Tuesday, December 11, 2012

Schoolship Year in Review This Wednesday

The Inland Seas Education Association (ISEA) will present a seminar that focuses on the work of the Schoolship Inland Seas and the current ecological status of Grand Traverse Bay at 7:00 pm on Wednesday, December 12th, at the Inland Seas Education Center in Suttons Bay. The program will be presented by Tom Kelly, Executive Director of ISEA. This seminar is free and open to the public.

Advanced Invasive Spieces Field Course Students (teachers) in the Straits of Mackinac
During the 2012 navigation season, ISEA’s 77 foot schooner Inland Seas sailed the waters of Grand Traverse Bay and northern Lake Michigan, visiting 13 ports with students from all across the state of Michigan. Together with the schooner Manitou, ISEA provided shipboard science programs for 4,175 students in 2012. Since its founding in 1989, ISEA has sailed with 94,609 students and teachers.

The major findings this year relate mainly to the continued impact of invasive species on the lower food web in Grand Traverse Bay and Lake Michigan. The round goby, an invasive fish, dominated the forage fish community in the near shore waters. Water clarity continued to increase, largely due to particle filtering by quagga mussels, which have largely replaced zebra mussels in Lake Michigan. Kelly will also discuss the recent lowering of lake levels and the prognosis for 2013.

Hope to see you there!



Thursday, December 6, 2012

Tuesday, December 4, 2012

Wednesday, November 28, 2012

The Great Environmental Crisis No One Talks About

The Great Environmental Crisis No One Talks About


By George Monbiot, Monbiot.com
Used by permission.  Guardian Unlimited www.guardian.co.uk and www.monbiot.com
26 November 12

The young people we might have expected to lead the defense of nature have less and less to do with it.

One woe doth tread upon another's heel, So fast they follow". That radical green pressure group PriceWaterhouseCoopers warns that even if the current rate of global decarbonisation were to double, we would still be on course for six degrees of warming by the end of the century. Confining the rise to two degrees requires a sixfold reduction in carbon intensity: far beyond the scope of current policies.

A new report shows that the UK has lost 20% of its breeding birds since 1966: once-common species such as willow tits, lesser spotted woodpeckers and turtle doves have all but collapsed; even house sparrows have fallen by two-thirds. Ash dieback is just one of many terrifying plant diseases, mostly spread by trade. They now threaten our oaks, pines and chestnuts.

So where are the marches, the occupations, the urgent demands for change? While the surveys show that the great majority would like to see the living planet protected, few are prepared to take action. This, I think, reflects a second environmental crisis: the removal of children from the natural world. The young people we might have expected to lead the defence of nature have less and less to do with it.

We don't have to disparage the indoor world, which has its own rich ecosystem, to lament children's disconnection from the outdoor world. But the experiences the two spheres offer are entirely different. There is no substitute for what takes place outdoors; not least because the greatest joys of nature are unscripted. The thought that most of our children will never swim among phosphorescent plankton at night, will never be startled by a salmon leaping, a dolphin breaching, the stoop of a peregrine, the rustle of a grass snake is almost as sad as the thought that their children might not have the opportunity.

The remarkable collapse of children's engagement with nature - which is even faster than the collapse of the natural world - is recorded in Richard Louv's book Last Child in the Woods, and in a report published recently by the National Trust. Since the 1970s the area in which children may roam without supervision has decreased by almost 90%. In one generation the proportion of children regularly playing in wild places in the UK has fallen from over half to fewer than one in ten. In the US, in just six years (1997-2003) children with particular outdoor hobbies fell by half. Eleven to 15 year-olds in Britain now spend, on average, half their waking day in front of a screen.

There are several reasons for this collapse: parents' irrational fear of strangers and rational fear of traffic, the destruction of the fortifying commons where previous generations played, the quality of indoor entertainment, the structuring of children's time, the criminalisation of natural play. The great indoors, as a result, has become a far more dangerous place than the diminished world beyond.

The rise of obesity, rickets and asthma and the decline in cardio-respiratory fitness are well-documented. Louv also links the indoor life to an increase in attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and other mental ill-health. Research conducted at the University of Illinois suggests that playing among trees and grass is associated with a marked reduction in indications of ADHD, while playing indoors or on tarmac appears to increase them. The disorder, Louv suggests, "may be a set of symptoms aggravated by lack of exposure to nature". Perhaps it's the environment, not the child, that has gone wrong.

In her famous essay The Ecology of Imagination in Childhood, Edith Cobb proposed that contact with nature stimulates creativity. Reviewing the biographies of 300 "geniuses", she exposed a common theme: intense experiences of the natural world in the middle age of childhood (between 5 and 12). Animals and plants, she contended, are among "the figures of speech in the rhetoric of play ... which the genius in particular of later life seems to recall."

Studies in several nations show that children's games are more creative in green places than in concrete playgrounds. Natural spaces encourage fantasy and roleplay, reasoning and observation. The social standing of children there depends less on physical dominance, more on inventiveness and language skills. Perhaps forcing children to study so much, rather than running wild in the woods and fields, is counter-productive.

And here we meet the other great loss. Most of those I know who fight for nature are people who spent their childhoods immersed in it. Without a feel for the texture and function of the natural world, without an intensity of engagement almost impossible in the absence of early experience, people will not devote their lives to its protection. The fact that at least half the articles on ash dieback disease in the newspapers have been illustrated with photos of beeches, sycamores or oaks seems to me to be highly suggestive.

Forest schools, Outward Bound, Woodcraft Folk, the John Muir Award, the Campaign for Adventure, Natural Connections, family nature clubs and many others are trying to bring children and the natural world back together again. But all of them are fighting forces which, if they cannot be turned, will strip the living planet of the wonder and delight, of the ecstacy - in the true sense of that word - that for millennia have drawn children into the wilds.



Monday, November 26, 2012

Become an ISEA Volunteer Instructor

Become an Inland Seas Education Association (ISEA) volunteer instructor and help provide students with a unique Schoolship experience! Volunteer instructor training sessions will take place on Wednesday evenings from 5:30-8:30pm OR Saturday mornings from 9-12pm at NMC’s Water Studies Institute, GL 112 (715 E Front St, Traverse City, MI). The Wednesday and Saturday sessions will cover the same material and can be attended interchangeably. Each session will have a hands-on component that will provide the opportunity to experience the station!


Saturday January 5th & Wednesday January 9th, 2013: Introduction to ISEA’s Schoolship Program: Safety and the Basics

Come learn about the responsibilities of volunteer instructors, and get an introduction to our various education programs. You will also explore topics including the formation of the Great Lakes, physical and chemical characteristics of the lakes, current threats to the Great Lakes ecosystem, and challenges facing the world’s freshwater supply.

Sat January 12th & Wed 16th, 2013: Weather and Limnology Station

What is a Van Dorn bottle? In this session you will learn how students collect samples of fish, water, plankton, and benthos aboard the Schoolship. You will also learn how to collect weather data by measuring wind speed and direction, visibility, cloud types, air and water temperature, and water clarity.

Sat January 19th & Wed January 23rd, 2013: Benthos and Fish

What actually lives at the bottom of the bay? Why are fish an important part of the ecology and economy of the Great Lakes? In this session you will learn how to identify sediment types based on color and texture. You will also learn how to identify bottom-dwelling (benthic) organisms and how these organisms play an important role as nutrient recyclers in the lake. You will also learn how to identify fish and will be introduced to the life history, ecology, and economic importance of fish in this region.

Sat January 26th & Wed January 30th, 2013: Plankton and Water Chemistry

What are plankton and where are they found? How are organisms affected by water quality? In this session you will learn how to identify live zooplankton using our micro-video system and discuss the vital role plankton play in the aquatic food web. You will also learn how to measure pH and dissolved oxygen and discover what levels are considered healthy for aquatic organisms. We will also discuss the thermal structure of the lake and how this structure adapts to each season.

Sat February 2nd & Wed February 6th, 2013: Seamanship and Stewardship

How does a boat float and what makes it move? What is stewardship and what does it mean to me? In this session you will learn about buoyancy, mechanical advantage, the simple physics of sailing and about schooners and their importance in the maritime history of Grand Traverse Bay. You will also learn how it is possible to become stewards of the Great Lakes in your everyday lives. We will discuss stewardship ideas and how to encourage students to practice stewardship at their home and in their school. 

 One Day Volunteer Training Sessions April 3 and April 16, 2013 from 9:00am-5:00pm

If you were unable to attend the volunteer instructor training course this January, ISEA will be holding intensive one day training classes to prepare you for teaching on the Schoolship. The one day versions will be held at the Inland Seas Education Center in Suttons Bay.   Please contact Emily Shaw, eshaw@schoolship.org or 231.271.3077, if you are interested in the training sessions so that materials can be provided. You are not required to attend every session, but are encouraged to participate in the sessions you are interested in teaching.

Wednesday, November 21, 2012

Taking advantage of the mild November weather

The ship's crew (Capt. Ben Hale, Tim Davis and Bob Hagerman) have been taking advantage of the mild weather lately, getting the spars refinished and covering our small boat fleet ahead of the winter snows.

Today we moved the life raft (technically an inflatable buoyant apparatus) to the Traverse Tall Ship Co. for shipping to Duluth for its annual inspection.

Spars after refinishing (an annual task).  Note the lack of snow.

Happy Thanksgiving....Capt. Tom

Thursday, November 8, 2012

Schooner Inland Seas Ready for the Winter

With all systems laid up and the cover in place, Inland Seas is ready for winter.  We will be busy all winter with maintenance items, but hopefully we will get through the coming snow and ice and be ready for spring, our 25th season!
Winter cover in place. 

Inside the whale.

When the sun shines it can be quite pleasant inside, even in mid-winter.
Nice job on the lay-up and cover, Capt. Ben, Bob and Capt. Jan.    ---Tom K.

Tuesday, November 6, 2012

We Remember....Mariner's Memorial Service, November 9, 2012

TRAVERSE CITY – The community is invited to attend the 37th annual Mariners Memorial Service at noon Friday, November 9 in the courtyard of the Great Lakes Maritime Academy at NMC's Great Lakes Campus.

The memorial service is held to remember and honor mariners who have perished on the Great Lakes and oceans and is sponsored by the Student Propeller Club, Port 150, of the Great Lakes Maritime Academy.

The Great Lakes Campus is located at 715 E. Front Street, at Barlow Avenue (next to the Holiday Inn) in Traverse City. Guests are invited to enter through the glass exhibition hall and proceed into the outdoor courtyard on the north side (harbor side) of the Academy.

Refreshments will be served following the service. For more information, call the Great Lakes Maritime Academy at (231) 995-1200.

For more information contact John Berck, Great Lakes Maritime Academy, jberck@nmc.edu, (231) 995-1200.

For a look at the weather during the November 10, 1975 storm, click here.   

River and Stream Restoration Featured in ISEA Great Lakes Seminar on Wednesday

Dr. Ashley Moerke, Associate Professor of Biology and Co-Director of the Aquatic Research Laboratory at Lake Superior State University, Sault Sainte Marie, MI., will be speaking about the potential benefits and ramifications of restoring stream connectivity. Dr. Moerke will introduce the extent of stream and river fragmentation and the more recent trends towards the restoration of connectivity of flow, nutrients, and aquatic organisms. She will then discuss the possible benefits, such as returning free-flowing conditions, and ecological costs, including allowing non-natives to colonize upstream habitat, of restoring stream connectivity. Finally, Dr. Moerke will highlight her research investigating the effects of non-native salmon on Great Lakes tributaries during their spawning runs.

The seminar will be held at the Inland Seas Education Center in Suttons Bay on Wednesday November 7th at 7pm. This event is free and open to the public. For information call 231-271-3077.

By the way, LSSU's Aquatic Research Laboratory has a great "fish cam" in the St. Mary's River. 


Sault Edison Powerhouse, home of the LSSU Aquatic Research Laboratory
St. Marys River in background.

We Remember Bounty


Bounty on Lake Michigan, August 2010.  Photo by Inland Seas' Mate, Allen Wolfe


Tuesday, October 30, 2012

How Has the Current Storm Influenced Water Levels?

To find out, go to the NOAA Lake Michigan Water Level Displacement web page.  Note the difference between Chicago and the north shore of Lake Michigan, and then the less extreme but still significant level changes in Grand Traverse Bay and Green Bay. Click on the Animation Button to see the action over time.  Subtract 5 hours from GMT to get local (EDT) time. Graphics for the other Great Lakes are also available. Thanks, NOAA.  Very Cool.

Monday, October 22, 2012

Inland Seas Heads to Winter Berth in Traverse City

Today we motored Inland Seas to Greilickville (Traverse City) and the Center Point Building dock, our winter berth.  The crew consisted of captains Tom Kelly and Ben Hale, Bob Hagerman and guest crew Bill Pierce.  We were joined in Traverse City by former crew member Don Gorski, who helped us shift the boat from the Harbor West fuel dock to the winter berth.  We had a perfect day for the trip, with light wind and smooth seas.

We were greeted warmly at the Center Point Building by owner Dave Mathia, so that made us feel much better.  We greatly appreciate the hospitality of Dave Mathia and the Center Point folks who have provided our winter dockage for many years.  Thanks also to Dave Conrad of Bay Breeze Yacht Charters for his assistance this morning.  It is this type of community support that makes Inland Seas Education Association possible.

Bill Pierce at the the helm.  Note the winter cover frame in place. 

R-4 bell buoy off Lee Point with gull supervisor.
With best regards, Capt. Tom

Thursday, October 11, 2012

Pathfinder First Graders Visit Inland Seas

Never-before seen teamwork at the bilge pump!

Happy Future Naval Architects
We hosted a group of Lynn Pavlov's first graders on Wednesday from Pathfinder School.  They came to learn about ship design and construction before setting out to build a cardboard boat in their classroom.  We showed them our strip cedar canoe, a sailing pram and the motor whaleboat before guiding them on a tour of the schooner.   Operating the big Edson bilge pump was a high point of the tour.  Thanks for visiting, and we look forward to sailing with you when you are 6th graders.  ---Capt. Tom K.

Wednesday, October 10, 2012

Final Windy Day of the 2012 Schoolship Season

With 30 students from Kalkaska Middle School, we headed into Suttons Bay for the final Schoolship trip of the season. The otter trawl yielded a diverse catch of fishes, including 5 brook stickleback, 18 rock bass, 7 round goby, 14 spottail shiner and 4 white sucker. Note that the round goby was not the dominate species caught.  This has been a trend this year, as some of the native species seem to be making a come-back. 

At the limnology station, students found the surface water temperature to be 60 deg F. The same temperature was found at the bottom, 64 feet deep.  Air temperature was 47 deg F. At least it was sunny.

When we anchored on the sampling station the wind was SW at 9 knots.  By the time we hove up the anchor the wind had increased to SSW 15 with higher gusts.  We set the main, fore and stays'l.  The wind inceased steadily to the low 20's with gusts to 25.  We lowered the fores'l which decreased the angle of heel and made the ride a lot better for science work.

Kalkaska MS students at the wheel.  ISEA Board President and Volunteer Instructor Larry Garber is on the left.

Lead Instructor Thom Yokum pauses for a moment after we have shortened sail to main & stays'l.
 When we landed back at Suttons Bay, we said good-bye to our Kalkaska students and their teacher.  We were a little sad that the season was over, but looking at the weather forecast we were glad that we had no more schools booked this year.  Time to think about down-rigging and putting the ship into winter lay-up.  This process will take several weeks.  We will be back in our usual winter berth at the Center Point dock in Traverse City later this month.

The students have departed, and the final group of Volunteer Instructors and the crew pose for last photo.


By Tuesday afternoon Capt. Ben and Bob Hagerman had remove all the sails.

The total student count for 2012 was 4,256.  The total since our founding in 1989 is now 94,690!  This number includes adult students and participating teachers.
--Capt. Tom

Friday, October 5, 2012

Ex-Navy Motor Whaleboat Donated to ISEA

ISEA recently received a 26' ex-Navy Motor Whaleboat #26MW6843 as a donation from Susan Brown of Williamsburg.  The boat was previously owned by Gordie Brown, who passed away this past spring.  The Brown's have been long-term members of ISEA, and Gordie was a Schoolship Volunteer Instructor in years past.

Our Motor Whaleboat after Arrival at ISEA

Yanmar 3-Cylinder Diesel (not original), but it Runs Fine.

Room for 20 or so.  Very Stout Construction.
We intend to restore the whaleboat to Navy colors and use the boat for educational tours of Suttons Bay and perhaps other ports in the area.  Because the boat is trailerable, there is also the posssiblility to do programs on inland waters such as Lake Leelanau and the Chain of Lakes.

There is a great deal of work to be done on the whaleboat this winter, so if you would like to help, or if you are a Navy veteran with an interest in this project, please contact Chuck Dickerson, ISEA's Boat Shop Lead Instructor, at 231-271-3977.  We will need about $5,000 to complete the restortation and we are seeking donations to help with this.  Check out the Wish List by clicking here.
--Capt. Tom

News from the Schoolship

This is our final week of Schoolship Programs for the 2012 season (our 24th).  On Monday we hosted North Central Academy (Mancelona) and Prevail Academy (Mt. Clemens).  Both of these schools were provided with full tuition scholarships with funds granted to ISEA from the Herbert and Grace Dow Foundation.  The Edmund & Virginia Ball Foundation provided matching scholarships to these and 22 other classes this fall.  The matching scholarships allow us to keep school fees low (about 1/3 of the actual cost).

Clouds and sun created a beautiful light on the hills of Suttons Bay

Ben brings the trawl aboard


Kalkaska Middle School brought three classes this week, and a forth was scheduled this Friday (today) but it was moved to Monday Oct. 9 due to gale winds being forecast for today.  The Oct. 9 class with Kalkaska will be our final program of the year.


Nancy leads the Fish Station

North Central students at the wheel
 
Education Coordinator Emily Shaw teaching the Benthos Station
 
It has been a great year, with 4,000 students and trips to Escanaba, Beaver Island, St. Ignace, Sault Ste. Marie, Harbor Springs, Petoskey, Charlevoix, Traverse City and Frankfort.
---Capt. Tom

Thursday, October 4, 2012

Asian Carp Seminar Coming to Suttons Bay


Suttons Bay, MI – On Tuesday, October 9th, The Inland Seas Education Association’s will present Mark Breederland of Michigan Sea Grant in Traverse City, Michigan. Mr. Breederland will provide an update on the potential for invasion of Asian Carp in our Great Lakes.

The threat of Asian Carp to the Great Lakes has gained a great deal of media attention in recent years. Advances in monitoring techniques have allowed researchers to detect Asian Carp using species specific DNA. This talk will highlight the findings of recent detection work, including Lake Erie, discuss different views regarding the ability of Asian Carp to become established in the Great Lakes and their tributaries, and will review state and federal actions to mitigate future threats of introduction.

You will also be able to see the new Asian Carp Exhibit at the Inland Seas Education Center and test your knowledge of Asian carp biology. This exhibit was funded by a grant from the Grand Travere Band of Ottawa

The seminar will be held at the Inland Seas Education Center in Suttons Bay on Tuesday October 9th at 7pm. This event is free and open to the public. For information call 231-271-3077.

Freshwater Summit in Traverse City, October 26

The Freshwater Summit will be held on Friday, Oct. 26 from 9 a.m-4 p.m. at the Hagerty Center, 715 E. Front St. in Traverse City.

Preregistering is strongly encouraged, as the Summit usually sells out. Walk-ins cannot be guaranteed.
The registration deadline for the fifth annual Freshwater Summit is Tuesday, Oct. 16. Click here to register online. The cost is $30, which includes lunch.


If you cannot register online and want to pay by credit card, call Denise Baker at 231~935~1514 ext. 4. If you prefer to pay by check, mail a check payable to the Watershed Center, postmarked by Oct. 15, to 13272 S. West Bay Shore Dr., Traverse City, 49684.

This year’s theme is Our Changing Great Lakes. Highlights include:

•Dave Ulrich, Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Cities Initiative~Change the Great Lakes for the Better

•Ralph Bednarz, Michigan DEQ~Lakes Assessment Survey•Guy Meadows, Ph.D., Great Lakes Research Center~Secrets Beneath Lake Huron

•Dr. Dave Hyndman, MSU~Grand Traverse Bay Watershed Climate Change

•Matt Herbert, The Nature Conservancy and Randy Claramunt, MDNR~Restoring Critical Fish Spawning Reefs

You’ll also learn about Boardman River dam removals, inland lake fish shelters, Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary, clean boating and more!

You can download a complete agenda soon. Agendas will also be distributed at the Summit. Please note that agenda may be subject to change.

If your lake association is a member of the Network of Lake Associations, you can send two representatives free, but you must register all names by October 16 with Denise Baker at dbaker@gtbay.org.

If your organization or business would like to have a booth, please contact Denise Baker at dbaker@gtbay.org by October 16. Non-profit booths are $50, and business booths are $200. You must pay an additional $30 for lunch for each person staffing your booth.

The Freshwater Summit is generously sponsored by AMEC, Cambria Suites and Great Lakes Environmental Center.

The Freshwater Summit is co-hosted by the Watershed Center, NMC Water Studies Institute, Michigan Sea Grant, The Nature Conservancy, Conservation Resource Alliance, Grand Traverse Conservation District, Inland Seas Education Association, Network of Lake Associations, Rotary Water Committee and Tip of the Mitt Watershed Council.



Tuesday, September 18, 2012

Willow Hill 5th Graders Brave the Elements

Today we sailed with Willow Hill (Traverse City) 5th graders.  We had strong north winds (gusts to 25 knots), and waves 2' - 3' or more. We also had occasional rain showers to add to the mix. But our student scientists rose to the occasion, and completed all their sampling and analysis as we sailed the rolling waves.  Well done!

Sailing under reefed main & fore and stays'l.


Paige and Josh at the helm.

Yea, we made it!

We are looking forward to sailing with more Willow Hill students later this week. --Capt. Tom

Monday, September 3, 2012

Final 2012 Astronomy Sail

The final Astronomy Sail of the year provided our 21 guests great viewing of the stars and the full moon, plus great sailing on the moonlit bay.  Check our 2013 sailing schedule in December (posted on the ISEA web site) for next year's Astronomy Sails.  Thanks always to Dick Cookman, our resident Astronomer, for his entertaining and informative presentations.
Just after sunset clouds from a stalled front at the Michigan -  Indiana border were visible to the south.  Fortunately they stayed there so our skies were clear. 

Heading north under power.  We set sail at the north end of  Suttons Bay and  sailed out into  Grand Traverse Bay before heading home under the stars and a rising full moon. 

Happy night-time sailors.  10:20 pm at the dock.

--Capt. Tom Kelly

Monday, August 27, 2012

Automated VHF Radio Check System Installed at ISEC

The Inland Seas Education Center in Suttons Bay is now hosting and automated radio check system for boaters.  This system was installed last week with assistance from Sea Tow.  To use the system, boaters should tune their VHF radio to Channel 28 and say "Radio Check, this is (vessel name)" and then wait for the automated reply.  A successful reply indicates that your radio is transmitting.  Thanks to ISEA volunteer Lee Hepner for installing this system for the benefit of area boaters.  (Note that radio checks are prohibited on Channel 16).

Inland Seas is on her way to Frankfort

Our schooner Inland Seas left Suttons Bay today for Frankfort under the command of captain Ben Hale.  We will be doing programs for the public and the Friends of Betsie Bay and the Benzie Water Council.  Join us for an open house (boat) at Jacobson's Marina on Tuesday evening.  Contact the ISEA office for sailing opportunities in Frankfort.

Young scientists check out the fish catch with Capt. Ben Hale 

We will also be stopping in Leland on the way home on Thursday.  We will have an open house in the evening and a free "Making the Great Lakes Great Sail" on Friday morning.  Call for times and sailing reservations.


Astronomy Sail, Sunday, August 19, 2012

We had another great evening under sail as Dick Cookman guided us through the stars and planets as they appeared in the darkening sky.  Enthusiasts from as far away as Hawaii were aboard to enjoy the beauty of the night aboard Inland Seas.
The setting sun lit up the few remaining clouds as we  left the dock in Suttons Bay

10:45 pm and everyone still seems wide awake!


 Join us on Saturday evening, Sept. 1 for our last Astronomy Sail of the season.  Call the ISEA office at 231-271-3077 for reservations.   ---Capt. Tom

Sunday, August 12, 2012

Advanced Invasive Species Field Course, Little Traverse Bay

Harbor Springs Light

Underwater camera follows the core tube to the bottom

Fire & Abandon Ship Drill

Sailing on Little Traverse Bay

Fairwell Photo
On the last day of the course we sampled in Little Traverse Bay and enjoyed some nice sailing.  The crew agreed that this was the best group of teachers we had ever worked with.  We will miss you.  --Capt. Tom

Advanced Invasive Species Field Course - St. Helena Is. to Harbor Springs

After we sampled near St. Helena Island, we hoisted all six sails and sailed and motorsailed along the coast to Harbor Springs.  We tied up at Irish Boat Shop (thanks for the hospitality!) and everyone enjoyed a bit of civilization and the hot showers.
Monie checks out the plankton sample

Bottom sample of sandy mud, small stones, mussels

Wing & Wing to Harbor Springs

At Irish Boat Shop, Harbor Springs