Finn

Finn is a Nova Scotia duck tolling retriever who cruises the Great Lakes with his people, Tom and Kat Barbier, on Anam Cara, a 36-foot downeast boat with Maine roots. Built in 1998 by Crozier Fox of Able Marine out of Trenton, Maine, with a hull designed by Chuck Paine, it is one of the few custom-built poweryachts to come out of that shop, which focused primarily on bluewater cruising sailboats. 

Finn enjoys catching fresh air, basking in the sun on the back bench, and smelling all the smells … especially if there’s any grilling going on. His primary boat duties are to “pawtrol” the decks to see if there have been any notable changes on board and to keep an eye on his crew’s whereabouts. 

Finn’s fondness for boating began as a puppy and kept growing right along with him.

Over the course of the season, Tom, Kat, and Finn cover between 4,000 to 5,000 miles throughout the Great Lakes—on the North Channel in the northeast corner of Lake Huron, Lake Michigan, including Chicago, the west side of Michigan, and the Harbor Springs area. Finn commands the observation deck to ensure that all who pass by are properly viewed and greeted, and enthusiastically points out any harbor trails to be explored, documented, and marked. He also serves as galley floor cleaner and nighttime foot warmer. Finn is proud that his people converted the boat to lithium power, and basks in the quiet that comes with being off the grid while being at anchor. 

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