Chicago by Christmas: His Ultimate Goal is to go Across the Ocean to Madagascar

A homemade houseboat cruising down the St. Clair River and through Lake Huron has captured the imaginations of people on social media, who are tracking the boat’s movements and wishing the captain well.

The boat is called the Neverlanding. It’s a 21-metre, 48-ton craft with a single 85-horsepower propeller, owned and constructed by an Essex County man, federal registration records show.

CBC has attempted to contact the registered owner of the houseboat without success. He’s listed in federal records Steven Mylrea of Harrow, Ont. A neighbour to Mylrea says the boat was built on the Detroit River near Amherstburg, Ont., this past spring.

Windsor’s harbourmaster told CBC it has been around all summer, and the owner has “met every regulatory compliance for that boat.”

“His engine size, the flotation that he has — he knows his regulations,” Peter Berry said when interviewed while the boat was still in the St. Clair River.

“However, when he gets into Lake Huron, that flat-bottom boat this time of year is extremely dangerous and a concern for safety.”

As of Friday, the vessel was in Lake Huron near Port Sanilac, a Michigan village about 50 kilometres north of Sarnia, Ont.

Wayne McCarty is the owner of a marine recovery service, Freedom Marine Recovery Services.

He boarded the Neverlanding this week to bring its captain a Thanksgiving dinner. “It just seemed like the right thing to do, you know. And he’s by himself, him and his dog,” McCarty said, noting the man is “well-versed in the world,” and is an electrical engineer by trade. “Everybody thinks, you know, this is crazy, to be out in November out on Lake Huron. But he’s very very meticulous about what he does. He’s got backup systems for backup systems.”

The houseboat has prompted a Facebook group, called Neverlanding – the Houseboat of Dreams. It was created on Nov. 26 and currently has more than 2,000 members.

Kurt Rivers is the creator of the group, and is himself based in Australia. He came across the story on social media and took it upon himself to create the group so the many people interested in the boat could follow its journey. “As a fellow boater … I thought, who is this madman? Brave to say the least,” Rivers said.

He hasn’t spoken to the boat’s captain himself, but has connected with a close friend of the boater and is in touch with him.

Rivers says the boat has captured attention because “It’s a story of freedom, individuality, ingenuity and determination.”

“He doesn’t do social media himself and is not looking to gain notoriety from his endeavours,” Rivers said. “He’s just a man living out his dream and I believe many find that inspiring and intriguing.”

On social media, commenters wished the boat’s captain well, and posted their sightings of the unusual boat.

“If we all had the gumption that [the captain] has, the world would be a better place,” one comment read.

Another read, “Jealous of this guy. Wonder if he has a hammock on board.”

McCarty said the man mentioned wanting to be in Chicago by Christmas, with an ultimate end goal of ending up in Madagascar.

“I planned on only being out there, 10, 15 minutes, asking him questions and ended up being there three hours. So that’s what kind of a talker this guy is.”

‘It’s affected by wind like a piece of plywood’

Officials have had to ask the vessel owner repeatedly not to anchor in places he shouldn’t, according to Berry.

“He’s always complied,” Berry said. “But we do … have concern about the navigation of other vessels, especially in the commercial navigation lanes around Sarnia to have that boat that can’t get away quickly. It’s affected by wind like a piece of plywood would be.”

Most people who own houseboats would be pulling into docks somewhere, winterizing their homes and getting ready to be frozen into the marina, Berry said.

“This is the winds of November,” he said, referring to Gordon Lightfoot’s song The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald.

“It’s going to affect him because of all the flat sides he has. He has the right to navigate safely or do his best that he can with the engine that he has.”

The U.S. Coast Guard told CBC earlier this week it’s aware of the vessel but has not been notified of any distress and has not attempted a rescue.

The Coast Guard referred any questions about regulatory compliance to Transport Canada but confirmed that the boat has a means of communication. Transport Canada told CBC in an email that the houseboat does qualify as a vessel, and “they must meet the obligations of the Small Vessel Regulations under the Canada Shipping Act, 2001,” a spokesperson said.

The agency has not been in contact with the owner of the houseboat, she said.

Source: CBC News · Posted: Nov 28, 2025 7:46 pm EST

Nov. 30, 2025

Article Submitted by Janey Anderson of Ship Junkies – Lakes, Locks & Rivers (LL&R)

December 1, 2025 With just over four weeks until Christmas, he’d have to crank out 135–150 miles a week — that’s 19–21 miles every single day if he doesn’t take a break.

Fuel Burn:

At roughly 3 gallons of gas per mile, the rest of the trip could swallow 1,650–1,800 gallons before he’s done.

And that’s assuming everything goes right. Winter storms, big-lake chop, brutal headwinds, fuel runs — all of it stacks the deck against him. It’s a brutal pace for any boat in December, let alone a homemade barge pushed by a few outboards.

Whatever happens, it’s still one of the wildest, most insane journeys on the Great Lakes right now.

Video Posted @ Freedom Marine Recovery from Facebook: Videographer Unknown