Inland Seas Featured in Crusing Grand Traverse Bay Interview

ISEA is featured in a video interview about protecting water quality in Grand Traverse Bay.  Steve Morse, a long-time friend of ISEA, developed this program to inform boaters about the need to protect Grand Traverse Bay's water quality, and the work of two organizations involved with this work, ISEA and the Watershed Center.  Click here to see the video.  You can see Steve's entire program about Grand Traverse Bay from a boater's prospective by clicking here.

Inland Seas at her dock in Suttons Bay  - ISEA Photo

--Capt. Tom

2013 Volunteer Instructor Training to Start this Saturday, January 5th

Inland Seas Education Association's Volunteer Instructor Training Class begins this Saturday at NMC's  Great Lakes Maritime Academy/Water Studies Institute, Traverse City, Room 112, at 9 am.  No prior teaching or science experience is needed.  Sign up now or just show up.  Click here for complete details. 

Schoolship Instructor Nancy Powers Teaching the Fish Station

Inland Seas Underway in Little Travese Bay Last Season.

Become an ISEA Volunteer Instructor

Become an Inland Seas Education Association (ISEA) volunteer instructor and help provide students with a unique Schoolship experience! Volunteer instructor training sessions will take place on Wednesday evenings from 5:30-8:30pm OR Saturday mornings from 9-12pm at NMC’s Water Studies Institute, GL 112 (715 E Front St, Traverse City, MI). The Wednesday and Saturday sessions will cover the same material and can be attended interchangeably. Each session will have a hands-on component that will provide the opportunity to experience the station!

Saturday January 5th & Wednesday January 9th, 2013: Introduction to ISEA’s Schoolship Program: Safety and the Basics

Come learn about the responsibilities of volunteer instructors, and get an introduction to our various education programs. You will also explore topics including the formation of the Great Lakes, physical and chemical characteristics of the lakes, current threats to the Great Lakes ecosystem, and challenges facing the world’s freshwater supply.

Sat January 12th & Wed 16th, 2013: Weather and Limnology Station

What is a Van Dorn bottle? In this session you will learn how students collect samples of fish, water, plankton, and benthos aboard the Schoolship. You will also learn how to collect weather data by measuring wind speed and direction, visibility, cloud types, air and water temperature, and water clarity.

Sat January 19th & Wed January 23rd, 2013: Benthos and Fish

What actually lives at the bottom of the bay? Why are fish an important part of the ecology and economy of the Great Lakes? In this session you will learn how to identify sediment types based on color and texture. You will also learn how to identify bottom-dwelling (benthic) organisms and how these organisms play an important role as nutrient recyclers in the lake. You will also learn how to identify fish and will be introduced to the life history, ecology, and economic importance of fish in this region.

Sat January 26th & Wed January 30th, 2013: Plankton and Water Chemistry

What are plankton and where are they found? How are organisms affected by water quality? In this session you will learn how to identify live zooplankton using our micro-video system and discuss the vital role plankton play in the aquatic food web. You will also learn how to measure pH and dissolved oxygen and discover what levels are considered healthy for aquatic organisms. We will also discuss the thermal structure of the lake and how this structure adapts to each season.

Sat February 2nd & Wed February 6th, 2013: Seamanship and Stewardship

How does a boat float and what makes it move? What is stewardship and what does it mean to me? In this session you will learn about buoyancy, mechanical advantage, the simple physics of sailing and about schooners and their importance in the maritime history of Grand Traverse Bay. You will also learn how it is possible to become stewards of the Great Lakes in your everyday lives. We will discuss stewardship ideas and how to encourage students to practice stewardship at their home and in their school. 

 One Day Volunteer Training Sessions April 3 and April 16, 2013 from 9:00am-5:00pm

If you were unable to attend the volunteer instructor training course this January, ISEA will be holding intensive one day training classes to prepare you for teaching on the Schoolship. The one day versions will be held at the Inland Seas Education Center in Suttons Bay.   Please contact Emily Shaw, eshaw@schoolship.org or 231.271.3077, if you are interested in the training sessions so that materials can be provided. You are not required to attend every session, but are encouraged to participate in the sessions you are interested in teaching.

Final Windy Day of the 2012 Schoolship Season

With 30 students from Kalkaska Middle School, we headed into Suttons Bay for the final Schoolship trip of the season. The otter trawl yielded a diverse catch of fishes, including 5 brook stickleback, 18 rock bass, 7 round goby, 14 spottail shiner and 4 white sucker. Note that the round goby was not the dominate species caught.  This has been a trend this year, as some of the native species seem to be making a come-back. 

At the limnology station, students found the surface water temperature to be 60 deg F. The same temperature was found at the bottom, 64 feet deep.  Air temperature was 47 deg F. At least it was sunny.

When we anchored on the sampling station the wind was SW at 9 knots.  By the time we hove up the anchor the wind had increased to SSW 15 with higher gusts.  We set the main, fore and stays'l.  The wind inceased steadily to the low 20's with gusts to 25.  We lowered the fores'l which decreased the angle of heel and made the ride a lot better for science work.

Kalkaska MS students at the wheel.  ISEA Board President and Volunteer Instructor Larry Garber is on the left.

Lead Instructor Thom Yokum pauses for a moment after we have shortened sail to main & stays'l.

 When we landed back at Suttons Bay, we said good-bye to our Kalkaska students and their teacher.  We were a little sad that the season was over, but looking at the weather forecast we were glad that we had no more schools booked this year.  Time to think about down-rigging and putting the ship into winter lay-up.  This process will take several weeks.  We will be back in our usual winter berth at the Center Point dock in Traverse City later this month.


The students have departed, and the final group of Volunteer Instructors and the crew pose for last photo.




By Tuesday afternoon Capt. Ben and Bob Hagerman had remove all the sails.



The total student count for 2012 was 4,256.  The total since our founding in 1989 is now 94,690!  This number includes adult students and participating teachers.

--Capt. Tom

Final 2012 Astronomy Sail

The final Astronomy Sail of the year provided our 21 guests great viewing of the stars and the full moon, plus great sailing on the moonlit bay.  Check our 2013 sailing schedule in December (posted on the ISEA web site) for next year's Astronomy Sails.  Thanks always to Dick Cookman, our resident Astronomer, for his entertaining and informative presentations.

Just after sunset clouds from a stalled front at the Michigan -  Indiana border were visible to the south.  Fortunately they stayed there so our skies were clear. 

Heading north under power.  We set sail at the north end of  Suttons Bay and  sailed out into  Grand Traverse Bay before heading home under the stars and a rising full moon. 

Happy night-time sailors.  10:20 pm at the dock.

--Capt. Tom Kelly

Friendship Sloop Liberty Shake Down Sail

Yesterday afternoon we took Liberty out on Suttons Bay for a shake down cruise, testing her rigging and practicing heaving to under sail.  All went well and we had a lovely sail.  Aboard were Capt.s Tom Kelly, Larry Good, and Ben Hale, and crew Len Klein, Tim Davis and Garett Eisele.  We will be offering day and evening cruises aboard Liberty for up to 6 passengers in the coming weeks.  Call the ISEA office for info. 
--Capt. Tom

Astronomy Cruise - June 22

We had 28 guests, perfect weather and always amazing narration by Dick Cookman on Friday's Astronomy Under Sail program.  There was a setting crescent moon, stars, planets and many satellites to view.  Our next Astronomy programs are on August 17 & 19.  Call the ISEA office for reservations.

We left the dock just at sunset and waited for the first star to appear.

We put up the main and stays'l but not the fore, in order to leave a clear view of the sky.

-Capt. Tom

Sail This Summer & Get College Credit!

Last summer's LSSU Native Cultures students just after sailing under the Big Mac bridge.

ISEA is partnerning with Lake Superior State University on two classes this summer.  Island Biology and Oceanography will both involve shore-side class work and a week aboard Inland Seas.  For details click here. 

Friday April 27, 2012 - Wet Run for New Volunteer Instructors

We had a fine afternoon to begin teaching the teachers.  Pete Magoun at the Seamanship Station.

Inthe Pilot House

Harvey Norris leads the Stewardship Station

John Mater leading the Fish Station.  All round gobys today (as usual).

Fit-Out at Northport Bay Boat Yard - April 3, 2012

Today we got the propeller working properly (thanks for the help, Kevin), painted the foredeck, applied epoxy fairing compound to rust repair areas on deck, finished the pre-launch check list, and launched the stern boat.  The stern boat engine started after a few pulls and ran smooth as silk on a test run. Tomorrow we remove the winter cover and hopefully launch!

Ben Hale, Allen Wolfe and Bob Hagerman were working today.  --Capt. Tom Kelly

Kevin (left) and Ben (right) make final adjustments to the Max Prop feathering propeller

Our shiny propeller ready to go.

Everything you need to do deck repairs.

Epoxy fairing applied to areas where rust was ground out.  "Rust Never Sleeps"

Allen adding oil to the fuel tank just before a test run in our stern/rescue boat. 

Northport Bay Boatyard

Inland Seas Fit-Out Continues March 28, 2012

Today we finished preping the main deck and applied a coat of non-skid paint to the deck.  The engine room was also cleaned and some rusty areas in the galley bilge treated with rust converter.  The high temperature today was 48 degrees, barely enough for painting. Tomorrow we will reinstall the shaft seal and connect the shaft to the transmission. Then the drive train will be ready for launch.  Hopefully the weather will cooporate for some additional painting.   -Capt. Tom

Bob using his detail sander to get into the waterways.

Ben sucking up the sanding dust.

Allen applying masking tape.  This takes longer than the painting.

Bob cutting in around the deck fittings.

Ben rolling on the deck paint.  Ahhh.....

Photos taken aboard Inland Seas on the hard at Northport Bay Boat Yard, Northport, MI.

Inland Seas Fit-Out Continues March 27, 2012

This is what we saw this morning...freezing spray on the electrical pedestal.  It was 45 degrees warmer last week!

Jan sanding the house sides yesterday.

Bob using the head gun to lift old paint off the deck.

With the rudder back in place, Ben reconnected the tiller arm to the rudder shaft. 

Our John Deere with fresh belts (4), some new hoses and wiring.

Tomorrow we hope to paint the decks (if it is warm enough) and connect the shaft to the transmission after installing a new part in the Lasdrop shaft seal.   ---Tom Kelly

Inland Seas Fit-Out Days 3 & 4

Work on the schooner continued yesterday and today with help from Allen Wolfe, Jan Hale, Ben Hale and Bob Hagerman.  We got the rudder re-installed (thanks again to Don at NBBY), continued painting, preping the deck for painting, and replacing a water hose in the engine room.

The rudder is back on!  Next is the rebuilt Max-Prop

Ben using a heat gun to lift off old deck paint.

Somewhere under all those hoses is the new one - a challenge to replace. Now we have to replace the hoses and firepump that needed to be moved for access, and replace the alternator which was rebuilt this winter.

More to follow in the days ahead....Capt. Tom

Inland Seas Fit Out - Day 2

Today we removed to old stern bearing and fitted the new bearing.  We also put a second coat of anti-fouling on half the bottom and painted the waterline stripe.  I continued work on deck chasing rust spots (rust never sleeps).  A good day with lots accomplished.  Tomorrow we hope to refit the rudder and continue painting.  Thanks to Bob Hagerman, Allen Wolfe, Jan Hale and Ben Hale for great work today.

The old stern bearing (18 years and 5,000 hours of service)

Capt. Ben Hale cutting the old bearing into sections to allow removal.

Bob Hagerman cleaning up the shaft prior to reinstallation.

Reinstalling the shaft into the new bearing.

Done! 

Capt. Wolfe rolling on the 2nd coat of anti-fouling.

Lookinggood!

Capt. Jan Hale taping the waterline prior to painting.

Tomorrow:  Reinstall the rudder, paint the rub rail, prep deck houses for painting.  ---Capt. Tom K.