Great Lakes Cruises on Tall Ships

Author: William G, Oatiz

Author: William G, Oatiz

Many people long for the simplicity of the last century when the main motive power was muscle, wind or water. Many more people were captivated by the pirate fad that swept the U.S. and much of the world a couple of years ago. For these two groups of people, a cruise on a schooner may be a perfect vacation--but where can you find a Tall Ship outside of the Carribean these days? Well, there are several Great Lakes cruises built around these grand sailing ships.

The Great Lakes Schooner Company operates a fleet of several unique vessels out of Toronto, Canada. The pride of their fleet is the schooner Kajama, a 164-foot sailing vessel that makes regular tours around Toronto Harbor and Lake Ontario. Great Lakes Schooner claims that this tour cannot be replicated anywhere else in the world except in the Carribean. That may be true, the Kajama is easily among the largest sailing vessels still carrying people on Great Lakes cruises.

The Kajama also reportedly has a fully stocked bar, which the competing Manitou, owned by the Traverse Tall Ship Company does not have.

Traverse Tall Ship Company is located in Traverse City, Michigan, USA and offers Great Lakes cruises on Grand Traverse Bay and along the shore of Lake Michigan. The Manitou is a 114-foot schooner that was built in the 1980s to be a replica of an 1800s ship. The detail of the construction is excellent and the Manitou is the pride of Traverse City. The Manitou makes regular dinner cruises that usually last a couple of hours as well as longer Great Lakes cruises that can last several days.

Both of these Great Lakes cruise companies offer themed cruises aboard their ships, meaning that passengers can enjoy some aspect of entertainment while the ships make slow cruises of the harbors. These may be dinner cruises , fireworks viewing, music tours, or even ice cream socials.

These shorter Great Lakes cruises typically last about 2 hours, and while the ship's crews are excellent seamen, passengers are reminded that the ships are powered mainly by the wind and the actual voyages might not last exactly 2 hours to the minute.About the Author:

William G. Oatiz grew up in Northern Michigan and is familiar with both the Great Lakes and the vast forests that the area offers. To help protect both the Lakes and Forests from cast off plastic bottles and foam cups, he sells reusable mugs and water bottles from his online store at http://stainlesssteeltravelmug.org

One reusable stainless steel travel mug or stainless steel water bottle can replace hundred or thousands of disposable products that otherwise might wind up littering the streets or floating in a lake or stream.

POST COMMENT

A Disney Cruise Line A Magical Experience For You