Photo of Inland Seas on Cover of Technical Journal

The Winter 2012 edition of the American Boat and Yacht Council (ABYC) technical journal Reference Point features a sunrise photo of Inland Seas at her dock in Suttons Bay.  The photo was taken by Tom Kelly about 6 am on a quiet October morning.  ABYC is a professional organization made up of boat manufacturers, designers and dealers.  They publish the Standards for boat manufacturing, used throughout the industry, and have extensive professional training programs for industry professionals. 

Inland Seas at Strictly Sail Chicago

If you are a sailor and in Chicago this weekend, check out Stictly Sail Chicago at Navy Pier. ISEA is sharing a booth with Maritime Heritage Alliance, thanks to our mutual friend Rorke Miller.  We could not send any ISEA staff, but our display and literature, including the summer sailing schedule, will be there.  --T. Kelly

Asian Carp Exhibit Under Construction

ISEA will soon have a new exhibit in its Great Lakes Invaders series. The Asian Carp exhibit, funded by a grant from the Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa & Chippewa Indians, will be completed in February.

Our Exhibit Design Consultants Angela and Erik Saxon work with ISEA's Emily Shaw on the Exhibit Content

ISEA Volunteer Ken Cerny installs the Exhibit Table (Donated by Strata Design)

Table and Back Panel in Place

Asian Carp (Bighead and Silver) Models Ready for Wall Mounting

For the latest information on the Asian carp and efforts to keep them out of the Great Lakes click on the following two links: http://asiancarp.us/ and http://www.glmris.anl.gov/

Crew Training - Critical Decisions 2012

Last evening the crews from Madeline, Welcome, Champion, Manitou and Inland Seas gathered at the Center Point building in Traverse City to discuss and analyze several boating accidents that occurred to three different vessels (WingNuts, Rambler100 and Concordia).  There were 26 people in attendance including representatives from the U. S. Coast Guard and the National Weather Service.

Justin Arnott of the National Weather Service in Gaylord explains the July 17, 2011 storm that blasted the Mackinac Race.

Steve Wetherbee of Northport takes the mystery out of vessel stability calculations



Thanks to the presenters Justin Arnott (NWS), Andy Sullivan (NWS) and Steve Wetherbee, and to Center Point for providing the conference room. 

Follow-up recommended reading:  Seamanship, The Forgotten Factor by C. A. Marchaj and Tall Ships Down by D. S. Parrot 

Here are my Lessons Learned from the 2011 Capsizings:

1. Inventory all deck openings and means of closing

2. Develop checklist for post-lightning strike (click to see check list)

3. Add 3 HH VHF radios to ship: 1 in forward scuttle for bow crew, 1 for rescue boat (kept in boat),
1 for amidships- kept near 1st aid boxes

4. Add squall drill to crew training exercises (goal it to minimize time to lower sail in an emergency).

5. Review IS stability information with all captains and mates. Add stability section to IS Operations Manual.

6. Review weather information sources & interpretation with captains and mates.

7. Review location of all lifesaving gear for easy access in event of knockdown. Drill crew on gear locations (find blindfolded).

8. Add to Standing Orders: “In unsettled (squally) weather conditions, the first washboard will be fitted to each companionway to the weather deck”. Also “Keep ports closed and dogged”.

9. Add to Standing Orders: “Night operations: All deck crew shall have a handheld VHF radio, light, harness snapped into jackline, knife and whistle”.

10. Post Vessel Information Sheet by telephone in ship’s office ashore and at home. (Staple to Emergency Communications List)

11. Inspect all harnesses and replace any that do not have quick release snap shackles on one end.

Check back for additional info later. Leave comments in the box below.  Thanks, Tom Kelly

Sturgeon Feeding Frenzy

Here are ISEA's five little lake sturgeon feeding on bloodworms and mysis shrimps. 

Learn more about efforts to rehabilitate Lake Michigan's lake sturgeon populations on February 14 when Marty Holtgren of the Little River Band of Ottawa Indians presents "Sturgeon Research in the Great Lakes and Planning for their Future" at the next ISEA Great Lakes Seminar.

Tuesday February 14

7pm

Inland Seas Education Center, Suttons Bay

Free and Open to the Public

This Week at ISEA

Monday Morning 1-9-2011 at ISEA



This Week at ISEA:

Tueday 1-10-12: ISEA Great Lakes Seminar on Climate Change and Great Lakes Water Levels.  7pm at the Education Center in Suttons Bay.  Free.

Wednesday 1-11-12: Great Lake Association of Science Ships meeting, Traverse City. 

Wednesday 1-11-12: ISEA Volunteer Instructor Training Class #2.  Free.  Call ISEA to register.

Thursday 1-13-12: Great Lakes Captain's Meeting, Traverse City.

Friday: 1-14-12: Great Lakes Captain's Meeting, Travrese City.

Friday: 1-14-12:  "Handy Billy" a great Maritime band will be performing live at Horizon Books on Friday, Jan. 13 at 8:30 pm - 10:30 pm. Come on down and plan to tap your toes, clap your hands, and join a sing-a-long or two.  Check out Handy Billy on Facebook. 

Next ISEA Great Lakes Seminar to Feature Climate Change and Lake Levels

Global Climate Change and the Changing Great Lakes Levels - Presented by Drew Gronewold

Remember last January?

Suttons Bay, MI – The Inland Seas Education Association will present a seminar focusing on the changing Great Lakes levels and Global Climate Change at 7:00pm on Tuesday, January 10th, at the Inland Seas Education Center in Suttons Bay. The program will be presented by Drew Gronewold, Hydrologist and Physical Scientist with NOAA's Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory in Ann Arbor. This seminar is FREE and OPEN TO THE PUBLIC.

NOAA, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, is a federal agency focused on the condition of the oceans and the atmosphere. Groewold will be speaking about his research in the field as well as the implications from human activities.

A little bit about Drew Gronewold:
Education:
Ph.D., Duke University, Environmental Science and Policy, 2008
B.S., Cornell University, Civil and Environmental Engineering, 1995

Research Interests:
Hydrological and water quality modeling with a focus on propagating uncertainty and variability into model-based management decisions. Specific research areas include predicting runoff in ungauged basins, recreational water quality dynamics in Great Lakes Beaches, and incorporating probability theory and Bayesian statistics into watershed-scale forecasting models.

For further information contact the Inland Seas Education Association at (231) 271-3077 or on the web at http://www.schoolship.org/.

2012 Volunteer Instructor Class #1, January 4th

ISEA Education Coordinator Emily Shaw leading the first session of the Volunteer Instructor Class

This first class of the Volunteer Instructor Class was an orientation to the organization and an overview of the shipboard education program.  We had 30 people in attendance, of which about half were new volunteers and half were veterans. 

If you would like to help to teach on the Schoolship this year, it is not too late to join us.  Our 12 week class meets every Wednesday evening from 6:30 to 8:30 pm at Room 112, Great Lakes Campus of NMC.  Call Emily at the ISEA office to register 231-271-3077.  The complete class schedule is available by clicking here.