Inland Seas Covered for the Winter

Schooners in their winter dress. Inland Seas in foreground, Manitou in distance.
Snug conditions under the cover.

Inland Seas is now wearing her new winter coat, made of white plastic. A brief window of good weather this past week allowed the crew (Remy, Allen and Jan) get the cover on before the next round for rain and high winds. Nice work guys. -Capt. Tom

Inland Seas Heads to Traverse City for Winter

Don Goski takes us around Stony Point
Allen Wolfe on the foredeck, dressed for the weather.

Captain Remy, also dressed for the weather!

R-4 buoy, Lee Point

Today the crew (Tom Kelly, Remy Champt, Allen Wolfe and Don Gorski) took Inland Seas to Traverse City (Greilickville) for winter lay-up. The passage was pleasant dispite the rain and mist. Upon arrival we pumped the holding tanks and took on 145 gallons of diesel fuel. Thanks to Centre Pointe and Harbor West 45 LLC for hosting Inland Seas for the winter. Remy, Allen and volunteer helpers will put on the winter cover in the next few days. -Capt. Tom

Waterlife Film Benefit, Saturday Oct. 19, 2009

ISEA's benefit showing of the Canadian film Waterlife attracted 200 supporters on Saturday evening. The evening began with a outdoor cookout followed by the film at the Bay Theatre. After the film the audience participated in a discussion with our panel of Great Lakes experts (Tom Kelly, Andy Knott, Scott Blair & Greg Goudy). Over $13,000 was raised toward ISEA's shipboard education programs. Many thanks to all those who donated, attended, organized and helped serve this event. Special thanks to our event sponsors, Northwestern Bank and an anonymous ISEA donor. Thanks also to Peninsula Title for providing the challenge matching funds.

Liberty Comes Home From Charlevoix

Liberty at Northport
Our Friendship sloop Liberty is back from her visit to Charlevoix this summer. While there she was operated by Sea Ports/Great Lakes. She is now at Northport Marina awaiting de-rigging, haul-out and storage by Northport Bay Boat Yard. Many thanks to NBBY for helping out with Liberty again this year.

Inland Seas is De-Rigged

How she looks with sails, booms and topmasts removed.

Allen up the foremast taking off blocks.

Remy and Allen have completed the de-rigging of the schooner and now are doing some refinishing work as the weather allows. Next will be construction of the winter cover frame before we take the ship to Centre Pointe for the winter.

Pandora's Locks' Author To Speak at ISEA

Join us for the first Inland Seas Great Lakes Seminar of the Fall 2009 series. Jeff Alexander, author of Pandora's Locks: the Opening of the Great Lakes - St. Lawrence Seaway, will speak at Inland Seas Education Center Tuesday, October 13 at 7:00 pm. This seminar is free and open to the public.

Invasive species are the biggest threat to the Great Lakes ecosystem to date. Alexander chronicles the implications of invasive species since the opening of the Welland Canal and the St. Lawrence Seaway. Threats and challenges to water quality, public health, power generation, fisheries, recreation, shorelines and wetlands, marine life, birds, mammals, and more are part of the chronicle. Jeff Alexander is an award winning author and former environmental journalist. He covered Great Lakes issues for the past 20 years for several Michigan newspapers, most recently for The Muskegon Chronicle. He currently works for the National Wildlife Federation.

Fall Lay-Up in Progress - AIS Operational This Fall

Captains Remy Champt and Allen Wolfe this morning as work continues on de-rigging the schooner Inland Seas.

Our new AIS (Automatic Identification System) transponder installed in the captain's cabin. This unit sends and receives position information of commercial ships in the area.
Our array of antennas on the lazy board: From left to right: GPS for pilot house display, GPS for AIS, LORAN C, weather sensors, GPS for outside chart plotter, VHF for AIS transmit and receive. The yellow opject in the foreground is our EPIRB (emergency position indicating radio beacon).

Season Finale...Kalkaska Middle School - Oct. 6, 2009

"Up behind." Trawl coming aboard. Lots of Chara, and a diverse catch of fishes (trout-perch, 3-spine stickleback, brook stickleback, round goby, white sucker & native crayfish).
If the ship is made of steel and weighs 45 tons, how can it float?

We were wet, and cold, and wind-blown. But smiling. Thanks Kalkaska Middle School Blazers for another great fall Schoolship season with your three classes! -- Capt. Tom

Monday October 5, 2009 - Benzie Central MS

A cool but sunny day for Benzie Central MS's last sail of the season.

A NW wind gives us a good close reach toward Omena Bay.

OK, the main sheet mechanical advantage is 7:1.

Thanks Benzie, and Larry G. - Capt. Tom

Ecological History of the Great Lakes

ISEA Executive Director Tom Kelly gives keynote address at Freshwater Summit in Traverse City...read the article in the Traverse City Record Eagle http://www.record-eagle.com/archivesearch/local_story_275233038.html

October 1 Schoolship and Boat Shop News

This morning began with ice on the deck and dock. Fortunately the sun came up and melted it all before our students (Kalkaska MS) arrived. We picked up lots of Chara in the trawl but unfortunately no fish. We had a good variety of fish yesterday (rock bass, small mouth bass, white sucker, round goby), but nothing today. However the weather was wonderful with light winds and sun...much better than last Monday and Tuesday's gales.

The next canoe has gotten underway in the ISEA Boat Shop with students from Suttons Bay Middle and High School doing the construction. Stop in and see their progress!

-Capt. Tom K.