November weather kicked up high winds and dangerous waves on the icy waters of Lake Michigan, making for a busy day at work as the crew of the Kaye E. Barker made a coal delivery to Grand Haven.

Proud mom Beth DeVos traveled to Grand Haven State Park on Sunday, November 11th to see her son at work. Lukas is a deckhand on the Kaye E. Barker, a massive 767 foot, 25,900 pound freighter- one of the biggest left on the Great Lakes. Built in 1952, the ship is still in service and was bringing coal to the Grand Haven Board of Light & Power (possibly the last before it is replaced) from Sandusky, Ohio.

When I think of the pier at Grand Haven I think of watching serene sunsets with an ice cream cone or Pronto Pup in hand, enjoying a warm, late-Summer sunset. This time of year looks completely different on Lake Michigan, with the famed gales of November kicking up waves and stirring the icy waters. In fact, the Kaye E. Barker had been anchored offshore since 4:30AM waiting for conditions to improve before sailing the channel into harbor at about noon.

Beth got some incredible photos of the journey; the colors are bright and the contrast is amazing. In case you're wondering- yes, this proud mom did get her son to wave once. Lukas is the guy in the orange hat.

 

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