Wondering why that ship has been sitting out in Lake Michigan?
Wonder no more.
That ship is the Swiss bulk carrier Lugano, owned by Geneva-based Massoel, and according to the Port of Milwaukee website:
"The LUGANO is currently anchored in the Lake just off shore. It arrived on May 15th with a shipment of Barley from Denmark and is now waiting for export cargo before it exits the Great Lakes."
The Lugano, seen this morning from Northpoint.
Built in 2003 by South Korea's Sekwang Heavy Industries Mokpo, the Lugano – based in Basel, Switzerland – has a gross tonnage of 12,578 and a deadweight of 20,0001 tons. She's a hair over 155 meters long and nearly 24 meters wide. She has an average speed of 7.4 knots and a draught of 5.8 meters, for all you maritime fans.
The Lugano – previous christened the DS Regent and apparently renamed in 2006 for the southern Swiss city on the Italian border – really gets around. Before arriving in Milwaukee, she called at Kalundborg (April 24) and Fredericia (April 15) in Denmark; Liepaja, Latvia (April 10); and Swinoujscie, Poland (April 1). Earlier in 2015, she called at Dakar, Sengal; Lagos, Nigeria; Quebec; and Aratu and Termisa in Brazil.
No word yet where she's headed next.
Alas, there's no mention on the Port of Milwaukee website about whether or not the crew has had a chance to spend time exploring the city.
Born in Brooklyn, N.Y., where he lived until he was 17, Bobby received his BA-Mass Communications from UWM in 1989 and has lived in Walker's Point, Bay View, Enderis Park, South Milwaukee and on the East Side.
He has published three non-fiction books in Italy – including one about an event in Milwaukee history, which was published in the U.S. in autumn 2010. Four more books, all about Milwaukee, have been published by The History Press.
With his most recent band, The Yell Leaders, Bobby released four LPs and had a songs featured in episodes of TV's "Party of Five" and "Dawson's Creek," and films in Japan, South America and the U.S. The Yell Leaders were named the best unsigned band in their region by VH-1 as part of its Rock Across America 1998 Tour. Most recently, the band contributed tracks to a UK vinyl/CD tribute to the Redskins and collaborated on a track with Italian novelist Enrico Remmert.
He's produced three installments of the "OMCD" series of local music compilations for OnMilwaukee.com and in 2007 produced a CD of Italian music and poetry.
In 2005, he was awarded the City of Asti's (Italy) Journalism Prize for his work focusing on that area. He has also won awards from the Milwaukee Press Club.
He has be heard on 88Nine Radio Milwaukee talking about his "Urban Spelunking" series of stories, in that station's most popular podcast.
