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Craig Rich
Author Historian Shipwreck Hunter

Welcome! My new book, "Through Surf and Storm: Shipwrecks of Muskegon County, Michigan," is now available!



As the second in a series of books chronicling shipwrecks along the eastern shore of Lake Michigan, this is a follow up to my 2010 release, "For Those In Peril: Shipwrecks of Ottawa County, Michigan."

Order your autographed copy of either book today and pay
NO SHIPPING charges
!

For Those In Peril is 136 pages, soft-cover and priced at $17.95.

Through Surf and Storm is 144 pages, soft-cover and priced at $17.95.

If you order here, you will receive FREE SHIPPING.

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Read what others are saying about Through Surf and Storm Shipwrecks of Muskegon County, Michigan:

"This book is a fascinating journey through the maritime heritage of Muskegon County." - John McGarry, Executive Director, Lakeshore Museum Center, Muskegon, MI

"In this, his second work chronicling shipwrecks along the western coast of Michigan, Craig Rich has repeated the success of his first. Through Surf and Storm provides an abundance of detail on the maritime history of Muskegon County in a readable style and with great human interest. Fans of the lore of the Great Lakes will want to add this volume to their bookshelves."  - Robert Vande Vusse, Director, Fennville District Library, Fennville, MI

"Through riveting stories of schooners and steamers gone missing, Craig Rich weaves a fabric of local life during the age of sail and steam in Muskegon County; a period that established the region as a prospering business center." - Valerie van Heest, author of Unsolved Mysteries: The Shipwreck Thomas Hume and other maritime books

"Crag Rich has done it again with his diligent research into a variety of rich resources, attention to detail and concise descriptions of the maritime mishaps and tragedies that occurred on Muskegon County shoreline, rivers and inland lakes from the very earliest incidents to modern day discoveries.  This book belongs on the bookshelf of every serious maritime researcher and enthusiast."  - Geoffrey Reynolds, Director Joint Archives of Holland  

ISBN: 978-09801750-4-2,  144 pages

Read what others are saying about For Those in peril: Shipwrecks of Ottawa County Michigan:

For Those in peril"Craig Rich has done a great job of exploring and recreating for us the dreadful shipping accidents around historic Ottawa County. Their stories will captivate western Michigan residents, historians, and divers alike. For Those in Peril is a wonderful resource!" - C. Patrick Labadie, Historian, Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary, Alpena, MI

"For Those In Peril: Shipwrecks of Ottawa County" is an important addition to any Great Lakes maritime book collection. Craig Rich chronicles the exciting rescues and devastating losses of over a hundred vessels decade by decade from the 1850s through the modern era in what is the most comprehensive tally ever compiled for the region." - Geoffrey Reynolds, Executive Director, Joint Archives of Holland

"This book has appeal for and makes important contributions to several areas of interest. For those interested in local or state history, it has the rare combination of being filled with detailed information and great human interest. Craig’s style takes what could easily be a dry database and breathes life into it. For those interested in Great Lakes maritime history, it provides a highly readable, geographically focused look at the progression of marine practice and technology. For the recreational diver, it is a great resource on potential dive sites. I highly recommend it."  - Bob Vande Vusse, Director, Fennville District Library, Fennville, MI

ISBN: 978-0-9801750-2-8,   136 Pgs

Meet the author

Craig Rich is a veteran Great Lakes master scuba diver who began diving at age sixteen after taking lessons through the local YMCA. He is a certified Master Diver through Scuba Schools Intl. with specialties in Wreck Diving, Search & Recovery, Stress & Rescue, Dry Suit Diving, and Enriched Air Nitrox diving. He began researching shipwrecks in the late 1980s and actively diving them in 1988. Since then, he has completed 500 dives, mostly on Great Lakes shipwrecks.

He joined the Southwest Michigan Underwater Preserve Committee in 1996, helping to see that organization through to official state designation as Michigan’s tenth underwater preserve in 1999. With fellow SWMUP members Valerie van Heest and Jack van Heest, and new member Geoffrey Reynolds, he co-founded Michigan Shipwreck Research Associates in 2001. In addition to his shipwreck research for the organization, he designed the MSRA web site and serves as the webmaster. A regular speaker before local and regional groups, libraries, museums, and historical societies, he also is a frequent guest on local radio talk shows on the topics of diving and shipwrecks. He has provided professional narration and voice work for a number of MSRA’s documentary films and for radio and TV commercials.

He and his father started radio station WZND in Zeeland, Michigan, in 1971 and ran the radio station as a family business until the end of 1986. At WZND, he was the morning deejay, news director, and program director. He has been an advertising consultant for the Grand Rapids Business Journal since 1987. From 1982 until 2009, Rich also served as an elected city council member in Holland, Michigan, including twenty years as Holland’s mayor pro tem. He also serves as president of the nonprofit Rich Family Association.

Craig holds a business management degree from Davenport College. He has been married to the former Vickie Lynn Nyhof since 1975. They have two daughters, Allison and Catherine.

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 oldpirate@comcast.net