Inland Seas Fit-Out Continues March 28, 2012

Today we finished preping the main deck and applied a coat of non-skid paint to the deck.  The engine room was also cleaned and some rusty areas in the galley bilge treated with rust converter.  The high temperature today was 48 degrees, barely enough for painting. Tomorrow we will reinstall the shaft seal and connect the shaft to the transmission. Then the drive train will be ready for launch.  Hopefully the weather will cooporate for some additional painting.   -Capt. Tom

Bob using his detail sander to get into the waterways.

Ben sucking up the sanding dust.

Allen applying masking tape.  This takes longer than the painting.

Bob cutting in around the deck fittings.

Ben rolling on the deck paint.  Ahhh.....

Photos taken aboard Inland Seas on the hard at Northport Bay Boat Yard, Northport, MI.

Inland Seas Fit-Out Continues March 27, 2012

This is what we saw this morning...freezing spray on the electrical pedestal.  It was 45 degrees warmer last week!

Jan sanding the house sides yesterday.

Bob using the head gun to lift old paint off the deck.

With the rudder back in place, Ben reconnected the tiller arm to the rudder shaft. 

Our John Deere with fresh belts (4), some new hoses and wiring.

Tomorrow we hope to paint the decks (if it is warm enough) and connect the shaft to the transmission after installing a new part in the Lasdrop shaft seal.   ---Tom Kelly

Lamprey for Lunch?!

This just in from our friend Carol de Montrichard...

This is the lamprey season in France and the center is offering several all day classes about cooking the eel (lamprey). If any of your members are interested they can contact me at: whatscookinginfrance@gmail.com or taking a look at my web site: http://www.whatscookinginfrance.com/

I organise culinary and wine tours in the Bordeaux area where lamprey is considered to be an expensive speciality ! ...but my guests rarely cook lamprey as it is a very seasonal and can be found only in March and April...but it's well worth the trip.

Again, congratulations on your work for the Great Lakes and as they say among French sailors: Bon Vent for all your projects !

bien amicalement,

Carol


LAMPREY EEL

1 live lamprey eel
8 good size leeks
2 liter of wine (Médoc, St Emilion or Grave)
1 large onion
2 cloves
2 garlic cloves
4 table spoons of flour
Thyme, bay and all spice
1 to 2 chocolate squares
3 shallots
2 slices of thinly slices air dried salted ham (jambon de Bayonne)
1 t of Armagnac (french grape brandy)

preparation time 180 min
cooking time 180 min

A day or two before, clean the leeks keeping only the white parts. Cut into 3 inch lengths.Sauté in half butter, half oil. Sprinkle with flour and let brown lightly. Add 1 liter of good wine (Medoc, St Emilion or Graves). Add large onion with the 2 cloves stuck into it., 2 cloves of garlic, a pinch of all spice, a small bunch of thyme, a few bay leaves, salt, pepper and a square of chocolate. Let it reduce for a minimum of 2 hours. Simmer again the next day until the leeks have been completely melted.

Suspend the live lamprey by the head with an S hook from a chain over a pot containing a glass of the wine that was used in the sauce. This will prevent the blood from coagulating. Make a cut in the tail. Keep the eel from moving as the blood runs free (about 1H-1H30). Let it completely drain out (about 2 hours).

In a large pot or fish pan boil water and plunge in the eel for several seconds. The skin coating will become white. At time it should be taken out and the skin scraped with a knife. DO NOT PEEL. Slit the lamprey from the head to the anus, then carefully remove the head, the lungs, eggs, etc. and run the body under the faucet to clean it out completely.

Cut the lamprey cross way in slices of about 2 inches and put it to marinate for 2 hours in the blood with an additional ½ liter of the same wine, herbs, salt and pepper and leave it in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours.

Sauté in olive oil the shallots that have been cut up very finely with two slice of « »jambon de Bayonne » (dried salted ham) cut into slivers. Add the pieces of lamprey that have been well drained. And sauté them with strong heat. After they become golden lower the heat and add the Armagnac that you will ignite to burn off the alcohol.

Put the lamprey, shallots and ham and the marinade with the leek sauce and let it cook for 20 minutes. Put it into canning jars (dividing up the eel and leeks into equal amounts) and sterilise in boiling water for 3 hours.

This may be keep for several months or years and be opened and served hot as an appetiser or a main dish accompanied by steamed potatoes.

The dish is served with the same wine as was used for it preparation.

Draining the blood.  Not for the faint-hearted!

See, I'm not making this up.

Thanks, Carol, for this culinary cultural experience. 

So, let me know if you try this.  I think I stick with the chocolate squares and a glass of St. Emilion.  (Since the MDEQ does not list sea lamprey on their fish advisory, proceed at your own risk). --Capt Tom

Inland Seas Fit-Out Days 3 & 4

Work on the schooner continued yesterday and today with help from Allen Wolfe, Jan Hale, Ben Hale and Bob Hagerman.  We got the rudder re-installed (thanks again to Don at NBBY), continued painting, preping the deck for painting, and replacing a water hose in the engine room.

The rudder is back on!  Next is the rebuilt Max-Prop

Ben using a heat gun to lift off old deck paint.

Somewhere under all those hoses is the new one - a challenge to replace. Now we have to replace the hoses and firepump that needed to be moved for access, and replace the alternator which was rebuilt this winter.

More to follow in the days ahead....Capt. Tom

Volunteer Instructor Class Wraps Up 3-21-12

The final review session of the 2012 Volunteer Instructor Class was held last evening at the NMC Water Studies Institute classroom.  Each shipboard teaching station was set up so new instructors could practice their newly aquired knowledge.  Thanks to the veteran instructors who helped teach this and all the sessions this winter.  Thanks also to Emily Shaw, ISEA Educaiton Coordinator, who lead the Volunteer Instructor Class this year. 
There is still an opportunity to teach with ISEA this year.  Attend the all-day intensive class on April 4 and get the preparation you need to teach aboard the Schoolships Inland Seas and Manitou.  Call Emily Shaw at 231-271-3077 for registration information.

Kristin Miller reviews the Benthos Station

Bill Maul leads the Water Chemistry Station

At the break I took this photo of big cumulonimbus off to the east.  The beams of light converging on the Hagerty Center are reflections of the ceiling lights in our classroom.

--Tom K.

Inland Seas Fit Out - Day 2

Today we removed to old stern bearing and fitted the new bearing.  We also put a second coat of anti-fouling on half the bottom and painted the waterline stripe.  I continued work on deck chasing rust spots (rust never sleeps).  A good day with lots accomplished.  Tomorrow we hope to refit the rudder and continue painting.  Thanks to Bob Hagerman, Allen Wolfe, Jan Hale and Ben Hale for great work today.

The old stern bearing (18 years and 5,000 hours of service)

Capt. Ben Hale cutting the old bearing into sections to allow removal.

Bob Hagerman cleaning up the shaft prior to reinstallation.

Reinstalling the shaft into the new bearing.

Done! 

Capt. Wolfe rolling on the 2nd coat of anti-fouling.

Lookinggood!

Capt. Jan Hale taping the waterline prior to painting.

Tomorrow:  Reinstall the rudder, paint the rub rail, prep deck houses for painting.  ---Capt. Tom K.

First Day of Spring Fit-Out

We got a lot accomplished today at Northport Bay Boat Yard.  The crew (all captains!) painted the bottom with anti-fouling paint, and we removed the rudder and propeller shaft in order to replace the stern bearing (tomorrow).  Thanks to Don at NBBY for his help with the fork lift.  That rudder is heavy!  I worked on rust repair in the LPG locker and took off at lunch to talk to the Traverse City Optimist Club (only 32 miles each way).  Also picked up the alternator that was rebuilt by Art's Auto Parts. 

Allen Wolfe and Jan Hale painting the bottom

Allen and Don of NBBY going over the process to remove the rudder.  No room for error.

Ben Hale driving out the final titaniam bolt on the rudder flange.  The rudder is supported by a fork lift (out of the photo frame)

Success.  The shaft has been removed also.  The rudder is in the background.

The 18 year old stern bearing.  We'll find out tomorrow how difficult this will be to remove!

Thanks to Ben, Allen, Jan and Don for all their efforts today.  ---Capt. Tom

Sea Lamprey Seminar Cancelled

Sorry, but due to the speaker's illness, we must reschedule the sea lamprey program scheduled to tonight at ISEC.  I regret any inconvenience this may cause, and I look forward to seeing you at the next program (date to be announced).  -Thanks, Tom Kelly

The Sea Lampreys are Coming!

Great Lakes Seminar at Inland Seas on Tuesday, March 13, 7:00 pm. 

Business end of a Sea Lamprey.  In ISEA's tank last June.

Please join us at the ISEC for a presentation by Michael Wagner, Assistant Professor and PERM Scientist at MSU, about new sea lamprey barrier methods. Check out the link below to see what Michael has been working on.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BxvorkIBbOo

You can visit Dr. Wagner's web site at http://www.fw.msu.edu/~mwagner/