Customer Reviews

Schooners In Peril: True and Exciting Stories About Tall Ships on the Great Lakes

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In maritime history, few aspects are as neglected as that of the Great Lakes. A century ago, all manner of sailing ships and steam-powered vessels carried cargo and passengers all over the St. Lawrence Seaway (Lake Superior to the St. Lawrence River, and into the Atlantic Ocean). It has been claimed by veteran sailors who have crossed the world's various oceans, that the Great Lakes are the deadliest of seas. Many salt-water sailors regarded Great Lakes sailors with contempt and derision...until they experienced a Great Lakes storm first-hand! Lake Superior is particularly notorious (I myself have lost a boat to that sea), with some 350 ships lost. This book concentrates mainly on the picturesque schooners that were once the most common type of ship on the inland seas, retelling various accounts of maritime disasters, accidents, and near-death experiences. These are true tales of survival!
One of the most interesting accounts: the David Dows, the largest schooner ever to sail the Great Lakes, and its eventual sinking near Chicago. Many maritime experts percieved its dimensions were too big to be practical for Great Lakes shipping. The David Dows was over 250 feet in length and had 5 masts! Even so, it was not the biggest schooner ever built, as there were 7 masted schooners sailing out of New England during this bygone era.

This book is a collection of mainly shorter stories about many, many various mishaps that befell sailing vessels on the Great Lakes. Strandings, groundings, collisions, near escapes and capsizings are all shown in this book. The binding is of quality, and despite a couple of years of heavy use it has not even in the slightest way been damaged. There are a number of good photos included within its pages. On the other hand, this book is sort of dry and does not entertwine the facts into a book that constantly holds my attention. However, the goods outweigh the bads and it is a good source of info on one of the most clouded areas of Great Lakes History.

CE