Lover of Cycles, Hunting, Ships is Now Sailing the Great Lakes
Mike Novak’s maritime roots are deep. His grandfather sailed on the Edmund Fitzgerald from 1961-64 before being drafted to Vietnam. His great-uncle sailed the Great Lakes for many years for Columbia Transportation before retiring in 2008. From the title of his photography page “Don’t Slow Down”, one can deduce he is a man of many passions; 50k races, hunting, photography, cycling, now sailing the Great Lakes aboard the Wilfred Sykes. “This is my first ship and my first ship job,” Mike states, adding “I came on as a wiper with the intent to work my way up.”
Before this I was a boat chaser just like some of the other amazing people who see us off at these ports.
From Fond du Lac, Wisconsin Mike says, “My grandpa was a huge trapper, he owned a fur shed and all of that, so once I was old enough, I hit the trap line with everyone else, I used to skin and put up pelts for a number of years. He continued, “I loved it, it was really good money back in the day, we used to get raccoons, muskrat, mink, and beaver cause they fetched the most profit.”
Mike loves Duluth, stating, “I took a cycle ride up to Duluth last May for my birthday and loved it,” and added, “It’s such a beautiful, amazing place with so much history tied to it.”
Life Aboard the Wilfred Sykes
In his first year as a sailor aboard the Wilfred Sykes, Mike is a wiper in the engine room with the intent of working his way up. “As I start my career as a sailor, I’ve been documenting my journey and all the firsts for me.”
On leave in September, he visited the Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum at Whitefish Point, Paradise, Michigan. “Getting to see the bell they recovered off the Fitz (at the) was such a cool feeling,” Mike states, “my grandpa sailed on her from 1961-64, he knew 14 of the people on board when she went down. So it meant a little more to me than most to stand in front of her.”
The Wilfred Sykes made its first visit to the Duluth port on Thanksgiving for a load of ore. Mike said, “Usually, we run stone, slag, and coke ore. But late in the season, when the stone docks close down, we start running iron ore.
The most frequent ports for the Wilfred Sykes are Port Inland, Michigan; Cedarville, Ohio; Drummond Island, Michigan; Indiana Harbor in East Chicago, Indiana; and Burns Harbor, Indiana. After his first visit to Duluth as a sailor, Mike concludes, “Getting to take a video of us departing Duluth with a huge master salute under the beautiful aerial lift bridge was truly amazing!”
Mike records the Sykes’ salute to the Aerial Lift Bridge as they depart the port of Duluth. Video by Mike Novak.
