The Manasoo: A Desperate Run for Griffith Island

In September 1928, the aging steamer Manasoo set out across Georgian Bay carrying passengers, automobiles, and more than 100 head of cattle. As darkness fell and the weather worsened, sometime after midnight, the ship began behaving strangely.Why was the Manasoo listing? Where was the water coming from? And could Captain John McKay reach Griffith Island before the situation became uncontrollable?In this episode of Lake Effect, we trace the remarkable history of the former passenger steamer Macassa, her transformation into the Manasoo, and a final voyage that became one of Lake Huron’s most haunting maritime mysteries.