Shipway Nº 10

An Ode to the Big U

As a boy in the 1970s, Michael Plant spent his weekends and summer days in Highlands, New Jersey, especially around the Highlands Marina where his uncle was the manager. Central to the marina was its bar, “The Bitter End,” and while Michael and his cousins were only old enough to play in the bar before it opened to the public, the rooms nautical collectibles - especially the big framed print of the SS United States - were enthralling for Michael.