1. Don Ghiata was born in
1927 into a Christian
family and raised on a North-
ern Michigan farm in the 30’s
and 40’s. He joined the US
Army and was honorably
discharged in 1946. Shortly
thereafter he meet his beauti-
ful wife Thais and became
married on April 5, 1947.
Don and Thais have been
married just over 66 years.
Shortly after they married,
they gave birth to their first
child. With this new respon-
sibility, Don needed steady
employment. He also sensed
an urgency to get right with
God so he made a decision
and asked the Lord into his
life and got saved (“Whosoever
shall call upon the name of the
Lord shall be saved” Romans
10:13) Don’s first job was a
deckhand on the John W.
Boardman with Huron Ce-
ment in the late 1940’s. His
sailing career was off and on
during which he found him-
self driving cabs and even a
school bus in Detroit, MI. Don
decided to head back to the wa-
ter sailing in 1950 where he be-
came employed with the Wyan-
dotte Chemical fleet. Don and
his wife decided to move to Wy-
andotte, MI with the thought
that sailing would be his life’s
work. This young married couple
found themselves spending only
two months together in the win-
ter so they began to pray that the
doors would be open that they
could do the Lord’s work.
Shortly thereafter, the Lord
answered their prayers and the
company Don was currently
employed with was sold. God
then directed him to Toledo,
OH where he found work at
the railroad docks. Don’s sense
of urgency to serve the Lord in
some capacity was evident and
shortly found himself involved
with the Christian Railroaders;
later renamed Christian Trans-
portation. He began hosting
railroad prayer meetings, litera-
ture distribution and even held
Christian rallies. Don was then
called into teaching Sunday
school for his Toledo Christian
fellowship. He also took part
in various speaking engage-
ments which all resulted in a
deeper passion for God’s
Word and growth in Jesus
Christ. After 6 years with the
railroad the company down-
sized which caused an
CONTINUED ON PAGE 2
Volume 1, Issue 1
Retired Great Lakes Captain, Don Ghiata
Honoring an American Sailor; Thank You!
June, 2013
Newsletter Navigation
 Captain Don Ghiata, Honoring an American Sailor
 The Anchor Holds; Scope, Author and Mission
 General Alarm
 Mariners Message to Remember
TheAnchorHoldstheanchorholdssailors@gmail.com
ACHRISTIANSAILORNEWSLETTER
The Anchor Holds– Author Introduction & Welcome Aboard
T he Anchor Holds Newslet-
ter (Previously “The
Christian Sailor” by Don Ghi-
ata) is a sailor made Newslet-
ter focusing on Jesus Christ’s
great commission for all. Je-
sus had a heart for the men of
the sea as the first men He
sought out to help Him carry
out His teachings were Mari-
ners; Fishermen. The scope
of this newsletter is to provide
a guiding light as it relates to
who Jesus Christ is and what
he expects of us all and to
convey biblical truth as it re-
lates to living for Christ. The
Anchor Holds will also chall
-enge the reader with rock solid
and sometimes shocking truth as
we look upon the events of our
world today and how these
events are shaping our world.
The new Editor and Publisher of
The Anchor Holds Newsletter is a
long standing Maritime Profes-
sional; a Great Lakes Maritime
Academy graduate and an active
Great Lakes Officer; so welcome
aboard. This ministry encourages
crews to engage in reading these
newsletters and post them in
your galley or lounge as you re-
ceive them aboard your vessel.
The mission is to address Christ
and Him Crucified with truthful
Ret. Capt. Don Ghiata with
Lindsey Bowser
biblical guidance. We are
100% accountable to God
and this is taken very serious-
ly. We hold fast to integrity,
love for all people and our
nation with an urgency to
spread the good news of the
Gospel throughout the Great
Lakes Region and beyond.
Our issues will be Spirit di-
rected and will harbor prayer
requests, testimonies, praise
reports, featured guest inter-
views and much more. To
contact The Anchor Holds Sail-
ors Ministry e-mail us at:
theanchorholdssailors@gmail.com
THE ANCHOR HOLDS SAILORS MINISTRY , PORT HURON, MI

2. uncertainty in his job stability
resulting in a lengthy layoff.
During this time Don received a
call from the Huron Cement
Company where he had worked
previously. He was offered a
temporary three week position.
“It had not been my long term
to return to sailing”. God used
this sailing position; which end-
ed up lasting for the next 22
years, as a blessing. During the
time Don was employed with
Huron Cement he became Cap-
tain and served as the Master of
the J.B. Ford but mostly the Paul
H. Townsend. Along with his
service aboard ship, he was able
to get Les Nimigan-Director of
Christian Railroaders, to take 3 to
5 day trips on his companies’
ships where he would hold bible
studies which opened more
doors to share the gospel with
sailors. Don and Thais were
involved with the Christian Rail-
roaders/Christian Transportation
Inc. for 35 years. For 15 years,
Don has published and deliv-
ered the CHRISTIAN SAILOR
NEWSLETTER; a gospel mes-
sage directed newsletter to all
US flagged vessels on the Great
Lakes. Don’s dedication and
faithfulness to his marriage,
church involvement, community
influence and the long-standing
CHRISTIAN SAILOR NEWS-
LETTER exemplifies a godly
man after God’s own heart
which has hopefully influenced
the lives of some sailors and
many others over the years.
Don’s newsletter inspired this
sailors life and I am honored
that he and I have become
friends. Don has also mentored
into my life as a Great Lakes
sailor and a man of God; The
Anchor Holds Publisher; Sean
Erhardt wants to personally say,
“Thank You very much Don I
love you brother”. I believe
many people owe you honorable
recognition as you have proba-
bly spoken into the lives of
many people. Moreover, we
ultimately owe honor and glory
to a God who places dedicated
men and women into our lives.
The Anchor Holds Ministry will
occasionally consult with Cap-
tain Ghiata for godly and sea-
soned insight in future publica-
tions. Finally, a special thanks
goes out to Art Taylor of The
Welland Canal Mission for allow-
ing us to use a previously pub-
lished edition of Don’s story in
this issue of The Christian Sailor
Newsletter–The Anchor Holds. Our
prayers go out to the Ghiata
family, God Bless you
and thank you again
for your dedication &
service to God and
country; you’re a true
warrior and hero.
cause our entire
sin debt was
paid there. To
accept what
Jesus Christ did
on the cross
into your life is our lifesaver; we
just have to grab a hold of it to
be rescued. As Mariners, we are
an elite group of men and wom-
en. It can be hard at times to be
a sailor with all the things we
miss out on. However, If we
grab a hold of the Cross of
Christ and begin building a rela-
tionship with Him, He will fill
F or the preaching of the Cross is
to them who perish foolishness,
but unto those who are saved it is the
power of God. For it is written I will
destroy the wisdom of the wise and will
bring to nothing the understanding of
the prudent. -1 Corinthians 1:18-19).
Plainly stated; The Cross is the
answer to sin. Understand this
though, things of a Spiritual na-
ture cannot be observed or dis-
cerned by someone who is unre-
deemed (un-saved). There is
Power in the cross of Christ be-
that void inside your heart so
many are trying to fill with the
things of the world. Christ has a
special place in His heart for
seafarers and He has done some
amazing things upon the water.
So seek Him and you will find
Him, and remember, there is
nothing in your life that is too
bad for Him to forgive, just ask
Him and He will forgive you;
remember the thief that hung on
the cross next to Jesus? He for-
gave him! May God Bless you
all, have a safe summer sailing
season. Sean Erhardt (Publisher)
General Alarm
Mariners Message
Our leaders are approving and
glorifying sin on so many levels
and a revival of grassroots moral
fiber is critical. Political correct-
ness is rapidly helping to destroy
the moral fiber this nation was
founded upon. Enter you in at the
straight gate, for wide is the gate and
broad is the way, that leads to destruc-
tion and many there be which go in
thereat -Mat. 7:13 If we truthfully
look at this verse, it should paint
a picture as to where, unfortu-
nately our world is today. We
live in a fallen world with so
much false doctrine. Many
churches in our nation have
fallen away from preaching
sound doctrine. There is too
much concern with being politi-
cally correct and not addressing
the problem of sin. Christ is the
answer to sin; we are all guilty
but He is ready to forgive if we
ask Him and repent.
1 cross + 3 nails = 4give.
The world today is out of
control. As we look into
the world, we see that what was
once referred to as good is now
turning into evil and what was
considered to be evil is now
being accepted as good or toler-
able; even inside our churches.
Our society wants nothing to do
with accountability. Our chil-
dren are quickly falling away
from respecting authority, i.e.
parents. The United States of
America is now a divided nation.
Capt. Ghiata, Honoring an American Sailor Cont.
Page 2 THE ANCHOR HOLDS THEANCHORHOLDSSAILORS@GMAIL.COM
Now as He
walked by the
sea of Galilee,
He saw Simon
(Peter) and
Andrew his
brother casting
a net into the
sea: for they
were fishers.
And Jesus said
unto them,
Come ye after
Me (follow
Me), and I will
make you fish-
ers of men.
And straight-
way
(immediately)
they forsook
their nets and
followed Him.
And when He
(Jesus) had
gone a little
farther thence,
He saw James
the son of Zeb-
edee, and John
his brother,
who were also
in the ship
mending their
nets. And
straightway He
called them
and they left
their father in
the ship.
Mark 1:16-20
Faithful Mariners
Courageous Calling
THE ANCHOR HOLDS SAILORS MINISTRY