“Sweetwater Sailors” will take you on a Great Lakes trip.
Bob Ojala, a former Coast Guard veteran and naval architect from Wisconsin, USA was inspired by his father to write “Sweetwater Sailors,” a book about Great Lakes sailors who relate their stories and the hard work that comes with working on the water.
This entertaining, informative, and accurate book introduces you to Great Lakes Merchant Mariners, both men and women, including the only American woman Captain of a large Great Lakes ore freighter. You’ll get a firsthand look at the jobs they do and what motivates them to stay in a potentially risky job that puts them away from home for the majority of the year.
Merchant seamen from the Great Lakes contributed images and cooperated with the author, Bob Ojala, by sharing many interesting and humorous stories from their time on the Great Lakes. This book will appeal to anybody interested in the history of the Great Lakes, ships of all types, or women in unusual occupations.
Bob continues to work in the marine sector. Bob’s father was a merchant mariner for 32 years, which explains his fascination with the maritime industry, as well as his hundreds of encounters with sailors and admiration for their work.