By James Heinz
For the third time, WMHS has launched our good friend LITTLE TOOT into the waters of Lake Michigan. LITTLE TOOT was ready for launching after a year spent in the Joe Grygny tiny wooden boat rehabilitation center.
WMHS members Carl Eisenberg, Todd Gordon, and myself went to the Milwaukee Community Sailing Center on August 8th to take the tiny wooden ship out onto the Lake.
One problem with writing all my stories about shipwrecks is that I have shipwrecks on the brain. It was all I could do to stop the most famous shipwreck song in history from running through my head:
“…a three hour cruise, a three hour cruise…”
We met with Sailing Center Outreach Director Teresa Coronado, who graciously donated the use of their boat to facilitate this third in a series of little tiny wooden boat launchings. Teresa was accompanied by her deck hand Kristen Pratt, who got shanghaied onto the boat because when asked she unwisely told her boss Teresa that she had nothing to do at the moment.
My anxiety was only increased by Todd singing the second most popular shipwreck song in history:
“…the wind in the wires made a tattletale sound, as the waves broke over the railing…”
Actually, there was no wind, and no waves, and no wires. Lake Michigan was in a rare good mood, flat and calm and emerald green. Still, it was the thought that counted. Thanks, Todd.
WMHS executive director Suzette Lopez, whose pandemic period inspired idea this was, was nowhere in sight. No doubt she was typing up a data sheet and preparing a file about us in case we did not return.
Teresa and Kristen took us on a 26 minute cruise about 1.5 miles out from the McKinley Marina. After a brief dispute about which patch of identical lake water was preferable to every other patch of identical lake water for the launching, Todd prepared to launch LITTLE TOOT over the side.
I lamented the absence of a bottle of champagne with which to christen LITTLE TOOT, but Todd said it would not have mattered anyway, since he would have drunk it all on the way out.
And so, with due ceremony LITTLE TOOT was again committed to the deep. Wait, that doesn’t sound right. Let’s just say that LITTLE TOOT was successfully launched over the side, to resume her voyage to who knows where.
The first time she was launched, she was found two years later on the beach at Warnimont Park in Cudahy, and the second time she was found two days later on the beach at Whitefish Bay, only to be held hostage for a period of time by the little boy who found it and did not want to give it up.
The return trip was uneventful except for Todd singing “…the captain wired in that he had water coming in, and the good ship and crew was in peril…” even though we had no water coming in and we were not in peril from anything except having to listen to Todd sing.
Stay tuned for further developments in the life of LITTLE TOOT.
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James Heinz is the Wisconsin Marine Historical Society’s acquisitions director. He became interested in maritime history as a kid watching Jacques Cousteau’s adventures on TV. He was a Great Lakes wreck diver until three episodes of the bends forced him to retire from diving. He was a University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee police officer for thirty years. He regularly flies either a Cessna 152 or 172.
PHOTOS by Jim Heinz and Carl Eisenberg
The LITTLE TOOT team: Jim Heinz, Carl Eisenberg, Todd Gordon with Kristen Pratt
Todd Gordon launching LITTLE TOOT
LITTLE TOOT’s voyage begins
