USCGC MACKINAW – A Tale of Two Ships
Schedule
Thu Nov 12 2026 at 06:30 pm to 07:30 pm
UTC-05:00Location
260 Dyckman Ave, South Haven, MI, United States, Michigan 49090 | South Haven, MI
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Join us for an entertaining, informative presentation by author and journalist Mike Fornes about two iconic ships that became known as the “Queen of the Great Lakes." Since 1944, the Mackinaw has been on guard through gale-force winds, crushing ice flows, and blinding snowstorms. The original ship broke ice with brute force, and the new version does the same job with finesse and technology. Take a trip through the first six decades of the ship’s history and hear tales of unusual missions, drama, and comedy.Tickets are free for Museum members and $10 for non-members. A virtual lecture pass is also available. Doors open at 6 PM. You can purchase tickets for this event online, over the phone, or in-person.
This lecture series is made possible thanks to the Nielsen-Wells Grant Fund and Mike & Susan Smith.
About Our Presenters:
Mike Fornes has covered the original icebreaker Mackinaw and its new successor of the same name for more than 25 years for several media outlets in Northern Michigan, including radio and television stations and the Cheboygan Daily Tribune. He has reported on and photographed the many missions of these two great ships, filing first-hand stories of icebreaking, buoy-tending, public relations events, law enforcement, and search and rescue patrols.
He is the author of Mackinac Bridge—A 50 Year Chronicle 1957-2007, USCGC Mackinaw WAGB 83—An Illustrated History of a Great Lakes Queen, and three titles for Arcadia Publishing—Mackinac Bridge, USCGC Mackinaw (WLBB-30), and Mackinac Island’s GRAND HOTEL.
Tickets and Virtual Lecture Pass available:
https://michiganmaritimemuseum.org/event/mmm-lecture-series-wild-rice-harvesting-in-the-great-lakes/
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Where is it happening?
260 Dyckman Ave, South Haven, MI, United States, Michigan 49090Event Location & Nearby Stays:
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