on the lakes

adverbial phrase, working on a ship that sails the Great Lakes system; see also sail (on) the lakes

“He was on the lakes on those boats you see going up and down.”

“My grandfather was a captain on the lakes, and he sailed.”

“Well, you were on the lakes.”

“Yeah, he was on the old ferry not as captain, but he was on it as a mate. He was still on the lakes, and then he decided to stay home.”

“’Course he was a captain, but he never had a company ship. He couldn’t get one because … there were younger people, and he never got to be captain on the lakes with them.”

“When we come down on the lakes, I had the throttles wired up on the engines ‘cause you couldn’t control them, you know.”