I recently attended the Maritime Heritage Festival in Port Washington, Wisconsin. I sailed on the Denis Sullivan, a 137-foot re-creation of a three-masted, 19th century Great Lake's schooner. The schooner is an impressive example of 19th century technology. When I considered that this great ship was built with hand tools and sweat I gained an appreciation of our forefathers hard work.
The Great Lakes can dish out some pretty nasty weather. This type of ship sailed before the days of radar, GPS, or the U.S. Coast Guard. To sail in the 1800's it took great courage to jump on one of these ships and seek your fortune.
My favorite part of the whole sailing experience was helping the crew "heave-ho" the sail up. Those sails are heavy! I would highly recommend this festival for family fun.
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