The Great Lakes are a thriving industrial highway with 200 million tons of cargo crossing the water on its way to the heart of America. Tugboat men work on the waters for most of the year, combating deadly storms and other hazards, but for the months leading up to winter, only a courageous few dare to brave the turbulent waters with waves that can be more than 30 feet high. This series documents some of those brave souls — including Capt. John Selvick, known as “The Legend” and who has been behind the controls of tugboats since a young age, and the father-son duo of Capt. Mike and Patrick Ojard.
Episode 1:
As ominous red skies forecast a storm on Lake Michigan, Captain John “The Legend” Selvick races out of port to try to beat the weather–only to be sidetracked when his rookie first mate, Chris Costello, almost sinks a smaller tug in a dangerous maneuver. Across the lake, John’s trusted right hand, Captain Ted Long, is forced to make a decision: stay in port losing money, or risk it all–and face the very real possibility of losing his haul or sinking his tug in the oncoming gale. On the northern reaches of Lake Superior, Captain Stan Dawson attempts a rescue mission in the middle of a blinding snowstorm.