Almost Spring

Looks quiet on the outside, but Capt. Ben has multiple projects underway under the cover.  Sailing soon!

-Capt Tom

The Schoolship in Winter

I visited Inland Seas yesterday but I could not get in as the lock was frozen.  Capt. Ben will come later with a torch!  Otherwise, she is wintering well.

I don't think anyone would want to swim here today.

Inland Seas with her sister Schoolship, Manitou

--Stay warm, Capt. Tom.

ISEA Book Signing, Saturday January 17th, at Horizon Books, Traverse City

Join author Heather Shaw and ISEA Founder Tom Kelly for a book signing at Horizon Books on Saturday January 17th, 2 - 4 pm.  Heather will be signing several of her recent books, including It's OK Not to Share, Uncommon Conservation (the story of the Grass River Natural Area), A Colorful Cast (about Paul Welch and the growth of the arts in Traverse City), and Aboard the Schoolship, the story of ISEA.  Also participating will be artist and instructor Paul Welch.  

Schooner Inland Seas Crew & Instructors at Escanaba this past July

New Book "Aboard the Great Lakes Schoolship" Now Available

Heather Shaw's 96-page book on the history of Inland Seas, titled Aboard the Great Lakes Schoolship  is available at the ISEA office or Horizon Books in Traverse City.  The cost is $16 plus tax.  This book would make a great gift to any friend of ISEA. 

 

Boy Scout Troop 290 - 3 Day Sailing & Science

On September 5 - 7, 14 Boy Scouts and 6 adults sailed with us on Grand Traverse Bay.  Most of these Scouts had never sailed before.  In 3 days they were sailors and scientists! 

Abandon Ship Drill prior to leaving dock

Abandon Ship Drill

Sampling for Micro-Plastics with the Manta Trawl

Manta Trawl coming aboard

Chief Scientist Jeanie with Manta Trawl

Happy Helmsman

Reed's Poster

 

We had a great time with these Scouts.  Hope to sail with you again soon! 

 

-- Capt. Tom & the Crew (Ben Hale, Jim Herman, Jeanie Williams, Allen Wolfe)

Inland Seas at Escanaba, July 2014

Crew Change on Friday, June 27

Young Women in Science students present their research results

Second group research results

Aloft to adjust the fore topmast backstay

Foredeck from aloft

Escanaba Harbor channel

Sand Point Lighthouse

Weathered in at Escanaba Monday & Tuesday

Leaving Escanaba, wind N 20 - 30 kts

Len and Ben Swanton off St. Martin Island

We made it home to Suttons Bay in 8 hours and 10 minutes.  --Capt. Tom

Topmasts Up!

On last Thursday and Friday the crew, lead by Captain Ben Hale, set the topmasts.  This is usually done in April but was delayed this spring by the lingering winter and our busy spring class schedule.

Captain Ben Hale and Deckhand Ben Swanton guide the main topmast into position

 Other News from the Schoolship Inland Seas:

New crew member Jim Herman removes the washdown pump for replacement

We are using a flux-gate compass until our magnetic compass is repaired (damaged in the lightning strike last October)
Thanks to The Traverse Tall Ship Co. for the loan of the KVH flux-gate compass.

The big news was reaching our 100,000th student mark last Tuesday.  

-Capt. Tom 

Gull Island Birding Cruise, June 1, 2014

We had a great day to sail to Gull Island in Grand Traverse Bay.  We were able to observe the herring gull colony, mute swans, cormorants and Caspian terns.  Bill Scharf counted 45 Caspian tern nests, which is good news for this threatened species.  We noted many fewer cormorants this year.

Our thanks to our presenters Jenee Rowe of the Leelanau Conservancy and Bill Scharf, and to the Leelanau Peninsula Birding Festival.

Remains of the house on Gull Island

Close up of the old house foundation and chimneys

Gull Island Sail Participants

Thanks also to all who sailed with us.  Great to have you aboard. --Capt. Tom

More Inland Seas Fit-Out Photos....

NBBY Workers putting on 6 coats of Interlux epoxy primer...

and two coats of red anti-fouling 

Capt. Ben aloft to install the new radar on the main mast

Schoolship Inland Seas Fit-Out Underway at Northport Bay Boat Yard

Lower "skirt" cover added to allow work on the bottom

Inside the lower cover, ready for sand blasting off the old paint

Capt. Ben fairing out a repaired area of the Pilot House roof

Control for the new inverter/charger.  We also replaced a VHF radio, radar, GPS plotter and added an isolation transformer this winter.

More photos from fit-out coming soon.  We hope to launch as soon as we have open water.  The Bay is still completely frozen, except for a few places around the edges. -Capt. Tom

R. M. Young Co. Assists ISEA After Lightning Strike

The R. M. Young Company, based in Traverse City, has replaced the lightning-damaged weather instruments on our schooner Inland Seas.  R. M. Young donated a new Wind Monitor, Wind Tracker display, and repaired the temperature/relative humidity display.

Many thanks to our good friends at R. M. Young Company.  Your continued support of the Inland Seas Education Association will keep us sailing and teaching about the Great Lakes. We use these instruments as part of our education program and to provide information to the National Weather Service.

Tom Kelly
Captain/Founder

Remains of our Wind Monitor after being hit by lightning on October 3rd

Replacement Wind Monitor supplied by the R. M. Young Co.

ISEA Ship Lay-Up Report

All ISEA vessels are in lay-up mode.  Inland Seas is at Northport Marina, ready for haul out next week at Northport Bay Boatyard.  Our whaleboat Lake Sturgeon was hauled out Tuesday (thanks to Bob Joyce & his big truck).  Our Boston Whaler is on its trailer in the parking lot.  We still have lots to do before winter, but we are roughly on schedule (barring a sudden arrival of winter weather). 

If you would like to help get the boats ready for winter, please call the ISEA office at 271-3077. 

ISEA's Boston Whaler workboat



Motor whaleboat coming out for the winter at Suttons Bay



Thanks for visiting....Capt. Tom 

Update from Sleeping Bear Dunes NLS on Waterfowl Mortality

Hello All,

The first real increase in observed mortality for the fall season seems to be underway. AMBLE monitors at SLBE reported Oct.17-18 about 24 red-breasted mergansers, 6 white-winged scoters, and a few cormorants and gulls, one dead loon, and a sick loon reported. These reports from Platte River area to Empire, and Sleeping Bear Point (approx. 15 miles of beach). Yesterday I assisted on Transect 5 (1.8 miles) near N. Bar Lake, where about 18 more mergansers were found, mostly red-breasted (some still out in the heavy surf from our ongoing strong winds), a scoter and a loon were also collected. Preliminary observations this morning at Good Harbor Bay and Glen Haven showed only 1 horned grebe found dead .

As these observations coincide exactly with the timing of heavy loon, scoter, and long-tailed duck losses last year during this week, we will be paying close attention during the next few days. 

In comparison to last year, our annual mortality is way down. We had some anecdotal reports during the shutdown (seems some citizens are ever vigilant) which indicated the continuation of the previous trend of relatively light mortality along the lakeshore, there was fairly light mortality observed during  monitoring trips in Aug. and Sept.of this year on the Manitous, and with these recent additions from mainland transects, we probably still are below 200 total birds (3 loons). Last season end of year total approx.1500 (580 dead, 4 sick loons). Several days of strong winds and waves were a common factor last year and this year during these observed events.

We will keep you informed.

Thanks,

Dan

Dan Ray

Avian Botulism Monitoring Project Lead
Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore
9922 Front Street
Empire, MI 49630    
231 326-5834 x606  
dan_ray@nps.gov

Tonight at Inland Seas: Life Aboard a 19th Century Schooner



Whaleboat Color Tour is a Big Hit with Passengers

The whaleboat Lake Sturgeon was very busy this past weekend, with severn full trips on Friday afternoon and Saturday.  The weather was near perfect, and everyone aboard had a great experience learning about the fall colors and the changing Great Lakes.  Book your trip for this Saturday October 19 by calling the ISEA office at 231-271-3077.

Leaving the dock

Underway

Suttons Bay from the water

Mate Bob Hagerman

Mate Allen Wolfe

Hope to see you again soon on the motor whaleboat Lake Sturgeon. 

Capt. Tom Kelly