Final Preparations for Spring Schoolship

This week has been busy with final details aboard ship and in the office to get ready for the 89 classes coming for spring Schoolship Programs aboard Inland Seas and Manitou. Today Remy and Allen made final modifications to the new benthos washing screen, fitted new bridles to the new trawls, and changed the thermostats on the John Deere diesel engine, among other things.

The office has been buzzing also, with Kim, Christine, and Phyllis, assisted by Sally Somsel, putting all the pieces together to make the program happen. Tomorrow we begin our 20th season with Suttons Bay 8th graders.

This evening Tom K. gave a presentation on the Schoolship to 60 University of Michigan faculty and local guests at Black Star Farms.

-Tom Kelly

New Inland Seas Tee Shirt Now On Sale

ISEA's latest tee-shirt, modeled here by our Suttons Bay High School intern Hans Dalton, is available for purchase at the Inland Seas Education Center in Suttons Bay. Just $10 (cheap).

Schoolship Makes TC Record Eagle Front Page

The Traverse City Record Eagle featured Inland Seas in today's edition. See article and photos at http://www.record-eagle.com/local/local_story_119094614.html

Photo by Jan Michael Stump, Traverse City Record Eagle

Wet Run Lives Up To Its Name

The annual "Wet Run" aboard Inland Seas, designed to prepare our new Volunteer Instructors for teaching the Schoolship Program, lived up to its name today. The morning program started out with light rain and ended in the fog. The afternoon program came in early due to a thunderstorm that arrived several hours earlier than predicted. The instructor "students" finished up in the Inland Seas Education Center.

The morning trawl catch consisted of one brook stickleback, one small rock bass, two small round goby, and four yellow perch. The surface water temperature was 42 deg. F, and the water transparency (Secchi Disk) was a whopping 20 meters (65 feet).

Capt. T. Kelly

Crew Training aboard Inland Seas

Crew training aboard Inland Seas continued on April 22 with dockside drills (MOB, fire, abandon ship) and on April 24 with underway drills. We used Rescue Randy, borrowed from the Coast Guard Air Station Traverse City (thanks, CG) for our MOB drill, recovering the "victum" in 2.5 minutes. Not bad for the first time of the season. We also ran fire, abandon ship, and steering

failure drills, and reviewed damage control and dewatering procedures.

Photos from top:

Capt. Remy with friend Randy.

Jan Michael Stump from Traverse City Record Eagle records the proceedings.

Dr. Sandy Kushner, ISEA's Medical Officer, reviewing AED operation.

Our cook-of-the-day, Sally Somsel,working wonders in the galley.

Inland Seas Almost Ready to Sail

Late last week Capt. Remy Champt and the crew (Allen Wolfe, Jan Hale, Bob Hagerman, and on Thursday, new volunteeer Ben Shaw) finished the running rigging and bent on all sail. She looks like a schooner again, and everyone is eager to get under sail. This coming week we will have dockside drills on Tuesday morning and underway drills on Thursday in preparation for the "Wet Runs" with new volunteer instructors on Friday. - T. Kelly

April 20, 2008, 0800

Divers Service Propeller, Underwater Camera

Our dive team of Greg Lashbrook and Kathy Johnson did some tweeking of our underwater camera (they installed it in December), lubricated the propeller, and installed a new zinc anode. The water temperature was 41.7 degrees F, so I did not volunteer to assist.

Greg and Kathy will be at the Inland Seas Education Center this evening to present some of their Great Lakes underwater videos. Copies of their productions will be available for purchase. The program begins at 7:00 pm and is free and open to the public.

Top photo: Greg with grease gun

Right photo: Kathy with rusty crayfish

Work on the schooner continues with the crew hanging blocks and reeving running rigging. It is sunny and warm, but blowing hard from the SW.

Our Education Director, Christine Diana, is leading a pre-season meeting of ISEA Lead Instructors this afternoon. These volunteers lead the Schoolship Program instructors aboard Inland Seas and Manitou.

Meet ISEA's New Volunteer Coordinator

Today Phyllis Foley Wanroy joined ISEA as Volunteer Coordinator. Phyllis will work with ISEA's 250+ volunteers to carry out our mission of Great Lakes Education and Stewardship. Give Phyllis a call if you have any questions about volunteering at Inland Seas.

Topmasts Raised

Inland Seas' topmasts are both in place, so she looks a proper "tall ship". The main topmast was stepped on Thursday, with the crew headed by Allen Wolfe, and the fore top went up today under the direction of Capt. Remy Champt. The photo shows Jan and Allen aloft intalling the topmast shrouds and stays. Next comes installing the blocks, booms, running rigging and sails.

- Tom Kelly

Inland Seas Arrives at Suttons Bay

Two days after ice out...

ISEA's schooner Inland Seas arrived at her home port of Suttons Bay on Monday April 7 after a pleasant motor cruise from her winter berth in Traverse City. The crew enjoyed being underway again, especially with sunshine and a following breeze to make things comfortable on deck. The water temperature was only 37.5 degrees F, so we were glad we had no spray to contend with. Crew for this passage consisted of Tom Kelly, Master; Remy Champt, Mate; Allen Wolfe, 2nd Mate; Jan Hale and Bob Hagerman, Deckhands. Of the five aboard, four were licenced captains!







Just after our arrival in Suttons Bay the wind came up from the SW and blew a near gale. The crew, joined by Tom Kastle, worked all afternoon removing the winter cover frame.

-Capt. Tom Kelly