The SS Keewatin (almost 120 years old, 336 ft, one of the last and oldest remaining Edwardian-era passenger liners) is being historically towed this very moment, from Port McNicoll, Ontario, through Sarnia/Port Huron and the Detroit river. It's headed to a museum, but this is the world's last chance to see her ply the waters she once graced, for a final time.

From luxury yacht to serving in both world wars, to the Edison research, to the tours of NYC, to the Madonna video, this was the Forrest Gump of ships.

That is some of the craziest backstory I've ever heard. The ship went from a lightly used rich guy's yacht, to a tour boat, to a soldier, to a scientist, to an extra for Madonna, to one of the most eerie things to lay your eyes on. I've seen pictures of this ship before and thought it was so cool sitting abandoned in the river like that. I never would have imagined it had such a crazy history to it going back over 100 years.

What an incredible story! I was on the circle line few times as a kid in the 70s w family !! I may have been on her !!! 😊

Its sad, the condition she's in. But when you showed what she looked like in the summer- overgrown with plants and looking like a garden- that kinda made me smile.

There's something honestly quite comforting in seeing how she looks in the summer nowadays, a gentle, gradual reclamation of nature, from all the things she's been through, I think she's earned the rest

I grew up in Ohio! It's amazing that a vessel with such a rich history is resting in such a random place. I am glad you were able to find so much information about her history!

I grew up in Northern Kentucky and I remember hearing drunken stories late nights at bars about this ship by friends who'd paddled out to see her. Had no idea of all the history. Thanks so much for making this!

This vessel has so much history and has been incredibly well documented. It boggles my mind that such a huge piece of history ended up the way that it did.

I never expected the ship to have such a rich story! And I was surprised to see how far inland she got. What a journey!

She deserves to be put in a Museum. Just like the old ships found buried full of rich history in museums. I love history. I liked this documentary. I am from the east coast but don’t think I have ever heard of it. Thank you for the history lesson and finding out it will be preserved. My son works for government in DC. We visit the museums. I have become even more fascinated with history and look forward to learning more.

Wherever this ship may have served, whatever tasks may of been asked of her, let all those who served on her know that on this day she was blessed with the prayers of us all for her successes and for her safe return to calm waters. May God bless her and all who sailed in her. xx

I love this, I grew up 30 minutes away from there, and fished from that ship many times, even back when it was afloat, we would camp out in her aft decks, and tie my pontoon boat right beside her. All my life I have been curious about that boat, and finally, I know her history, and I am absolutely amazed. I have been watching your videos for a while now, because I have always loved history, especially aviation, and maritime history. I have learned more, watching your videos, then I have learned in all my life. Keep them coming my friend, I really enjoy your videos.

I will confess>>I am addicted to your channel..My brother just passed away last week>>served in the Navy and your stories make me feel closer to him in his realm>>thank you for that.

Your production quality should be the standard for all You Tubers.

So glad she will be in a museum now. Sad it took this long. History is so important to our youth. All history is important.

This makes me sad that people have forgotten such a versatile ship with a rich history

It's a sad end for such a historic vessel. When it left NJ, it was tied up for several weeks at Stapleton, Staten Island, about two minutes from my home. I was looking her over, and marveling at her propulsion setup, when Mr Miller appeared from below. We spoke for a few minutes, but he was very anxious to make repairs below. Her epic voyage made the papers, but this is the first I've seen of her since. Thanks for a great history of her

We live not far from there in the Cincinnati area and I have urbex friends who've visited her over the years and knew some, but not all of her story. Thank you for making this. Seems she's a goner for sure as the cost to benefit ratio has to look pretty grim to anyone who might have the resources. But, she was such a lovely vessel and is so rich in history. Who knows.

Spectacular documenting such beautiful and rich history. I love it, but you wanna know that I don’t love, she sitting there, rusting away, she has so much history and the fact that she’s sitting there as a veteran, slowly fading away in the time I think personally, that we all need to start like a go fund page for her so we can all save up and have her uprooted from the Kanau, and somehow find a way to get her repaired and what not and get her put somewhere where she will be preserved and have history done because girl does not deserve to be forgotten she’s been through so much

As someone who lives in KY I’ve heard about this ship and I’m glad that you r bringing her mysterious history back into the light

That's an incredible story. I actually was abord this ship when it was owned by circle line. I remember my sister and I playing around the railing of the gun mount. We did that several times . Sad where it ended up, but great that you took the time to do all the research for this. Great job.

She deserves to be restored and displayed with such an amazing history.

Can we just take a moment to appreciate the elegance at which this steel beauty has clothes herself in the waves of nature that run along the lips of the Hoio River?

Is it weird how sad I got seeing the Sachem's current condition after you went over her history? Such a beautiful ship that witnessed so much luxury and history. Honestly it feels like even being sunk as a wreck would be a more honorable fate for her than rotting away in a muddy creek. However, when she's covered in vegetation in the summer she does gain a new kind of beauty, it seems.

Such a rich history… sad to see her just sitting there rotting away. She would’ve made a marvellous museum ship, but at least her story can be forever preserved.

Awesome video. I would've never known this ship had so much history to it.

While it is sad to see such a historical ship in a state of disrepair, it’s kind of a fitting end for her in some ways. After proudly serving her country multiple times, she finally gets a peaceful death as a home for many plants and animals as she slowly returns to nature. Most ships of her age would’ve been scrap metal by now. As long as we remember her and and her storied history, she will never truly die.

Fascinating history. The way you narrated the story was as if the ship was alive and had actual feelings. I do feel bad for the ship being flooded, sitting in mud, and it was pilfered many times. I find it amazing how many people bought the ship and redesigned it to their liking. It would be wonderful if the ship was rescued, restored and brought back to life. Ironically though it supports life in it's muddy graveyard.

This is honestly so sad. It deserves to be appreciated and not forgotten. Thank you for sharing its rich history

EXCELLENT videos, my girlfriend and I have been binging on these. As a creator myself, I hardly watch KZfaq, but your content is extremely well put together with lots of love and care. If you ever find yourself in Missouri I'd love to work together!

I must applaud you for your approach to these documentaries. I just discovered you about 3 days ago and I can’t stop watching. Your content is intriguing and has reignited my passion for history, especially maritime history! One question. Have you ever given thought to exploring the history and stories of the many lighthouses of North America? Thank you so much!!

The creek that this amazing ship is stuck in reminds me a lot of the woods i used to hike around in behind my house in my youth in NW Ohio. The entire woodland sits in a low lying valley that floods regularly, thanks to being cut through by the Lil' Lick Creek. (This & the local river it tributes into were named after a local war hero from the Revolutionary War, named Lick Talbert). Although there was nothing as big as a ship in there, it still held some odd secrets of its own. On the east end can be found the ruins of an old house, likely dated to the mid 1800's or so (The metal bathtub being the most intact part); while not far away from there a section of woods has long forgotten police-line tape around it, though inside can only be found a large amount of broken ceramics. The north end features a cliff with old concrete blocks dumped around it (great for climbing on and crossing the river). Around here i once found an old crane hook and an antique tricycle submerged in the creek. On the southside sits a small canyon some local has used to dump refuse for decades. It's an abhorrent site for pollution now, but will likely be an interesting site of artifacts in the next century. And on the west side, an old campsite sits unused. The first time my sister & I found it, an intricately made wooden playground style jungle gym was right beside it, and we played on it for hours (Unfortunately, it was washed away during the next flood). During my last visit before going off to college, a dugout bench from the local baseball diamond (also in a floodplain) wound up in the same area. Before i left, i dragged it from the river myself and wedged it between a trio of trees near the old campsite. It's been a decade since then, and i have no idea if the bench is still there or not. If i make it back there, I'll let y'all know. This probably isn't the most relevant post to ships, but the scenery surrounding this abandoned treasure got me really nostalgic for my old hiking ventures, so i figured i'd share it with you. If you read this, leave a like. Also, thank you for doing so, and have a great day fellow part-time explorers :)

Dude you did a great job at honoring that ship in its history

What an incredibly well made video and equally incredible story. It’s sad to see her in that mud hole 😢

What a beautiful ship she was! Thank you guys so much for all the work you put into your videos. It's an absolute high point whenever there's a notification of something new from the channel!

I've been aware of this ship, for quite a few years now, because of You Tube. I never thought that I would see such a well made documentary about her. Excellent job.

I’ve seen several videos about this ship over the years, and yours is by far the best! I wouldn’t have expected anything else; you always produce top-notch work.

Wow! This was one of the best of your series! Seriously thank you for all your work on this!

1:12 that transition was really smooth. damn

Probably not where she would've expected to rest, but honestly not a bad place to be. Calm and quiet after a life of being involved with huge names and even bigger events.

Absolutely fascinating... she's quite the ship, inspiring so many different people & serving so many different purposes. She even looks to be a verdant garden come springtime - a success even in her slow decay. Definitely a ship worthy of the Part-time Explorer treatment! 👌

Came across this obscure video and am glad I did. What a story about a boat. Thank you for putting this together.

Such a beautiful piece of history and so very sad she's alone! 😭😭

There is something so soothing and comforting about your channel. I'm absolutely obsessed. Might be your delightful narrative voice too. Anyway, once again , fascinating, insightful and just brilliant. . Thank you

This is one of the finest examples of the documentary maker's art I have ever seen! I am so impressed at the amount of detail you dug out from somewhere. Congratulations, buddy, you deserve a prize of some kind! JS, Master Chief, U.S. Navy (Ret.)

Wow I never knew this! It's about 1 hour 20 minutes from my house. This is something the family & I could go see that doesn't cost $100 ❤

As a long time subscriber, you've shared so many great stories. But I have to say this one of the Sachem for me was the most suprising and fascinating. The amount of history that this one humble, well constructed ship experienced leaves me in complete awe. Thank you so much for your work!

Beautiful documentary! I've waited a long time to see this ol' girl get the attention she deserves. So much history for her to just be sitting there rotting away and forgotten.

Thank you for doing this documentary. I've been on Her five times over the past 12 years. I have like many others, fell in love with Her. She's one of the last of Her kind. From the classic lines to the service She's done for our country. I've even sailed Her path in a cruiser I purchased in Long Island up the Mohawk through the Erie Canal across Lake Ontario and through the Welland Canal onto Lake Erie. Which was as far as I was going. But I made the drive down to the Ohio as often as I could and would paddle my kayak across and spent several weekends either on Her or camping on the bank. There's something about the Sachem that grips the hearts of ship lovers. I myself have dreamed about refitting Her as a classic lake schooner. After seeing several of the wrecks that the Great Lakes has preserved. In closing I will add that the Sachem deserves to be saved and keep Her place in our maritime history. Hopefully this will happen before She slowly decays into the silt of the Ohio.

Found your channel from this video... Man there is so much to watch, these stories are incredible. Thank you for all the effort you put into them.

This is one of the best stories I have hear of her. I have to this ship a few times, as its only a short drive from my childhood home. Thank you for telling such a great story. Hopefully one day she will sail again.

You coverage and detail of the history of this ship is astounding. I’m so impressed.

You are a gifted historian and filmographer. The amount of work you put into this video is impressive. Well done!

Thank you for telling us this boat's story. There's always been something incredibly melancholy and unsettling to me about things like abandoned houses, and I guess part of what unsettled me was all memories of them being forgotten, lost to the ambiguity of resale value and mundanity. Hearing the history of the boat, and that it meant so many things to do many people, made it less sad and abandoned, and more like the end of a lifespan well-lived. Thank you :)

Your content is very well done it warms my heart and sparks inspiration within myself to learn more about my home town and more thank you for your hard work !

She served in many roles honorably for longer than most ships of her age and avoided the scrapper. I think she deserves to rest in peace. Nicely done and well researched video.

What an amazing story. I’ve lived around Cincinnati my entire life and have never heard of this. It seems a real shame to have that piece of history rotting away alone in the woods. Thanks for such a detailed accounting of its interesting life.

Excellent piece of history. If her walls could talk, The stories she could tell.

Excellently done. She belongs in a museum.

Absolutely amazing how a boat could be so important and so famous in her own right, ends up in the Ohio spoils. I very much enjoy your history lessons.

What an awesome story about the rich history of this vessel. Thank you. I don’t think anyone could have made a better tribute.

Amazing story. I've seen it pop up a few times in various Facebook groups and got interested in it. I hope people respect what's left of her and that her story continues

After such a dynamic and auspicious career, the ending of the Sachem at least seems better than being sunk or ending up in the scrap yard. In fact, it adds to the mystique and compliments the legend in my opinion. Great documentary, btw!

I appreciate the research, editing and production work that went into this video. I am a fan. Thanks!

Ok this was an INCREDIBLE story, how does one ship have such a history! Thanks for this, as a sailor myself I’ve done a small part of that 2600 miles, and wow that must have been frustrating, tedious, and yet amazing at the same time. A shameful end, it should be in a maritime museum.

I have seen this ship a number of times over the years. My step-sister lives close by. I always wanted to go on it and check it out, but it looks really decayed. There is also a civil war cemetery close by on the top of a hill. I am glad I found this video about it.

Holy crap!! What a story!! It's crazy how the military would retro fit it for war times and then back to a passenger ship

I love this one, I pray that this ship sees her back in glory, she's a wonderful vessel with wonderful history.

It's true for lots of places that they have difficulty knowing what to do with their industrial heritage materials. A little underhanded that the Navy, technically only renting the vessel, tried to have the ship scrapped.

I'm glad I found this channel I'm gonna have fun binging the videos

I could listen to you talk about anything and I mean ANYTHING!! You have an amazing voice that pairs perfectly with documentaries that you seemingly can make interesting yet factual at its core!! Please don’t stop documenting things, I will forever remain a loyal subscriber/viewer!!

I appreciate all the hard work that went into this piece of history. Incredible story.

It's excellent to get this history archived like this.

It's heartbreaking to see her in such a bad condition. I'm a native to central Ohio, but I would love to get down to see her and possibly help with the restoration if it ever happens. I love history, and maritime history in particular has become a fascination of mine over the last couple years, so being able to possibly bring one of these old ships back - given that she's not on the sea floor - would be a dream come true.

I wish somehow it could have been preserved. What a treasure!❤

Hi Tom, I lived in Cincinnati a few years ago and actually briefly went aboard this ship with some friends in the beginning of 2020, thank you for bringing us more information about this ship! I will be sharing your video with them

My dad is an ardent historian and would have been campaigning to save this vessel in a heartbeat, but even after growing up in that kind of mindset and agreeing with him in most of those situations, seeing the state the vessel is in... It's okay to let some things go. In fact, has anyone considered tracking how it goes? Studying how it decomposes, at what rate each part of it begins to fall apart and disintegrate? These are things that are good to know for newer materials as we look to study newer wrecks in different situations. This could also be great to know for forensic investigations of lost boats. The Sachem doesn't have to be forgotten just because its physical form is lost. It's okay for some things to return to the earth. If we tried to preserve every single thing that had a story behind it, nothing would ever be recycled, reused, or repurposed in any way. Nothing could ever move forward and nothing could ever be given back to nature. It's good to preserve history, but we have to preserve our home as well.

I love when nature reclaims things. It would be a treat to see this with the foliage in full bloom.

man... the ammount of detail you include in this is astounding. thank you for all this work.

This little documentary right here is the reason I love this channel! I love history of all types but especially Maritime history. I couldn't imagine the research that went into the making of This documentary. Fantastic job young man thank you so much for sharing.

I love how you try to make a difference in this world by preservation awareness!

You make informative and interesting programmes. You are also polite but friendly. A rare thing. Thanks so much.

Fascinating history. Thank you for putting this together!

I really hope this vessel will be saved. I've become quite fond of this channel and learned so much about historical artifacts. Learning about the Eastland disaster was the first video of yours I watched and I've been hooked since. I truly hope efforts to save the USS Sachem are victorious and restored to her former glory if only for educational purposes.

I do love ghost ships

I kayaked to see her a couple years ago while staying in the area and researching things to explore. So very cool to see! Thank you for sharing her history!

Amazing! Great job putting the ship's whole story together.

A great piece of American history, nice video

Wow, I don’t think I’ve ever seen such an in-depth video on this ship! Great job, documenting it, I’m amazed at how much of it is actually left, considering the state it is in. It’s doubtful, but it would be neat to see that ship restore to its former glory.

She has such beautiful lines. It breaks my heart to see such a historic, wonderful vessel sitting in the mud.

Its sad how much ships ended rusted , beached, decaying... I hope that some good soul will save Sachem if its not too late for her. you know . Another nice and emotional video Tom. :)

Such a beautiful ship with such an amazing story. Very sad to see her in that condition, but amazing to see how she’s become part of the river

Awesome video as usual! Love your ship vids, and the history of the Sachem is wild. From hauling around Edison and conducting early Naval research to ending up in a stream in KY.

I appreciate the amount of research needed to cover all the phases of the ship itself!

What a great story, the ship deserves to "Rest in Peace." What a history.

That was fascinating! I love hearing, and seeing, all of the research and the old photos that you so diligently dig up and share with the rest of us on your videos. You have such a fascinating channel!

You Sir, are batting a thousand! Thank You. What a noble subject. I'd love to think she may once more sail.

What an amazing documentary of an amazing ship. She sure lived a full life. Thankyou for making this for her.

I can't see her being restored at this point. All things come to an end and we can't keep every piece of history. But thank you so much for exploring her past and telling her amazing story.