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MCP Boat Blog is a presentation of the Mason County Historical Society’s Port of Ludington Maritime Museum, ludingtonmaritimemuseum.org, located at 217 S. Lakeshore Dr., Ludington.
Documenting west Michigan’s commercial and recreational maritime industry.
By Rob Alway, Editor-in-Chief
Friday, May 16, 2025
MANISTEE — The winds were too strong earlier today to photograph the Undaunted/Pere Marquette 41 with the drone when the tug/barge arrived about 3 p.m. The weather forecast showed a safe decrease in wind speeds about 7:30 p.m. I made it to the Manistee Reith-Riley Construction dock on Manistee Lake about 7:45 p.m. Parked on 16th Street and launched the drone.
I knew the western sky was turning dark, but the light was amazing. I first shot facing east. As I turned the drone around, I noticed flashing behind me. The lightning was still several miles to the west. I positioned the drone facing west and started shooting video. The image with the lightning is actually a still capture from that video. The drone was up a total of six minutes when I knew I needed to bring it back. As it landed on my truck’s tonneau cover (my official landing pad), heavy rain drops fell from the sky — but I had my shot.
More photos can be seen on the MCP Instagram page and even more exclusively to subscribers (see information below).
The Mason County Historical Society is a non-profit charitable organization that was founded in 1937 that does not receive any governmental funding. It owns and operates the Port of Ludington Maritime Museum in Ludington, Historic White Pine Village in Pere Marquette Township, and The Rose Hawley Archives and the Mason County Emporium and Sweet Shop in downtown Ludington.
For more information about donating to and/or joining the Mason County Historical Society, visit masoncountymihistory.org.
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