LSSU Oceanography Days 4 & 5

On July 26th we sailed from Beaver Island to St. Helena Island.  At one point in the trip we could see 5 lighthouses: Gray's Reef, White Shoal, Isle aux Galets, Waugoshance Point and St. Helena.  We had a nice tour of the St. Helena Light station and smores on the beach at night.  The students had to take their final exam on the Island (how many students can say they took an Oceanography exam on an island?).

Coring tube coming aboard

Gray's Reef Light

St. Helena Light

Approaching Big Mac

LSSU Oceanography Class at St. Ignace.  ISEA crew is to the left.

On Friday we tacked against an east wind up the Straits of Mackinac, passed under the bridge and sailed into St. Ignace.  We had a great time with the students and Dr. Derek Wright of Lake Superior State University. 

--Capt. Tom

LSSU Oceanography - Day 3 Continued

After lunch we walked to the Maritime Museum, and later were picked up by CMU Biological Station van and taken to the Station for a tour.  Thanks to Dr. Don Uzarski and John Gordan and the other CMU staff for the great tour. We also got to tour the CMU Boat House (former USCG boat station at Whiskey Point).  Really cool place.  I want one just like it.

Rain and thunderstorms all day.  Many Mackinac racers came in during the afternoon.  It was really nasty outside. 





Maritime Museum

Kahlemberg Crude Oil engine in fish tug Bob S

In pilot house of Bob S

Better left un-titled

Making friends with a green snake at CMU Biological Station

New Meso-cosm at CMU Boat House

CMU Boat House

Boat House

--Capt. Tom

LSSU Oceanography, Day 3 - Beaver Island

Studenets counting & measuring fish.  Prof. Wright to left.

We are in port today, avoiding some nasty weather on the lake.  Students are working up yesterday's data and examining our fish trap catch (above).  Later today we will go to the Marine Museum. 
--Capt. Tom

Thanks for a Great Year at Inland Seas

A Great Thank You to all those who volunteered, donated goods and services, and contributed funds to Inland Seas during 2011.  We had a great year which included sailing with our 90,000th student.  We are already planning a great 2012, and I hope you will have a chance to sail and learn with us in the coming year.

Inland Seas at the Schooner Festival, September 2011.  Linde photo.

Leaving St. James, Beaver Island,  last year.  F. Solle photo.

Hauling up the trawl.

Happy sailer/scientists, despite the rain.

If you would like to make a year-end donation to help ISEA in its work of Great Lakes Education, just click here and the rest is easy.  And many thanks!

Happy New Year,
Capt. Tom and the Crew at ISEA

This Week Aboard Inland Seas...

This week aboard Inland Seas we hosted the Lake Superior State Univesity Oceanography classs taught by Prof. Derek Wright.  We sailed from St. Ignace on Monday and after trawling and doing a limnology station off St. Ignace,we headed under the Mackinac Bridge for Beaver Island.  We spent two days a St. James, sampling on the east side of the island and at the harbor mouth. 

We waited out a blow (as usual) and left on Wednesday afternoon. We had smooth downwind sailing until we got out of the lee of the island.  Then big swells refracting around the island met us on the beam, producing a lot of rolling.  This lasted about an hour until we got clear of the island's effects and the waves were coming up on our quarter, which made life aboard much easier.  We arrived at Northport at sunset.  Everyone was ready for a shower and a walk ashore.

Today was our big sampling day, with trawls at Hall Bay and Omena, and limnoloy stations at Northport Point, Omeana,  and Lee Point (405 ft.).  We arrived at Power Island in time for a cook out ashore, followed by a hike up to the Eagle's Nest overlook. 

We are anchored tonight at Bowers Harbor.  On my 4 - 5 am watch I heard owls hooting, saw several meteors, satellites, the moons of Jupiter, and millions of stars.

Gray's Reef Light

Eric and Tom Kastle at the helm

Alex and PONAR Dredge

Dr. Wright

Anchored at Power Island

Titrations continued late into the evening

Comment from Prof. Wright: "My students learned more in the first morning aboard than in a semester of class work".

-Capt. Tom

Inland Seas at St. James, Beaver Island

Inland Seas docked at Fogg Towing in St. James last week. We were on a 4-day trip with Lake Superior State University (Archeology Field Studies). Thanks to Matt Fogg for hosting us at his facility. His beautiful tug Wendy Anne is in the foreground. More photos of this trip to come. --Capt. Tom