Our Captain
Roger LeLievre
Roger, who readily agrees he is the luckiest Boatnerd in the world, comes by his interest in Great Lakes ships naturally – he grew up in Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan, just blocks from the Soo Locks and remembers watching the boats go by during summers spent at his grandparent's cottage on the St. Marys River shoreline, where he still spends much of his time.
During high school, he worked as a tour guide on the Museum Ship Valley Camp and shipped out on the Ford Motor Co. ore boat Ernest R. Breech as soon as he turned 18. However, rather than making a career out of working on the boats, he wound up writing about them instead.
He has been editor and publisher of Know Your Ships since 1994, following the passing of book founder and his mentor Thomas Manse, but has been involved in its publication much longer than that: He was 14 when his first boat picture was published in the 1968 edition of the book. He spent 30 years in the newspaper business in Michigan as a writer and editor, most of them at the Ann Arbor News, where he learned many of the skills needed to publish Know Your Ships.
The long-time president of The Marine Historical Society of Detroit and editor of its monthly publication The Detroit Marine Historian, Roger was recipient of the group's Historian of the Year Award in 2006. He is also involved with Great Lakes & Seaway Shipping On-line Inc., the non-profit Web site more commonly known as BoatNerd.com, and is an associate member of the International Shipmasters' Association's Port Huron lodge. He is also on the board of the Soo Locks Visitor Center Association and enjoys talking about his hometown to passengers on shore excursions from several of the cruise ships now calling at Sault Ste. Marie.
He received the Joyce C. Hayward Award for Historic Interpretation from the Association for Great Lakes Maritime History in 2024.
Meet Our Team
Samuel Hankinson
Sam grew up watching freighters in his hometown of Grand Haven. He is a 2021 graduate of Central Michigan University. Currently he works at the Port of Monroe. In addition to his KYS responsibilities, he is secretary of MHSD, serves on the board of Boatnerd.com, and writes the weekly Ship’s Log column in the Grand Haven Tribune.
Matt Miner
Matt is a Michigan-based vessel enthusiast and photographer. The listing of saltwater vessels found in Know Your Ships draws from his interest in these fascinating international visitors.
Jack Hurt
Jack is a student at Michigan State University studying journalism, with a concentration in sports journalism. He grew up vacationing on the St. Marys River, watching the big ships go by. He can be found in East Lansing cheering on his beloved Spartans.
Isaac Pennock
Isaac, a dedicated fan of tugboats big and small, is a Graduate of the Great Lakes Maritime Academy. He is currently working in the Great Lakes shipping industry and maintains a database of Great Lakes tugs.
Brendan Falkowski
A Great Lakes ship enthusiast since his early childhood, Brendan shares his passion for the freighters through his newsletter, research, and photography. He is currently attending University of Michigan’s College of Engineering studying Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering.
Stephen Sostaric
Stephen is a lifelong resident of Northwest Indiana, close to the Lake Michigan ports of Chicago, Indiana Harbor, Buffington Harbor, Gary, and Burns Harbor. His interest in ships began with reading about Robert Ballard discovering the wreck of the Titanic in second grade. Soon after, he learned about ships on the Great Lakes and was hooked as he learned more about their history and design. He was fortunate to have parents who encouraged his interests, including many family trips around the Lakes to see boats.
Today he combines his interest in ships with his longtime interest in photography, always looking for new and interesting shots of lakers. When not boatwatching, Stephen enjoys hobbies like baking, fiber arts, and traveling to National Park Service sites.
Kathryn Lau
Kathryn is our director of advertising. Thanks to her efforts, the price of the book remains reasonable. Our advertisers help support us, so please let them know you saw their ad in Know Your Ships. When not working the phones, she and her husband Bob can often be found traveling the country, often on their twin Harley Trikes, or exploring the world beyond our shores.
If you like our design, credit William Soleau. His 15 years in the printing business helped prepare him for the challenge of keeping Know Your Ships looking fresh. Thanks, Will!
Thank you to our friends Andrea Guerriero and John Philbin, who handle our mailings in Canada. Without their volunteer efforts, it would be much more difficult – and much more expensive – to sell books north of the border.