Posts from the Denis Sullivan No.1: Setting Sail for the Summer
Posted by Erin on July 14, 2010
July 12, 2010 – 3:17pm — Natalie Joynton
To speak of my love for the Great Lakes is to tell a tale in reverse. It can only be explained as that: a bottom-up journey, a type of ascent from sand to surface. After working last summer as a fellow for Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary, with its massive collection of freshwater shipwrecks, I now find myself living on the ships themselves: schooners, known as Tall Ships, that are exact replicas of the kinds of vessels that disappeared in the glacial waters off Michigan’s shores. It’s ironic, like a wreck gone backwards, this return to light from a darker depth.
This summer, sailing on the SV Denis Sullivan for two months, I will not learn about the processes of restoring artifacts, not about who/when/what/why/how of those over-century-old sinkings, not about the survivors or casualties. No—this summer, keeping that shipping history fresh in mind, I get to explore its present—which is really to say I’m exploring the Great Lakes future.
Connor Mangan said
Hey Ya’ll,
We just finished dinner by the Lake in front of our house in Derby, NY and are wondering if it’s your tall ship we are looking at, moored for the night of July 14th, 2010. If it is, it’s great to have you r i our backyard and we hope you enjoy a quiet night. If you hear a rooster at 5:00am it’s ours – sorry.
I am applying to the Naval Academy for next year – would love to join a tall ship next summer.
Connor Mangan
716-472-8104 (you can text)