USCGC Mackinaw WAGB 83:
An Illustrated History of a Great Lakes Queen
Recently reviewed by BoatNerd.com
The timing couldn’t be better for Mike Fornes’ history of the recently retired U.S. Coast Guard icebreaker Mackinaw, and Fornes, a reporter for the Cheboygan Daily Tribune, is just the man to write it. He follows the career of the Mighty Mac from building at Toledo, through service in World War II and beyond, touching on its captains, crews, the multitudes of vessels it helped over the years, and even the horrified reaction of many when it’s once-white hull was painted red.
If there has been anything about the Mackinaw left out of this book, it would be hard to tell what. Written in a casual fashion, with lots of interesting recollections from crewmen and plenty of pictures showing the Mac inside and out, there’s also lots of space devoted to the Mackinaw’s missions beyond icebreaking, including search and rescue and the traditional Christmas tree run to Chicago. This is a fitting tribute to a vessel that truly deserves legendary status.
