NOTES ON FERRY CHRISTENINGS - PART #1

Madonna name boards ready to go,
in basement workshop. 

Detroit Harbor, Washington Island -

The act of christening a vessel is an ancient tradition, intended to bring good luck, safe voyages, and blessings to those who sail on board.

Not necessary?  Maybe...but who would like to take the chance?

Then, too, there is the awkward choice to go against tradition by denying a vessel to be properly christened, blessed and named.

For centuries this ceremony preceded the launch, a time when the vessel first transferred from land to sea.

Traditions change with the times.  The laying of a keel was once of great shipbuilding importance, not so many years ago, particularly in wooden shipbuilding when the keel member became the basis of construction.  Today's vessels - especially those made of steel or aluminum - can be constructed upside down and  in modules.  There is no recognized singular moment when a full-length keel is accomplished.  Instead, recognition has been given to the first cuts of plates and frames as a noteworthy start to construction.

Monday, June 29th, there will be a christening of the new Washington Island Ferry Line vessel Madonna.  This public recognition of the vessel's completion, and its given name (in this case, it will have religious connotations for the Mother of Jesus...but not for the Paul McCartney song, Lady Madonna, or for the pop singer from Bay City, Michigan, Madonna Louise Ciccone.)

This new ferry's name derives from the schooner of the same name, built by an Irishman, Aylward, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin in 1871.  Quite certainly he took the name in reference to the Holy Mother of Jesus. Not just any "My Lady" but the Lady.

One intended reference in the christening of our Madonna will be a tip of the hat to Ole Christiansen, Norwegian immigrant, and his schooner of the same name.  He bought the shooter from Aylward in 1894.  As a merchant vessel, Christiansen's schooner carried commercial products, lumber and potatoes mostly, between Detroit Harbor and other Lake Michigan ports.

In order to properly honor Ole Christiansen and the original Madonna, we asked his family if they could nominate a representative to perform the christening.  We received a "Yes" from Sarah Maines-Bandiera of British Columbia, in early March.

Certain hurdles needed to be overcome, including setting a date when the ferry might be finished and ready to christen.   After it would be launched, delivered and then moored in Detroit Harbor, it would await christening before placement into regular service.  That was tentatively planned for the end of May, or early June, so we hoped.

Then Covid-19 came along and it no longer seemed prudent to plan a public christening event, or to ask Sarah to travel a long distance for a short ceremony.  Pandemic travel rules created more hurdles.  We both agreed to reconsider, and instead we named Sarah as our Honorary Guest for the christening.  Then we began looking closer to home for another candidate who might perform the christening.  (The name of our stand-in will soon be publicly revealed.)

Sarah Maines-Bandiera, great granddaughter of Ole
Christiansen, graciously accepted our offer to christen
the new Madonna...until the pandemic made that an 
improbable plan. (photo by Sarah)

There is also the matter of finishing this vessel completely, to the required and agreed upon standards, fit for service and acceptable to the U. S. Coast Guard federal guidelines and owner expectations.

As the weeks passed by in spring, the estimated delivery date was pushed further back into June.  This later date wasn't of great concern to us, because we wanted the vessel to be right and not rushed or lacking in completeness.

Here we are on June 23, with a soft "maybe" for sea trials later this week.  Current status centers around a steering glitch: three steering options under two, completely separate, systems.  It is complicated, and not easily resolved.  The answer may require more parts (and expertise), with lead time in order to rectify.

One way or another, whether the ferry Madonna comes home this coming week or not, we will join Fincantieri Bay Shipbuilding workforce Monday in a combination ceremony.

There will be two parts to this event:  one will be to recognize the Bay Shipbuilding workforce for their achievement in turning out a great product, the ferry Madonna, that will sail in these local waters for the next half-century or more.  The second will be to christen this vessel, a formal, prescribed occasion in which we ask for God's blessings on this vessel, its crew, passengers and cargo in years to come.

Sprinkled throughout this blog and one to follow we'll post a number of photos recounting christening events for Washington Island Ferry Line vessels.

A synopsis of past WIFL christening events

The first ferry built and launched for WIFL, Arni and Carl Richter owners, was the Griffin, built at Krauss Kraft in Kewaunee, Wisconsin in 1946.  I've never come across a christening photo for this ferry, only pre-launch snapshots of owner Arni Richter standing on the shore with the Griffin in the background.  I believe Mary Richter had a hand in naming this ferry, as she was an avid follower of local history.

Then in 1950 the C. G. Richter, named for Carl Godfrey Richter, was built by the Sturgeon Bay Ship Building and Dry Dock yard. (This yard property was taken up 20 years by Bay Shipbuilding Corporation in 1970.)  Just prior to the C. G. Richter launch, cousins Carol Richter and Jeannie Leasum shared christening honors.

1950 christening of C. G. Richter prior to launch:
(top)  Maggie and Carl Richter; Carol Richter and 
Jeannie Leasum; Arni and Mary Richter; Margaret Leasum; 
Em andPaul Richter.  (unknown photographer / WIFL files)

Ten years later, in 1960, on nearly the same waterfrontage in Sturgeon Bay, Richter twins Adele and Estelle did the honors for the new ferry Voyageur.  A professional photographer (perhaps Herb Reynolds) captured the moment the champagne bottle smashed against the bow, prior to launch, a classic in WIFL "christening annals." As far as we know, only family members, and perhaps a few friends, were on hand for this occasion.  The Voyageur was launched following the christening that day.  It would be weeks before the ferry was finished, at homeport, and ready for operation.

Adele (L) and Estelle Richter performed the Voyageur
christening at the SBSB & DD yard prior to launch
in 1960.  (Herb Reynolds / WIFL archives)

In 1970 WIFL shifted from a private christening ceremony in the shipyard on launch day to a public ceremony held at the ferry dock in Detroit Harbor, Washington Island.  The occasion that brought about this change was the 100th Anniversary Celebration of the first Icelanders coming to Washington Island.  The new ferry's name, Eyrarbakki, would draw attention to this Island's many familial ties with Iceland.  Gertrude Andersen, then 94, was considered the first child born here of Icelandic immigrant parents, and she broke the bottle that day.

Gertrude Andersen swinging bottle against 
king post of Eyrarbakki in 1970.

Special invited guests had connections with the Icelandic consul in Chicago.  Well water from Eyrarbakki, Iceland was flown for the christening, rather than using champagne. It was a meaningful day for the Island, and it was also a great day for Arni and Mary Richter who sought to expand and improve Washington Island's tourism through marketing.  This Iceland tie was both genuine and unique. (This year's plans were dashed by the Covid-19 pandemic, but we remind readers of that christening occasion, just as we now highlight the 150th Anniversary Celebration in 2020.)

Estelle Richter took this launch photo of Hull #709 at
the Manitowoc Corp. Bay Shipbuilding yard in
1970.  This vessel was among the first to be
completed by the Bay Ship yard after the move
to Sturgeon Bay from Manitowoc.

The acceleration in tourism traffic would soon include fishing boats on trailers, motor homes, and larger vehicles in general - vans and pickup trucks - and the timing seemed right in 1979 to build a new ferry with increased dimensions over the Eyrarbakki of 1970.  Arni fondly looked at the photos of vessels sailed as ferries by Robert Noble across Sturgeon Bay, and he decided to name the new ferry for that first mechanically propelled ferry in Door County, Robert Noble.  Of course, there was also the unforgettable story of the struggle of Noble who tried to cross the Door at the onset of winter in 1863, and who lost his fingers and lower legs to frostbite.

The new Robert Noble was completed at Peterson Builders, Inc., ion June of 1979, and it heralded a  shift to a different builder, due in part to the building boom in large bulk carriers being constructed at the Manitowoc Bay Shipbuilding yard.  They had no more building room, and no need for a small ferry contract, whereas PBI was just winding down naval contracts and was open to general commercial work.

Harrison Noble, in his early 90s, spoke before
christening the ferry named for his uncle, Robert.
(photographer not known.  WIFL files)

The ferry came home to Detroit Harbor in early June for the christening.  After a bit of sleuthing, we located Robert's nephew, Harrison Noble, a retired County Agent in his early 90s, who lived in the Stevens Point area.  Harrison came to Washington Island, and he became the first male to christen one of our ferries, the new 90-foot Robert Noble.

Arni Richter, Ferry Line president, with
author on day of christening in 1979.

Light drizzle fell, but despite uncooperative weather that day, dozens of people turned out to witness the occasion.  A photo was taken of guests gathered that afternoon on the main deck, looking upward toward the speaker, and it provides a real challenge to the memory.  Naming as many people as possible in the crowd is a fun activity. (I'll add that photo when I find it!)

Mary and Arni Richter are between Mert Dedecker,
Mary's sister, and Bob Thompson of Tim Graul
Marine Design, naval architects for the
Washington.  (Arni Orman photo)

We'll take one more event before breaking the story into a second part.

Peterson Builders was awarded the contract for another new ferry, launched in 1989.  The Washington would be larger in deck and passenger capacity than any previous WIFL ferry, a fact that remains true today for automobile loads of a certain mix.

She's not a winter ferry, as she doesn't have the necessary structure or power for ice breaking, but it has been used more and more into late fall-to-freeze-up, and again in early spring.

This ferry was launched in late April, and it arrived on the Island in early June.   Our daughter, Evy, at age 13, christened the new ferry that year.  One of the notable events that day was the Boy Scout Troop from Maplewood, under scoutmaster  Dennis LeFevre, that led the Pledge of Allegiance that day.

Boy Scout troop from Maplewood led guests in
the Pledge of Allegiance prior to the christening.
(Al Belz Jr. photo)

That christening crowd was the largest to date, with many people onboard, on the pier, and a few in their boats nearby.  The weather was beautiful.  Congressman Toby Roth of Appleton, who was good friends with Islander Sarah Magnusson, sat next to her that day, on folding chairs set up on the main deck.

Evy Purinton broke the champagne bottle
against the Washington's kingpost in 1989.
Future ferry captain, Town Chair, County
Board Supervisor and father of four,
Joel Gunnlaugsson, stands in middle
background.
(photographer unknown)

In another seven years, PBI would be out of business.  It would be a number of years after that before the level of seasonal ferry traffic, our need for a new winter replacement ferry, and our ability to handle the cost of a more expensive ice breaking vessel, would converge to a point where a new ferry contract would be signed in 2002.

(To be continued...).  Dick Purinton  

Large white pine and table in the field to the north of home.

Washington Island, Wisconsin -

(Note:   I've added an additional comment to the foot of this posting...1.28.16)

Readers curious to know about the changing conditions on Washington Island, and who look in frequently at the Ferry Line's webcams, will know that the photo above wasn't taken today.

I took this one while on skis - that's right, cross country skis - several weeks back when I was feeling quite frisky.   I skied modestly, or so I thought, two days in a row, and also fell a couple of times when just standing, talking with my daughter, Evy.  My skis slipped out from under me in quick order.  The result of that outing was further aggravation of my Achilles tendons, both legs, putting me pretty much out of such continued activity since then.  During that hiatus, the snow melted and skiing conditions deteriorated, anyway.

But this morning we awoke to a pleasing cover of about 5 inches of wet snow, delicately blanketing tree branches, power lines and roofs.  Peanuts, when compared to the storm out east, but it's much more pleasant to observe and be outdoors in this kind of a snowfall.  Today's temperatures of 30+ have already melted some of the snow, opening up patches on the drives and lawn.

Skiing partners on this day were daughter
Evy with her dog, Ozzie.  Unfortunately,
those conditions didn't last for long.

A week of cold weather, single digits most mornings, finally stiffened up the ice in Detroit Harbor, so that just one week ago we saw Jeffrey Andersen walking out on the ice, towing his pop-up shanty.  Must have caught a few perch, too, because he stayed until dark.  The following morning Mack Gunnlaugsson towed his ice shanty down Main Road to the shore, and morning after that he pulled it out into the open harbor with his three-wheeler.

Since then others joined in, and now there are half a dozen shanties, and more with pop-up fishing shelters adding to the scene.  Almost all fishermen still use lighter ATVs, as the report I received indicated only about 6 inches of ice on the outermost areas, and not enough to safely drive a pickup truck over the ice.

Digging out in a different setting

We recently added insulation to the attic over our home and attached garage by placing fiberglass batts over blown-in insulation.  Although this space is quite open, and I hadn't known anything was stored up there, a few interesting items were uncovered.

First were two large, framed photos, and we have no idea who the subjects are.  Mary Jo guesses they are relatives, maybe connecting with the Kalmbach side of her family.  The photos and frames are quite bulky, and evidently the once-popular jumbo portraits of those now long gone were of no particular interest to Arni and Mary when they lived in this home.  Partially covered by the blown-in insulation, we guessed they were placed up there many years ago.

One item I quickly recognized was the stainless "destroyer-style" wheel from the helm of the Washington, built and outfitted at Peterson Builders, Inc. in the spring of 1989.  PBI completed outfitting with parts and pieces left over from U. S. Navy contracts that PBI was awarded over several decades.

Jacob Richter married a Kalmbach daughter.  Perhaps
these are relations?

"It don't look or feel right," was a comment I seem to remember hearing the first time Arni stepped foot in the new ferry's wheelhouse on sea trials.  Naval Architect Tim Graul set it right by substituting one of walnut, custom-turned by Dan Austad in his woodshop.

But, just what happened to the stainless wheel was a question I occasionally wondered, and apparently Arni preferred it up in his attic rather than on someone else's wall.

Hoyt Purinton holds the stainless wheel in the adjacent photo.  He and others recall that when  the Washington was ready for delivery to the Island (in mid-June of 1989), a new, wooden wheel was in place.

Of course, with the Washington's power steering, even a wheel could be considered unnecessary, and it is sometimes dispensed with on vessels today in favor of a short stick or jogging lever connected to hydraulics.

Nothing quite like the feel and look of a wooden wheel, however, comfortable in the palm of your hand, as you mentally track the spokes while changing the rudder angle at night.

-  Dick Purinton

Note:  I received an email from Chuck Sena last night, who operated the C. G. Richter when still a college student, and he recalled this wheel - or one just like it - having been used on the C. G. when trips were made in summer to Gills Rock (perhaps very early 90s?)  A phone conversation with Erik Foss, who makes it a point to remember such detail, verified that this might have been the case.  If so, I had completely forgotten about this, so thanks for the correction, Chuck.

The C. G. was retrofitted with power steering at Peterson Builders about 1991, as I recall, when plating was also replaced above the chine at the water line.  This change from cable steering followed what was received by Captains as an improved feature when the Washington was built.  A similar power steering arrangement was engineered by Tim Graul, and it underwent a couple of versions.  The first steering pump didn't hold up as it should, and maybe this first trial was when a stainless wheel was substituted for the original, large maple wheel.   

In any case, the wooden wheel eventually was reinstalled, and it stayed on the boat through the sale to a Florida operator.  The C. G., last I've heard, is operating from St. Martins Island, Caribbean.  

Another feature of the photo I ran above, of Evy and her dog Ozzie on our ski outing, was that a second dog, Roxie, was further down the trail.  Sharp eyes, Erik!  - DP

ISLAND WATERFRONT - THEN & NOW - Part I

ISLAND WATERFRONT - THEN & NOW

- Washington Island, Wisconsin

After my last post and the photos that showed how piers in Detroit Harbor looked a few years ago, I decided it's a good time to go into more detail - as much as possible, that is.  A great deal of information has been lost, and as a result we use conjecture to reconstruct the way we thought things were.

This year will be the 75th for the Washington Island Ferry Line, hence the logo with the dates at the top.   If nothing else, this provides further excuse for delving into the past, something I always enjoy doing, especially when it involves old photos.  And in the case of Island harbor docks and activities, in many cased these photos seem to do more to tell the story than available written information.  So, I'll liberally illustrate the way things were in the harbors using photos available.   A few of these may look familiar.  Either I've already used them in earlier blogs, or they've appeared in Over and Back - A History of Washington Island Transportation (a book published in 1990, in timing with the Ferry Line's 50th Anniversary, and out of print since about 1997).

The pier photo shown in my previous posting was taken by Bob Williams in 1949 (related, I believe, to Dede Rollo, who had a cottage in Jensenville), and it showed the Chris Andersen freighter WISCONSIN, at the location we now know as the Island Outpost dock.  I believe that earlier this was the dock developed by J. W. Cornell, where he moored his fishing boats.

Because of the interest expressed, below are several more photos of the WISCONSIN during her earlier days of ferrying cars (most likely the mid-to-late 1920s).  The pier location at which she is loading, in my opinion, appears to be near the present day Shipyard Marina.  Perhaps the base of this pier was the former Gislason dock, used by the store's owners at the turn of the last century for receiving shipment of goods for their store.

This photo was taken of the J. W. Cornell family when four identical
autos were loaded aboard the WISCONSIN (maybe just arriving
at the island for the first time).  This photo also speaks of a
time when money was to be made in commercial fishing, as the
autos were purchased by sons of Clara and J.W. Cornell.  Sons
Claude and George are believed to be in the white hats, standing behind 
their parents.   They, and another son, Bill, we believe were the owners 
of new Hudsons.   Daughter Mary (Richter) is in the back row, 
right hand side, with dark hair, and her sister, Audrey, is in
front, blond hair, looking at the camera.  According to the Door County 
Advocate issue of June 24, 1927,  an article clipped by Eric Greenfeldt 
(grandson of Bill and Harriet Cornell):  " It is quite surprising how many
high priced autos have been sold on the Island recently.  George
Mann sold three Hudson cars in one day, which is suggestive
of the business being done in that line here."

This early photo showing folks dressed in
fashionable wear
speaks to an early tourism trade.

The end of this pier as shown is broad and smoothly decked-over, suitable for maneuvering and loading automobiles, passengers, or for stacking freight.  That was the location William Jepson, one of the early ferry operators, used until the very early 1930s, at which point he transferred landings to the present Lobdell Point ferry landing location.  Jepson purchased and then developed the boatyard property formerly owned and managed by Ole Christiansen.

Shown is the early beginnings of the ferry dock at Lobdell
Point.  Logs piled on ice show work is in progress.
A small shack in the background is on the
Standard Oil pier, where barrels can be
seen lined up along that pier.  Bill Jepson, who was
responsible for this dock work,
was an avid photographer, and so it is likely
this photo, as well as many other early 
ferry photos, were taken by him.

Ole's name popped up a number of times when I researched the Thordarson book.  At one time Ole had a pier in Jackson Harbor for the purpose of loading timber products.   I'm just guessing, but I think his pier may have been located in the fairly deep water tucked inside the northeast corner of that harbor (the remains of old cribs can still be seen there along the shore).  Ole, who was quite enterprising, also owned - and was the last owner  of - the schooner MADONNA.   In later years (about 1915 or so) this vessel was grounded and abandoned in Detroit Harbor, in the area immediately west of the old Ida Bo (or Holiday Inn) pier.   Bits and pieces of the MADONNA still are mired in the bottom in that general location.

Summer fun with a rowboat, taken in front of
the cottage currently occupied by
Connie Essig.  MADONNA remains are
in the background.

A photograph from old Koken photos show children (perhaps Koken grandchildren?) playing in a rowboat, with the remains of the Madonna visible in the background.   For general interest, I've included here another Koken photo, one of their motor launch BERYLUNE, shown loaded to the scuppers with cedar shakes.  Where those shakes came from is anyone's guess, but very likely they were transported to the island by ferry to the shipyard location, and then reloaded by the Kokens for transport across the harbor to … the bayou estuary, where the Kokens owned what became later on the Arni and Mary Richter property.  The Kokens had a small pier and, later, a boathouse with marine railway.   Many of the buildings on this piece of property were - and still are - sided with cedar shakes.


BERYLUNE is a fine little boat with classy lines, and if you'd like to see her in a beautifully restored condition, please visit the Gills Rock Maritime Museum where she's a featured display, complete with her 1-cyl. Straubel engine.  How this craft wound up in the Gills Rock museum, and what the trail of ownership might have been after the Kokens owned it would be a good research project.  (Perhaps a reader may know the answer?)

BERYLUNE at Bayou dock in Detroit Harbor,
loaded with bundles of cedar shakes. (photo
taken perhaps late 'teens or early 1920s)

But, back to the early ferry WISCONSIN, a wooden vessel pressed into service as an auto / passenger ferry back when only freight boats were available for such trade.   We can see that loading was no picnic, but with the use of planks three or four autos could be squeezed side-by-side, thwartships (or rail-to-rail, rather than fore and aft).   This worked for a number of years, with several different in service.

Next time I'll use information from early county newspaper accounts that detailed the efforts of several operators to start an island ferry service, sent to me by Eric Greenfeldt.

-  Dick Purinton