[Rhodes22-list] Trip to a haunted lighthouse

[Lee Kuhn]

Cool adventure! Thanks for sharing.

On Thu, Jul 27, 2023, 6:03 PM ROGER PIHLAJA <Roger_Pihlaja at msn.com> wrote:

> Hi All,
>
> Some people complain about their in-laws.  I go on high adventures with
> mine.  On July 11-13, 2023; my brother-in-law, Ken Mild and I mounted a
> mini expedition to the Waugoshance Shoal Lighthouse (WSL).  WSL marks the
> western entrance to the Straits of Mackinac.  The lighthouse was built in
> 1851 and deactivated in 1912 in favor of an unmanned automated light
> mounted on a steel tower nearby.  Over the years, there were a number of
> fatalities both construction workers and light keepers.  The lighthouse is
> said to be haunted!  During WW-2, both the US Navy and the US Army Air
> Corps used WSL as a practice bombing target.  The US Navy had a flight
> school complete with an aircraft carrier in Chicago, IL and the US Army Air
> Corps had a flight school in Traverse City, MI.  Both military programs
> sent pilot trainees on bombing missions to WSL and back.  Ken and I camped
> at Wilderness State Park about 12 miles west of Mackinac City, MI.  We made
> the trip in my Walker Bay 3.4 meter (11 feet 1.8 inch) Rigid Inflatable
> Boat (RIB) with a Honda 9.9 hp outboard.  The first image is a GPS track
> log of our voyage.  You can see I-75 crossing over the Straits of Mackinac
> via the Mackinaw Bridge between Mackinac City in the Lower Peninsula and
> St. Ignace in the Upper Peninsula.  The over the water distance from Big
> Stone Bay Launch Ramp to WSL is about 10 miles 1-way.
>
> [cid:image002.png at 01D9C0B5.2B64F330]
>
> You don’t just go into the Straits of Mackinac in an 11’ LOA RIB without
> checking the weather.  Fortunately, Lake Michigan was kind to us.  On the
> morning of the July 12th, we had a nice stable weather window for the
> morning.  We got an early start, visited WSL, and were back at the launch
> ramp by 12:30 PM.  By then, the lake effect on shore wind was kicking in
> and we had 2-3 ft waves that were building.  Despite the waves, we were
> able to get the RIB back onto the trailer without any damage.
>
> The second image is me with WSL in the background:
>
> [cid:image005.jpg at 01D9C0B5.2B64F330]
>
> WSL is home to a large cormorant colony now.  In the picture, you can see
> them all over the lighthouse.  Downwind of the lighthouse, there was a
> strong ammonia odor from their guano!  They did not like having us near the
> lighthouse.
>
> The 3rd picture is Ken leaning on the bas of WSL:
>
> [cid:image009.jpg at 01D9C0B5.2B64F330]
>
> The whole area around WSL is very shallow with boulders above and just
> below the water.  We had to be careful not to damage the prop.  We had
> several spare shear pins and even an extra prop just in case; but, we
> didn’t need to use them.  We decided not to enter the lighthouse because
> the cormorants were very riled up and the mess they’ve made is simply
> disgusting!  In any case we would have needed rock climbing gear because
> there is no stairway or ladder.
>
> The 4th picture is the RIB back on the trailer at Big Stone Bay Launch
> Ramp:
>
> [cid:image011.jpg at 01D9C0B5.2B64F330]
>
> Roger Pihlaja
> S/V Dynamic Equilibrium
>
> Sent from Mail<https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=550986> for Windows
>
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