Farewell to an Old, Special Friend

[@carolyndavis7476]

And so the story began in 2002. And a little boy named Jonathan Ellsworth grew up to be one of the best ship spotters on the Lake. What a great video of your inspirations. Kudoes to your mom and dad for that 2002 vacation. A beautiful story including your friend, the saltie!

[@jonathanellsworth21]

@@carolyndavis7476 I loved that trip lol. Not that I even have to say it at this point lol. That definitely affected me long term! Thank you!!

[@elizabethw.8561]

What a great piece of your history, Jonathan!! thanks for sharing, its a treasure to learn more about some of our people that we follow for the love of the ships. Very special friend indeed!

[@jonathanellsworth21]

Thank you

[@lie-berry]

What a wonderful story. Thank you, Jonathan. I couldn't help but notice you said you were glad you got to see her again at least the one time. You did not say "the last time." Hope does spring eternal and you may indeed see her again someday. I join you in hoping that you do.

[@jonathanellsworth21]

Some hope yes! Guess we’ll see but realistically probably won’t happen, but I’m super happy I caught her at least!

[@johnbusher6375]

Very nice story Jonathan. Thanks for sharing.

[@jonathanellsworth21]

@@johnbusher6375 absolutely

[@karens1967]

I absolutely love this wonderful story that brought a smile to my face 🥰

[@jonathanellsworth21]

😊

[@morticiaaddams7866]

How wonderful you were able to come full circle!

[@jonathanellsworth21]

It was super cool seeing her again! Honestly the Barker was probably the more impactful reunion seeing her for the first time since coming back, but Isolda was one I was never expecting to see again, being a saltie and over 20 years later. I didn’t think she’d still be around so that was special

[@oldelephantstew]

Thank you for bringing me news of the "Isolda", a ship that is also an old friend to me as she is to you. Did you know that, prior to the pandemic, the Polsteam ships carried passengers? Well it was in the spring of 2011 that I spent five weeks aboard "Isolda" as a fare paying passenger traveling from Port Talbot in Wales to Ijmuiden in The Netherlands and then across the Atlantic Ocean and into the Great Lakes; to Cleveland, Milwaukee, Burns Harbor and finally to Thunder Bay in Canada - sadly never to Duluth. Sorry to see her go - will try to follow her career online in her new guise with her new name and nationality. As you say, 25 years is old for a salty - "Isolda" and her sister "I" boats have long been good servants to the Polsteam fleet.

[@jonathanellsworth21]

Oh wow you know her incredibly well then! Wonder if any shipping companies still do that? That would be an amazing experience

[@MrsAEO]

What a beautiful story and great that your parents kept that video. I am so glad that great ship was not being scrapped 🙏

[@jonathanellsworth21]

@@MrsAEO they have a TON of video! Probably where I got that tendency from lol. I’m glad she was sold and not scrapped too

[@MrsAEO]

@ ❤️

[@TOTALCAMARO]

I’m so glad that you got to see her. And you have her on video to always remember her. She lives on in your heart through your videos. 😊

[@jonathanellsworth21]

True there! Can see her whenever I want to

[@blackmoom]

Great story! Thanks for sharing, it will be a shame for us in the Great Lakes region if these salties no longer sail here but they are definitely nice-looking ships.

[@jonathanellsworth21]

Yeah those 5 were some of the best looking salties even without my personal connection I thought, certainly imposing!

[@duaneellsworth664]

Love you, son

[@jonathanellsworth21]

❤️

[@ottosaxo]

Now, you've made Timeless Skies appear in my head again, but it's not the worst earworm to carry around between the years.

[@jonathanellsworth21]

Not a bad song!

[@margaretyoung4262]

So interesting! What a story 🙏👍happy to have seen Isolda. And that pilot boat on the rough gray water was a reality check. As much as I love the Great Lakes, being near them and walking the beaches, I have no desire to be in a boat on them. 😧 Their power,unpredictability,is overwhelming!

[@jonathanellsworth21]

Glad you enjoyed! Yeah the scale of the waves are sometimes hard to really convey in comparison to the massive scale of the ships! You don’t even see the waves at all when Isolda comes through, they’re barely noticeable. But look at Sea Bear in those same waves (which is no small boat either) and they’re massive. The scale of the Canal is huge!

[@richardbause2453]

Jonathan, As I read the story a great song comes to mind by John Denver and that being "Colipso". Playing in the background set's the picture for your story and your ships 🚢 journey these past 23 years. So, Bye Isolda we sing to your spirit, your story's you tell... Bye Isolda you've sailed ⛵ so well. Bye Isolda the memories you gave me, that sent me down this ship lover's path. May your sea journeys be safe, for the day you may come back 😢... Richard Bause

[@jonathanellsworth21]

I absolutely love that song, appropriate for Lake Superior as well since the Calypso was involved with surveying the Edmund Fitzgerald’s wreck!

[@gregmctevia5087]

Great video and great backstory. Do you know who the spotter in the gray sweats was?

[@jonathanellsworth21]

Lol yep I do, and you’d know him. I’ll either ask or let him comment here if ok to say, since I’m fairly certain he’ll see this video eventually 😂

[@gregmctevia5087]

@ Lol. I’m pretty sure now I know who it is as I recognize the rig he’s using for his camera.

[@Tipp_Of_The_Mitt]

Kinda funny, Tuvalu is only 10 square miles in size, yet they register a vessel. But on the other hand, it is under British Rule.

[@jonathanellsworth21]

Lol they might have more space in the ship with all the decks and holds than actual land 😂, or at least a sizable percentage. Edit- it almost certainly does have more space, that country is mostly water lol, the island’s just a very thin ring, most of it beach

[@denniscrane9753]

The sea is a wild place with wild ideas! I suppose the crew were Ukrainian Chinese and Indian! I never quite understood the concept!

[@shelteredfriend6431]

Why are the Bows on Salties different than laker ships

[@Jfk3434]

Ok no longer hate salties