STRANDED ON POVERTY ISLAND


Poverty Island Lighthouse back in the days when she was manned by a Keeper, Assistant Keeper and their families.

In the wee hours of the morning in September 1967 the Coast Guard Cutter MESQUITE cleared Sturgeon Bay Canal Entrance Light and headed north in Lake Michigan on a routine aids to navigation maintenance trip. After working a few buoys on the way north, the MESQUITE came to Poverty Island Lighthouse which had been electrified and automated in 1957. Rather than having MESQUITE standby while the light was being serviced, it was decided that my shipmate Dale a BM3 and I would go ashore in the ship’s thirteen foot Boston Whaler to service the light. That way the MESQUITE could continue on to Escanaba, Michigan and work the buoys in that area and then return to Poverty Island for Dale and me.


Back when I serviced Poverty Island Lighthouse back in the mid 1960s this is how she looked, alone and forgotten.

This is how I remember being stranded on Poverty Island. My shipmate and I packed the Boston Whaler with the gear to service the lighthouse and then the skiff was lowered into the water by the ship’s boom. We climbed down the Jacob’s ladder from the buoy deck into the Whaler, started the 20 horsepower Mercury and cast off. I noticed that the wind was picking up and the surf was beginning to build and I said to Dale, “looks like we could be a tight situation before were done, I hope the ship gets back before dark”. We got to shore and beached the Whaler, unloaded the gear and started maintenance checks on the lighthouse. The MESQUITE seeing we were ashore safely departed for Escanaba. By the time we had finished the winds were howling as a squall had moved in on us. We didn’t have much to do while waiting for the MESQUITE so we took a look around the Assistant Keeper’s Quarters, the building to the far left in the photo above and the Keeper’s Quarters at the rear of the lighthouse in the photo above.

A few hours later the MESQUITE returned but by now the surf was pounding the boulders that make up the shoreline and the wind was howling. MESQUITE radioed us and told us to break out the K-rations and bed down for the night and that we would be picked up in the morning, weather permitting. The MESQUITE moved to the lee side of the island and when we opened the World War II rations to our surprise we found very edible jelly candies (they reminded me of Chuckles) and green bulls eye “Lucky Goes To War” Lucky Strike cigarettes. We spent a sleepless night listening to the howling winds as we camped out at the base of the lighthouse smoking twenty year old cigarettes. By morning when the MESQUITE reappeared, the seas and winds had decreased enough for us to get through the surf and back to the ship.

After spending a sleepless night on the island and with very little to eat we were tired and hungry and anxious to get back to the ship for some grub and rack time. As we approach the ship the CO leans over the starboard bridge wing and says, "Hope you fellas had a nice R & R on the island because now were heading south to Bailey's Harbor and we're going to put you to work."

Great story!

That doesn't sound like too fun of a night. Not quite like staying at a lighthouse B & B.

Interesting story, thanks for sharing your experience.

Bob

CG BuoyJumper, Thanks for sharing this story with us!

Great story! Sounds like quite the experience!
Did you have a tent with you?
Would love to hear more of your experiences!

I'll look forward to your next stories...especially the Witch Of November!
I do hope that you were stranded on Povery while it was fairly warm?

WOW Great stories.
Keep them comming!

Great Story. It looks like the water level was much lower in the early photos than it is today.