Drum Thunder was a one-off design by Pouvreau of Vix, France in 1979. She is a cutter-rigged, steel hull sailboat that was specifically made to break the Antarctic ice. She made the drake passage around Cape Horn and was locked in the Antarctic ice for months during her journeys around the worlds oceans. In 2001, she was hauled overland from Florida to Knife River, Mn and rebuilt in stainless steel by Dan Krebs. Dan also added a fabulous wheel steering system, pilot house, and several other upgrades. Last may, Drum Thunder and I set sail, bound for salt once again. We left Silver Bay, crossed Lake Superior, through the Keewenaw, into Canadian waters, locked through at Sault St. Marie, and continued down the St Maries River, around Detour Passage, under the Makinac, and single-handed the length of Lake Michigan to Chicago and Hammond Marina. With a limited crew of two souls, the 40' mast was dropped, cradled and secured for the journey through the middle North American River System. The Illinois River proved challenging. Drum Thunder was grounded on several occasions. Once, a "hard aground" was blamed on the famous Asian flying carp. Skedged off, DT made it to the mouth of the Illinois River at the Mississippi and safely landed at Harbor Point Marina. Drum Thunder waited out the winter ice flows and unpredictable water levels of winter in St Louis, Mo. May of 2010 will find a splash and Drum Thunder will, once again, find herself under way and making way south on the Mississippi River, up the Ohio, Tennessee, across Kentucky Lake, and down the TennTom waterway to Mobile Bay, Alabama. By the time Salt is found, preparations must be made for bottom paint and anodes. Shortley thereafter, the coast of Florida will be challenged, Keys passed, and Intracoastal waterway utilised for safe passage to Charleston, South Carolina by winter 2010. Please, follow the blog, and, if able-bodied, join us for a leg of the journey.
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