For Northlanders, seeing ships come and go from the Port of Duluth-Superior is just a fact of life. But there is an international community online who finds it fascinating and even inspiring.

One way these shipwatchers connect with the Twin Ports is through a YouTube channel called “Vibe with Mike.”

It’s run by Mike, whose passion for Duluth, the Aerial Lift Bridge, and the ships that pass under it started when he was around 8 years old.

“I thought it was so cool, being a kid, you know, being a city guy, all I would see is buses and stuff like that,” Mike said. “As I got older, I’ve just taken a liking to those Great Lakes ships.”

He compares it to any other hobby like woodworking. But his hobby has earned him almost 40,000 subscribers on YouTube. He calls his followers “Boat Friends.”

“YI think it came from the fact that I didn’t have any friends to talk about boats or ships,” he said, “and the first couple people, I said, ‘Hey, I’ve got some boat friends!'”

His voice is very familiar to the Boat Friends. But unless you run into him at the canal, he’ll remain just a voice. He doesn’t ever show his face.

“It’s called Vibe with Mike, so at least you know my name is Mike,” he said. “However, the channel is really not about me. It’s about the ships, it’s about the people that are a part of this channel, the Boat Friends.”

On a pontoon boat ride around the harbor with him in early October, the Paul R. Tregurtha came through the Duluth Canal.

“This right here is the crown jewel of ships. If (the Boat Friends) ever come to Duluth or anywhere on the Great Lakes, this is the one they want to see,” Mike said.

The “PRT” is the longest ship on the Great Lakes at 1,013 feet.

“The Eiffel Tower is 1,080 feet to the very top of the spire. If you took the Paul R. Tregurtha and put it upright, this would be almost as tall as the Eiffel Tower. So it’s the Eiffel Tower going through the Canal, essentially,” Mike said.

He enjoys researching the ships and bringing an educational element to his YouTube videos. One of his favorites is telling the story of the Arthur M. Anderson’s connection to perhaps the most famous Great Lakes ship, the Edmund Fitzgerald.

It was closest to the Fitz when it sank on Nov. 10, 1975. Its captain tried to help look for lost sailors.

“When you see the Arthur M. Anderson go by you in Duluth or anywhere, you see the silhouette in your mind of the Edmund Fitzgerald that goes by at the same time,” Mike said. “It’s always going to be connected.”

You only have to watch a couple of videos to understand the worldwide audience they reach. Mike will rattle off the names of people viewing from Ireland, Australia, Japan, Canada, Mexico, and all around the United States.

“I am the lucky person that gets to hit record and to share these ships and experiences that we get to have right next to the Lift Bridge all the time,” Mike said.

On Tuesday and Wednesday, The Lift will profile a couple Boat Friends from around the world: Dave Heilman from Ohio, Stephen Knight from Wales, and Lauren Olson from Dawson, Minn.