By James Heinz
This is the latest installment in the saga of LITTLE TOOT, the little wooden boat that for the last few years WMHS has been periodically launching into Lake Michigan and recovering from the helping hands of people who later found it on the beach somewhere in the southeast Wisconsin area.
The bottom of LITTLE TOOT
The first time we launched it in 2021 it took two years for LITTLE TOOT to travel seven miles to a beach in Cudahy https://wmhs.org/little-toot-1-has-come-home/ The second time we launched it on July 22, 2023, it was recovered on the beach at Klode Park the next day https://wmhs.org/little-toot-has-made-a-little-kid-happy/
And as I recounted in a story from earlier this year https://wmhs.org/little-toot-gets-launched-again/ on August 8th, myself, former WMHS President Carl Eisenberg, and current WMHS President Todd Gordon launched LITTLE TOOT into Lake Michigan from a boat provided by the Community Sailing Center.
Joy and Jeff Cologna with LITTLE TOOT is photo at top of page
On October 4th, Todd Gordon, Carl Eisenberg, and I met with Jeff and Joy Cologna in a Kenosha restaurant. The Colognas own a home on the beach south of Kenosha. Jeff found LITTLE TOOT on the beach in front of their home on September 28, 2024, after a big storm caused by the remnant of Hurricane Helene had raged all the night before.
They explained that storms often blow things up on their beach, including once a buoy from the Sheboygan Yacht Club. The beach is often reshaped by storms, especially those from the northeast.
After lunch, the Colognas took us to their home but only after we stopped at the Southport Lighthouse for a tour, including the binnacle from the SS WISCONSIN, which WMHS has on loan to Southport.
The niche where LITTLE TOOT was found
The beach in front of their home has a stone erosion control structure made of large rocks and called a groin sticking out into Lake Michigan. Jeff found LITTLE TOOT in a niche in the rocks on the north side of the structure.
Kenny Cologna with his paddle to the sea canoe
In an amazing coincidence Jeff told us that he used to read the book Paddle to the Sea to his son Kenny when Kenny was a toddler. Paddle to the Sea is the book which inspired the building and launching of LITTLE TOOT. Kenny liked the book so much that his grandfather made a model of the Native American in his canoe featured in the book, which the now 25 year old Kenny still has.
Joy and Kenny told us about their lives. Jeff is in finance, but Joy’s life would require a book in itself since she has lived in 70 countries as a missionary and has since become a professional musician and singer who has opened for Chaka Khan, Kool and the Gang, and Prince, and once spoke to Michael Jackson on the phone. She reports that she was so star struck that she didn’t actually say anything.
She once sang for the President of Indonesia, which caused her to panic since she only knew Christian songs and Indonesia is a Muslim country. She said “I died a thousand deaths” on stage that night but her performance was well received, none the less. Her career as a singer is remarkable since in addition to being a strapping 4 foot 11 inches tall, she is missing her right ear canal but still has perfect pitch.
LITTLE TOOT was returned to the loving care of WMHS member Joe Grygny, who will repair it over the winter in time to be launched next summer. Stay tuned for more installments in the saga of LITTLE TOOT.
Photos by James Heinz
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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.
