Dave Heilman and Stephen Knight each made their first trip to Duluth this past summer.

Heilman is from Delaware, Ohio. Knight is from Wales in the United Kingdom. Both were largely introduced to Great Lakes shipping through a YouTube channel, Vibe with Mike.

For decades, Heilman and his family have driven from their home in Ohio to Ontario, a route that took them by the Soo Locks and across the Mackinac Bridge.

“It was just a passing interest,” he said. “But now with YouTube, when I go to bed at night, I just start looking at YouTube stuff. Well, I happened upon Boat Friends, Vibe with Mike.”

Heilman quickly became one of the Boat Friends.

“We chat sometimes, particularly when he’s doing a live stream,” he said. “As he’s waiting for the ship to come in, he’s welcoming the Boat Friends. And there’s Carl from South Africa, there’s Tom from Australia.”

Stephen from Wales might be part of that list too.

“I’ve always loved ships, ever since I was a small boy because I was born in the north of England, near Manchester, which has its own ship canal,” Knight said.

He also got hooked on Vibe with Mike. He said he thinks he’s watched every single video Mike has posted.

“There is an old connection between Manchester and Duluth,” Knight said, “because some of the Manchester liners used to go to Duluth.”

He eventually got ahold of Mike’s email.

“I said to him at one point, ‘Do you ever get any visitors?’ And he said, ‘Yes, I get quite a few from the States, but not many from further afield.’ And I said, ‘Well, how would it be if I came to see you?'” Knight said. “And he picked himself off the floor I think.”

Then Mike suggested July.

“I’ve got a sense of adventure. My kids thought I was nuts, going to meet some guy I’d met on the Internet,” Knight said. “When I got to Duluth, I found it all quite familiar because I’d watched so many of Mike’s videos.”

The first ship he saw was the “PRT,” the Paul R. Tregurtha. He toured the Irvin, climbed Enger Tower, and enjoyed a pint or two near the Lift Bridge.

“And I learned what taconite was,” he said. “It’s a form of iron ore. It’s made from iron ore.”

He and Dave both made appearances in Vibe with Mike videos after their visits.

“I still can’t get over the amount of people around the world that follow this, that are part of this community, the amount of friendships that have been made because of it. You know, you kind of feel good about that,” Mike said.

On Wednesday, another Boat Friend shares her story of shipwatching and how it helped her move forward after her husband’s death.