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 

Launch and Transit to Suttons Bay, May 1, 2014

Launch at Northport Bay Boatyard

Hull reflection - note ice in well

On our way home

We disassembled the cover frame enroute

Heavy ice off Omena Point

Near Omena Point

Open water ahead...somewhere

We made it home safely after a 3 hour passage.  One hour longer than usual.  --Capt. Tom

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.

Antique Pulling Boat Donated to ISEA

This 15'3" pulling boat was donated to ISEA by Michael O'Donnell.  The boat was built by Dan Kidney & Sons in West Depere, WI.  It is believed the boat was built before WWII. 

This boat will be on display at the Inland Seas Education Center this winter. 

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 

Christine Crissman will be the next Executive Director at The Watershed Center

Congratulations, Christine!

Christine aboard Inland Seas

Christine Crissman has been named the new executive director of the Watershed Center Grand Traverse Bay. She most recently served as director of education and conservation at the Grand Traverse Conservation District. Prior to that, she was education director and chief scientist at the Inland Seas Education Association.

Her first day on the job is November 13. She replaces Andy Knott, who left the organization in September to work for the Sierra Club in St. Louis, Mo. 

The Watershed Center has done amazing work in Suttons Bay this summer, installing a state-of-the-art stormwater management system. Read more about this by clicking here.

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