LEGACY OF NAMAYCUSH "BIG BLUE"
Namaycush, the Algonquian word for Lake Trout, was built in 1946 by Milton “Cap” Anderson, a skilled seaman and shipbuilder from Washington Island, WI. Designed for charter fishing, the 48-foot cruiser was constructed in Milwaukee before Cap completed the fit-out back home.
Having learned seamanship from his father, a Lake Michigan fisherman, Cap was deeply connected to the water. Known as a local legend, Cap ran a marina, answered nautical questions, and was famous for his quirky habit of going sockless year-round. When he married at 67, he kept his playful reputation intact by wearing only one sock at the ceremony. Cap often lived on Namaycush during winters, traveling to Chicago or Milwaukee for shipyard work.
In 1956 Cap sold the boat to Manitou Mail Service, now Manitou Island Transit where she served as "Manitou Isle" for decades delivering goods and tourists to the Manitou Islands. Sold in 2014 she become "Lady of the Lakes, and served as a tour vessel out of Caseville in the thumb region of Michigan.