The North Manitou Light Keepers (NMLK) will host their annual Lightkeeper Rally and Crib Cruise in Leland on July 18. These unique, elegant, and fun events invite people to connect and rally around ongoing efforts to restore and appreciate the North Manitou Shoal Light (the offshore lighthouse known as the “Crib”). “These events are a fun highlight we look forward to each year,” said NMLK President Daniel Oginsky.
North Manitou Light Keepers (NMLK) have announced the launch of the final phase of the Campaign for the Crib. This capital campaign supports restoration of the North Manitou Shoal Light. The goal of this phase is to raise the $300,000 needed to complete major restoration of the historic offshore lighthouse in the Manitou Passage. With this funding, NMLK will install new electrical and plumbing systems, as well as new interior fixtures and finishes. This work will complete the major restoration of the Crib and could be done by the end of 2025. Overnight stays and other experiences, in addition to currently offered day tours, can then be possible for members and the public.
On calm days this spring when Sleeping Bear Bay resembled glass, some Glen Arbor residents with homes on Lake Michigan heard what they described as periodic burps, or the sounds of water gurgling in a pipe. On days with wind and waves, they heard nothing. The sound may have come from two “propane cannons” on the North Manitou Shoal Light Station, commonly called “the Crib” which lies 4 miles from Pyramid Point, the closest spot on the mainland. According to Dan Oginsky president of the North Manitou Light Keepers, which acquired the Crib from the federal government in 2016, the canisters are used to scare away cormorants, large aquatic birds that nested on the lighthouse and covered it with “guano” poop after it was decommissioned by the government and sat empty for decades.
The Leland Township Public Library and the Leelanau Historical Society are collaborating to host a program called “The Crib Shines On” on Thursday, June 1, at 1 pm at the library. This program, featuring the North Manitou Light Keepers, aims to shed light on the history of The Crib, an iconic offshore lighthouse, as well as the ongoing restoration project undertaken by the North Manitou Light Keepers.
Late this month, Traverse City native Jake Bright will attempt a nearly 7-mile solo swim from Sleeping Bear Point to the South Manitou Island Lighthouse. If all goes well, his will be the first swim across the Manitou Passage that follows USA Swimming’s open-water rules. The date of his feat will depend on weather conditions, but he hopes to make the journey between Aug. 22 and Sept. 3.
From staff reports
The North Manitou Light Keepers (NMLK) will host its annual Lightkeeper Rally and Crib Cruise in Leland on July 28. This fun and engaging event is open to all and gathers people to share community, learn about restoration efforts and plans for the North Manitou Shoal Light (also called “the Crib”), and take an evening cruise on board the Mishe-Mokwa to see and learn more about the lighthouse.
“People really enjoy getting together and imagining the fun things we can do with the lighthouse while also honoring its history and those who have worked there,” said Daniel Oginsky, NMLK president. “The Crib Cruise is a great time, taking an evening boat ride out into one of America’s most beautiful places and telling fun and interesting stories, people have loved it,” he added.
The Lightkeeper Rally will be from 4-6 p.m. at Main Street Gallery (307 South Main Street in Leland). Light food and drinks will be served by the Leland River, while attendees mingle and NMLK members discuss the status of restoration efforts and plans for the Crib. There is no registration or cost to attend the Lightkeeper Rally.
The Crib Cruise will depart on board the Mishe-Mokwa, operated by Manitou Island Transit, at 6:30 p.m. from Historic Fishtown in Leland. The Mishe-Mokwa will cruise out to the lighthouse, which is eight miles from Leland Harbor and near the Manitou Islands. It will then gently circle the lighthouse while NMLK members tell stories about the Crib, its history, and its future. The cost of the Crib Cruise is $45 per person, with any net proceeds going to support the restoration of the Crib. To attend the Crib Cruise, visit www.northmanitoulightkeepers.org/cribcruise.
The North Manitou Light Keepers is a nonprofit organization founded in 2016. Its mission is to restore the North Manitou Shoal Light Station, make it and its history available to the public for education and appreciation, and cultivate an active community of stewardship for this piece of Michigan maritime history that stands amidst one of America’s most beautiful locations.
Maple City, Michigan artist Paul Olsen’s oil-on-canvas painting The North Manitou Shoal Light is the Glen Arbor Arts Center’s (GAAC) 2022 Manitou Music poster image. “The North Manitou Shoal Light (affectionately known as ‘The Crib’) has been part of the Manitou Passage’s unique horizon since 1935 and holds a special place in my memories of Pyramid Point,” Olsen said.
Dan Oginsky remembers the first night he spent on the North Manitou Shoal Light Station, commonly known in Leelanau County as “the Crib.” It was July 2019, and he and fellow Light Keeper Dave McWilliam were rustic camping while sleeping on cots inside the lighthouse. Their companions were cobwebs, spiders, and a layer of “guano” bird poop left on the outside deck by the passing cormorant birds.
Five years ago, when the North Manitou Light Keepers won the bid to acquire the North Manitou Shoal Lighthouse— commonly referred to as “the crib”—they set an ambitious goal to restore the lighthouse and begin to offer tours by July 4 of this year. The group accomplished their goal with two weeks to spare.