Lake Champlain logbook
MikeRaft
A parchment-chart chronicle of Captain Curly-Beard Mike Brown's portable pontoon, transformed from rugged inflatable foundation into a freedom vessel fit for Malletts Bay.
First wake
Maiden voyage across Malletts Bay
In her maiden voyage across Malletts Bay, the MikeRaft cleaved the waves with humble grace, a tiny American flag fluttering like a banner of liberty at her prow.
Built to fit in the trunk of an SUV, this inflatable raft platform stood ready for voyages into the heart of Malletts Bay, where Champ himself might rise to salute such a worthy craft.
Here began the odyssey of a craft built for cheer, the winds already whispering a promise of hella good times.
Christening
Pinot Noir upon the deck
On the eve of July 3rd, 2023, with the spirit of impending Independence Day swelling like the tide, Captain Mike Brown christened his vessel with libations of fine Pinot Noir poured from a humble cup upon the deck.
Thus was she named MikeRaft, dedicated to the waters of Lake Champlain, to summer's embrace, and to the eternal celebration of freedom.
May she sail ever true, as Commodore Thomas Macdonough once commanded his squadron to victory in these very seas.
Sea trial
Oars, grit, and first proof
With oars in hand and heart full of the sea's call, the Captain pulled his nascent MikeRaft into the welcoming arms of Malletts Bay.
Stripped to her essentials, with basic safety gear and an unadorned hull, she proved her worth immediately: a clever platform ready for evolution.
No grand galleon, but a patriot's pragmatic chariot, born to explore nature's bounty and evade the mythical grasp of Champ below.
Alongside
A floating haven for fellow adventurers
Many a time has the MikeRaft served as a floating haven in the Champlain seas, a port of call for fellow adventurers like the Captain's brother upon his e-foil.
Here, departing the surfboard for the safety of the deck, bonds of brotherhood strengthened upon the waves.
The craft's clever design, stable and inviting, welcomed all who sought respite amid the lake's vast expanse.
Ballad
Hoist the red bimini
Oh, hoist the red bimini beneath the crimson sunset sky. On the MikeRaft we ride where the e-foils fly.
With Exel on the bow spotting for a navigation line, Captain on the oars, and the wind in his beard one more time.
Yo ho, ye sailors of Champlain's shore, Curly-Beard's spirit lives in this craft once more. From Malletts Bay to where Champ doth roam, we chase the horizon and freedom's sweet home.
Helm work
From tiller to cable-driven command
Through the Captain's ingenuity shone the spirit of Odysseus, ever adapting to the tempests.
Behold the transformation: from primitive tiller to a cable-driven steering system, guided from a proper helm station.
Watch as the MikeRaft gains the nimble command of a true warship, slicing the waters of Lake Champlain with newfound precision and grace.
Refit
The upgrade beachhead
Beached upon the shores yet brimming with advancements, the MikeRaft now boasts her mechanical steering helm, electric windlass for effortless anchoring, batteries pulsing with electric life, and a web of cables weaving convenience into every voyage.
No longer a simple raft, but a vessel of luxury and comfort, upgraded by the Captain's relentless vision for the perfect chariot of summer freedom.
Liberty run
Fourth of July colors
Glory upon the Fourth of July 2025. Fully arrayed in red, white, and blue bunting and stars-and-stripes flags snapping in the breeze, the MikeRaft returns triumphant before a blazing sunset.
Like Macdonough's fleet at Plattsburgh, she embodies American resolve and patriotic joy.
In Malletts Bay and across the Champlain seas she sails each summer, celebrating liberty, nature's splendor, and the indomitable spirit of her Captain.
Grand tour
Every clever modification, bow to stern
Come aboard for the grand tour. With pride befitting a commodore of old, Captain Curly-Beard Mike Brown presents his MikeRaft in all her upgraded splendor.
Every clever modification and every comfort is engineered for the perfect day upon the water.
From bow to stern, she whispers tales of evolution, readiness, and pure enjoyment of Vermont's majestic lake.
Captain
Where the wind fills the beard
There stands Captain Curly-Beard Mike Brown, sunglasses gleaming, beard whipping wildly in the Lake Champlain wind beneath clear blue skies.
At the helm of his ever-evolving MikeRaft, he gazes toward future horizons: more adventures, more upgrades, more summers of freedom.
For where the wind fills his beard, there too sails the heart of a true seafarer, master of his craft and steward of Champlain's legends.
