Crew Hoist Training at Coast Guard Air Station Traverse City

This morning Inland Seas' crew got some valuable training from the U. S. Coast Guard on how to handle a helicopter evacuation.  We trained right under the helicopter, which gave us an understanding of the noise and rotor blast that we could expect in an actual rescue. Hopefully we will never need to do this, but now we are much better prepared.

Final Briefing on the Flight Line



Our Dolphin Helicopter, 6527, taking off



Lowering the basket, trail line hanging below.



Our crew pulling in the trail line to guide the basket "on deck"

Our group with 6527 & USCG hanger in background

Our instructor, Lt. Chris Breuer

Thanks to Lt. Breuer, the crew of 6527, and all the USCG staff at Air Station Traverse City for this training.

--Tom Kelly, Master,  INLAND SEAS 

Secrets Under Lake Huron is Great Lakes Seminar Topic

On Monday April 15th at 7pm, the Inland Seas Education Association will host a seminar titled “Secrets Under Lake Huron”. 

ISEA is excited to present Dr. Guy Meadows, the Director of Great Lakes Initiatives at the Great Lakes Research Center, Michigan Technological University . Dr. Meadows will be speaking of his research of the Alpena-Amberley Ridge, an underwater limestone ridge that diagonally crosses Lake Huron. During the period 7,500-10,000 years ago, when lake levels were much lower, this ridge was exposed at the surface. This ridge may have been used by ancient hunters to create a "drive lane" to facilitate hunting of caribou. Dr. Meadows will discuss this underwater discovery and the evidence of early human occupation.

This seminar is free and open to the public. 

Happy Spring

April on the Inland Seas - Tough to bend on the sails in this weather.
Photo: Bob Hagerman

Concrete Canoe Race Comes To Suttons Bay

Due to thick ice in the planned race site at Houghton, the American Society of Civil Engineers Student Concrete Canoe race was held in Suttons Bay on April 7 & 9.  Thanks to Gary Hoensheid for organizing the change in venue, to ISEA's Allen Wolf for driving the safety boat (our schooner's rescue boat) and setting the buoys, SBHS Principal Rittenhouse for providing signs and parking space, and the Village of Suttons Bay for the use of South Shore Park and other help. 

Michigan Tech won the race event and the overall competition.  Nice work MTU!  Click here for complete competition results.

MTU's Mattie Martin and her crew keep the event rolling.  Flexibility is key!

Opps!  U of M's bow broke off upon launch. 

Lawrence Tech's team prepares to launch their boat.  Team work!

The U of M team bringing their wounded boat into ISEA's Boat Shop for emergency repairs.

ISEA's Boat Shop provided a warm and dry place for the U of M team to make repairs.  They were back on the water the next day for the races.



ISEA Captain Allen Wolf and MTU's John setting buoys before the races.  Water temp: 37 degrees.




Many teams had tents.  MTU had a gas fire going!  Smart. 



First race of the day.

MTU's winning boat with female paddlers in the first race.

Everyone had a great time despite the cold.  We hope to see the concrete canoe racers again in Suttons Bay.  I have extended an invitation to for the teams join us on July 20th for the Classic Boat Show.  I promised warmer waters.

--Tom K. 



Pram Class Graduation Day

Today ISEA graduated ten students in its Pram Build and Sail Program.  These young students have been working in the ISEA Boat Shop since February to learn how to safely work with tools, how to work cooperatively, and how to have fun gaining new skills. 

Instructors are recognized for their dedication.  John M., Bill E., Terry S. , Mike C. , Sandy S. & Chuck D.
Not present were Sandy K., Larry W., Toni D., Scott M., & Paul M. 

Graduates with diplomas

Graduates with new life jackets provided by ISEA

Build and Sail graduates will attend TACS sailing school this summer to learn how to sail the boats they built.

Special thanks to Chuck Dickerson for his leadership in this program.

--Tom K. 

First Bloody Red Shrimp Record for Suttons Bay

The first sighting of a bloody red shrimp, Hemimysis anomala, was made today in a sample from an experimental plankton pump, set up to run overnight at the ISEA Schooner Dock in Suttons Bay.  This animal is an invasive species from the Black - Azov - Caspian Sea area of Eurasia.  It likely got to the Great Lakes in the ballast water of ships.  For more on Hemimysis ecology, look at the USGS Nonindigenous Aquatic Species web site.

The plankton pump was in its first overnight test, starting on Friday afternoon, April 5, 2013.  The pump was at 0.84 meters depth on a rocky substrate. Unfortunately the battery did not have enough capacity to run the pump for 24 hours, so the next test will incorporate an inverter or battery charger to keep the battery voltage the same throughout the pumping period.  Despite the failure of this first test to give a quantitative result, we did find what we were looking for, the bloody red shrimp.  This zooplankton has been previously found in Muskegon Lake and Elk Rapids. 

After the plankton pump sampler is perfected we intend to sample a number of harbors in NW Michigan, and we will add this to the sampling gear of the Schoolship Inland Seas to sample ports visited this summer.

Hemimysis collected from Suttons Bay, April 5 - 6, 2013

Hemimysis tail section showing telson

Hemimysis showing characteristic twin spikes on the squared-off telson

More results will be posted on this blog as they become available.

-Thomas M. Kelly - ISEA Executive Director
-Graham P. Kelly - ISEA Student Intern

SB Student Intern Graham Kelly Launches Zooplankton Pump Sampler

ISEA's high school intern Graham Kelly initiated the first test of his zooplankton pump sampler at the ISEA schooner dock today.  The sampler consists of a submersible Rule bilge pump, hose, 153 micron plankton net, and car battery.  This first test will run overnight to determine the effectiveness of this method on night-active zooplankton (knowing that the numbers and species diversity is limited at this time of year).   Graham and his dad will return to the dock tomorrow to collect the sample. 

An earlier test showed that copepods can pass through the device intact. 

Graham with zooplankton pump sampler

Checking flow into net

Car battery, graduated cylinder (used to measure flow rate), volt meter

Pump, hose and net.  Battery is now covered by plastic box. 

We'll publish results as available. 

--Co-Investigator & Dad,   Tom K.