OKEMOS, Mich. (Michigan News Source) – A Michigan man’s five-dollar bet from 54 years ago is once again making headlines.
Vic Jackson of Okemos crossed Lake Michigan in 1969—with a vintage Kohler bathtub as his vessel. His daring voyage earned him $5, and now, a dock for his boat in the Wisconsin Maritime Museum.
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“[The bet] was a coffee shop-type conversation,” Jackson said. “One of the unusual aspects of this story is it developed on its own.”
Word of the bet spread, first making local coverage, then hitting the news wire. Jackson was gifted a bathtub, oil drums for flotation, and other necessary construction materials. He and his friend got to work, remodeling the bathtub into a vessel fit for the lake.
The first attempt to cross the lake nearly ended in disaster “because, as my dad described it, I was an ignoramus,” Jackson recalled. The Detroit Free Press recorded the incident, headlining the story “Bathtub Mariner Is All Washed Up.”
One Coast Guard rescue later, Jackson was ready to try again. This time, he succeeded. The trip took just over fourteen hours, according to Jackson, and nearly ran his fuel tank dry.
“I started with 30 gallons of gasoline, and by measurement on the Monday morning after, I had less than a pint left. It was a squeaker,” he recalled.
The Wisconsin Maritime Museum has been interested in Jackson’s tub since 1969, but Jackson has kept the “make-ship” stored away. Now, however, they’ve reached an agreement. The boat should debut at the museum this summer.
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Jackson says he’s often asked if he’d make the trip again.
“Well, I could do it today but I would have my cell phone and there would be nothing,” he said. “All I would have to do is sit in that bathtub, steer the motor, and follow my phone.”
Jackson’s daring voyage was honored with a key to the city Manitowoc and an appearance on the game show “To Tell the Truth,” where he stumped the panel. He’s kept the key, plus the radio and compass he used on the trip.
“And I have the $5 bill signed by the person I made the bet with,” Jackson said. “He was my boss at the time. It’s still only worth $5, but hey.”
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