Page 85 - 2019 Lake St. Clair Guide Magazine

60th Birthday! Handy guide Boatnerd are often thought
helps you ‘Know Your Ships’ to be one and the same, but

cont. from page 78... they are separate entities,

In these days of desktop although LeLievre does vol-

publishing and everything unteer work for the site.

digital, it’s hard to imagine He also follows the dai-

someone launching some- ly ebb and flow of shipping

thing as ambitious as “Know via AIS, an automatic vessel

identification sys-

tem that shows

vessel locations

and destination.

You can do the

same by down-

loading the Ma-

rine Traffic app.

If you want to

know what boats

you will see this

afternoon on the

St. Clair River,
Freighter season typically runs from Marine Traffic will
March 25-Jan. 15, weather permitting let you know. If
Check out www.MarineTraffic.com you really want to
so you’ll know when ships
nerd-out, pick up
are headed your way
a small handheld

marine scanner

Your Ships” with little more and listen to the captains

than a basement drafting ta- and Sarnia Traffic control

ble, a makeshift darkroom, talk to each other on the ra-

an old camera and a love of dio.

the lakers. But that’s what Another great spot to find

Tom Manse did. Today you out what’s coming is at the

might call him a boat nerd. Great Lakes Maritime Cen-

Since 1995, the book has ter, 55 Water St,. Port Huron

been edited and published where the Black River meets

by Roger LeLievre, a former the St. Clair. Monitors show

Ann Arbor newspaperman the AIS feed, boat traffic

who grew up in Sault Ste. passes right out front, and

Marie and considers Manse a deli provides fuel after a

his mentor. He receives in- busy day of Boatnerding.

formation updates and hun- “Know Your Ships” is

dreds of photos from around available at several locations

the Great Lakes for consid- in the Bluewater area, listed

eration in the annual book. in the Where to Buy section

Some of the lowdown also of the Web site KnowYour-

comes from the Detroit ar- Ships.com, where it can also

ea-based Web site Boatnerd. be ordered by mail.

com. “Know Your Ships” and

The author, publisher, or seller assumes no liability with respect to the use of information contained herein Page 85