I had the great honor to write about the type of lifeboat used in the movie The Finest Hours with Chris Pine. Based on a true story, the movie tells the story of the incredibly brave crew of U.S. Coast Guard members who rescued 32 men from a tanker that had broken in half.
However, one of the most important “characters” in the movie is the U.S. Coast Guard Type TR motor lifeboat that was used to bring the crew home safely in a raging storm. I was lucky enough to interview the people who had found the old boat sitting in a yard in New Jersey and brought it to Michigan’s Upper Peninsula where it has undergone a dedicated restoration project for nearly 4 years.
I don’t want to give away too much of the story. It’s not the greatest adventure movie of the year, or the most moving. It’s not likely that any awards will ever be given out for the cast or crew. But, the movie really is worth your time.
The little 32 foot foot lifeboat is a really amazing design and I had a great time learning about the history of the little boats that could.
Read my article in the latest issue of Michigan Blue Magazine, on the shelf January 1st of 2022. I’ll post a link to the digital version here as soon as it’s published.
Comments are closed