demise as well as a few bonus ships Andrew got to visit on his recent trip to San Francisco. Welcome aboard! Learn more about + Donate towards the SS Jeremiah O'Brien Andrew was talking about in the intro here Haven Watch learn more Minnesota Freedom Fund - ICE + Rights Resources click here ...

This week's episode has it all - cross-Atlantic travels, WWII, jukeboxes, and a ship that spent more of her life under water than above it. Michelle and Andrew are talking about the MV Prins Willem V aka "Willie" today and boy howdy, is this an interesting, albeit shorter tale. Learn along with Andrew about the color orange, carrots, consonants, and Roman numerals. We might even through in a few numbers. Consider yourself warned for this wild ride of an episode, so strap in and hang on! Haven Wa...

It's another Dinghy and we're goofing all of the way over to the west coast! Michelle is joined by a special stowaway - Katie Jensen - to talk about the Heceta Head Light and the Tillamook Rock Light located on the beautiful coast of Oregon. We hope you packed your raincoats and EMF readers because things might get a bit damp and definitely spooooooky. And no, it's not just our audio that can be a bit eerie. We are aware that one of our new mics sounds like a tennis ball being bounced around min...

Andrew and Michelle are back and they're talking about potentially the oldest paddle wheeler steamboat shipwreck in Lake Erie - the PS Anthony Wayne . Tune in to find out the significance of this wreck from an out-of-state research team, along with the tragedy surrounding her the night she fatefully went down. As fascinating as the Wayne is, this episode is a bit of a bummer so consider this your trigger warning. But welcome aboard this week's episode - we're glad you're here :) Haven Watch lear...

Andrew and Michelle are back in Canada (unfortunately for Michelle - sorry, Canada)! This time they are talking about the SS J.H. Jones . This ship was found literally the day after the SS Manasoo was found by Ken Merryman, Jerry Eliason, and Cris Kohl along with a special guest star: the great-grandson of the captain who went down with the ship. Learn all about the Jones and what an impact she made on Wiarton, Ontario in this week's episode. Also, we had some technical difficulties regarding An...

Join Michelle and Andrew as they hang out in Canada! Well, more specifically, Georgian Bay, as they talk about the SS Manasoo . Following a profitable 1928 season, the Manasoo took on one last special commission: transporting more than a hundred head of cattle from Manitoulin Island back to Owen Sound, but Mother Nature had other plans. Learn all about this final trip as well as the speculations that swirled around the steamship afterward. Plus, find out what the cool artifact is that sets this ...

Andrew and Michelle are back and it's a short episode. Short, sweet, but to the point. Join them as they cover the SS Fedora and bring back the one, the only, TRIPLE EXPANSION STEAM ENGINES!!! Wowee! Learn all about this composite bulk freighter who despite her decently long life, had very little to tell about it. What she lacked in life, she made up for on her final journey through Lake Superior. Learn all about the Fedora by tuning in. Cheers! Haven Watch learn more Minnesota Freedom Fund - IC...

Welcome back to regular episodes. Today, Andrew and Michelle are talking about a ship that probably has one of the worst cases of mishaps we've ever covered on the pod - the SS Russia . Tune in to find out all that this half iron, half wooden ship went through in her life before being rediscovered over a hundred years after she went down. Anchors away! Tornado assistance in Michigan + where to help here Haven Watch learn more Minnesota Freedom Fund - ICE + Rights Resources click here National Im...

It's another Dinghy and you know what that means - we're here to let loose! And today is about all things Midwest and both sides of the Great Lakes on Reddit. Join in on the fun, lose a few brain cells along with Andrew and Michelle, and hey, as the saying goes, "Ope before Sorry except after Geez." Welp, that's it for now! Welcome aboard :) Tornado assistance in Michigan + where to help here Haven Watch learn more Minnesota Freedom Fund - ICE + Rights Resources click here National Immigration ...

Andrew and Michelle cover the recently released, newly found, fresh off the press SS Lac La Belle . Learn all about this exciting steamship found almost 150 years to the day after she sank by Paul Ehorn and Bruce Bittner. Learn all about the newest shipwreck on the block! Haven Watch: www.havenwatch.org Minnesota Freedom Fund - ICE + Rights Resources: https://mnfreedomfund.org/resources/resources-ice/ National Immigration Detention Hotline (Freedom for Immigrants) Number | ICE Detainee Locator v...

Happy 80th Episode! To celebrate we're bringing out all of the bad pronunciations and making both you and Michelle suffer through talking about a ship that changed names more than the Great Lakes change weather. We're discussing La Grande Hermine . So buckle up, buttercup, it's gonna be a bumpy ride! Haven Watch: www.havenwatch.org Minnesota Freedom Fund - ICE + Rights Resources: https://mnfreedomfund.org/resources/resources-ice/ National Immigration Detention Hotline (Freedom for Immigrants) Nu...

It's the end of Black History Month and we barely are making it in talking about the Fairport Harbor Lighthouse aka the Freedom Light along with the crazy wild tale of the Crosswhite family and Marshall, Michigan. Step into history and the bravery of those on the Underground Railroad! Haven Watch: www.havenwatch.org Minnesota Freedom Fund - ICE + Rights Resources: https://mnfreedomfund.org/resources/resources-ice/ National Immigration Detention Hotline (Freedom for Immigrants) Number | ICE Detai...

Michelle and Andrew cover a doozy of an episode talking about the T.T. Morford . This neat little tugboat spent her nine lives in and around Chicago but not without her fair share of tragedies. The Morford got to be the hero in many stories as well. Consider yourself warned and welcome aboard! Haven Watch: www.havenwatch.org Minnesota Freedom Fund - ICE + Rights Resources: https://mnfreedomfund.org/resources/resources-ice/ National Immigration Detention Hotline (Freedom for Immigrants) Number | ...

Join Andrew and Michelle as they discuss the only five-masted schooner (barquentine? but who's keeping track) to ever grace the Great Lakes - the David Dows . This behemoth of a ship made quite a name for herself during her day, setting load and speed records, making other ships look like mere bath toys. Tune in to learn what made the Dows so special, what earned her so many unfortunate titles, and what ultimately was her downfall. Minnesota Freedom Fund - ICE + Rights Resources: https://mnfreed...

It's all things ice over here (the non-toxic kind, except a few of the ships we cover might think otherwise) and Andrew and Michelle invite you along for the ride. Join them as they talk about an episode eerily similar to last week's story. See if you can spot the differences before Michelle makes them obvious in her retelling of the tale of the SS John V. Moran . Be sure to pack your ice picks and lots of extra salt. Welcome aboard! Minnesota Freedom Fund - ICE + Rights Resources: https://mnfre...

What does hubris, slush, and the first millionaire in Detroit have in common? Why, the SS Eber Ward , of course! Still unsure of of the connection? Tune in to today's episode where Andrew and Michelle cover the life of not only the Eber Ward the ship, but also the man she was named after, and his uncle, and perhaps a few other characters along the way. Anchors away! Minnesota Freedom Fund - ICE + Rights Resources: https://mnfreedomfund.org/resources/resources-ice/ National Immigration Detention ...

Join hosts Michelle and Andrew as they talk about a series of unfortunate events that happened on November 17, 1879. What started as an unassuming night quickly turned into chaos that took the lives of 6 people and sank at least three ships - tug A.O. Thayer , tug Philip Becker , and the dredge Gordon , as well as quite possibly a few scows. Tune in to learn more about this Lake Ontario tragedy. Anchors away! Minnesota Freedom Fund - ICE + Rights Resources: https://mnfreedomfund.org/resources/re...

First actual recorded episode in 2026 and hosts Andrew + Michelle are a tad rusty. Bear with them as they cover the SS M.M. Drake along with a few ships she encountered along the way such as the Michigan , the Dot , the Smith Moore , the Pilot , and the Hallaran . Whether or not you believe the Drake was good or bad luck, the hero or the villain, we'll let you decide. Welcome aboard! Food Assistance Resources: Find a community fridge in your area: freedge.org + changex.org/ca/communityfridge/loc...