Shipwreck near South Haven to be Placed on the National Register of Historic Places

The wreck of the Hennepin, first self unloader on the lakes, located near South Haven in 230 feet of water is now on the National Register of Historic Places.  For More info follow this link.

http://hollandsentinel.com/stories/032608/local_20080326016.shtml

Rerigging Schedule for FGW 2008

 Rerigging Schedule for FGW 2008

 

Week of 31 Mar – 4 Apr:  Rerig lower mast.  Install swifter, shrouds, mast cap, main stay, jib stays, outer jib stay, boom lift blocks, crojack yard lift blocks, temporary block for heel rope, upper halyard blocks for staysail, inner jib and outer jib, fairleads on crosstrees, gaff peak and throat halyard upper blocks, gantline blocks, install bowsprit cap, etc

 

Weekend 4-6 Apr:  Raise mast at 10 am on Saturday, weather depending, install jibboom and headrig.  “Snug up” standing rigging to sufficient tension to permit work aloft.  Start rigging ratlines.

 

Week of 7 – 11 Apr:  Set up crojack yard,  finish setup of topsail yard.

 

Weekend 11-13 Apr:  Raise topmast, install topsail yard and crojack yard, install headsails and running rigging.  Start Tensioning Standing rigging.

 

Week of 14-18 Apr:  Rig gaff and main boom, tension topmast standing rigging.  Misc rigging setup such as boat falls, nettings, complete tensioning standing rigging, etc. 

 

Weekend 18-20 Apr:  Rig gaff, main boom and mainsail. 

 

Weekend volunteer work sessions will be scheduled for Saturday and Sunday  5-6 April, 12-13 April, and 19-20 April.  Wednesday through Friday you are welcome to come in and help, tell us in advance so we can make the best use of your time.

Jim Schneider

    

CPR Classes

This Spring We will have CPR and First Aid recertification classes on April 19th and 26th.  Morning and afternoon if we fill up. Please RSVP.  For first time CPR and First Aid training April 27th.

Jim Schneider

Gordon Laco

Gordon Laco is a past- Executive Director of Toronto Brigantine Inc who has worked all his life in both the marine business and the museum world with a particular interest in evangelizing history through Film and Television. Some of Gordon's professional activities include:

Producer and Historical Consultant to over 30 film and television productions including ³Master and Commander, the Far Side of the World";  He is a professional consultant to, and outfitter of, working historic sailing ships, classic yachts and sail training ships ranging all over North America.  He was Captain of the historic War of 1812 era warship H.M.S. Bee 1997-2001.  Gordon was co-founder of Atlantic Challenge Canada, part of a growing world-wide youth movement which utilizes seamanship in historic open boats to empower young people.  Gordon is a member of the Society for Nautical Research, the American Sail Training Association,  and is also a serving officer in Canada¹s Naval Reserve.
 

He will be speaking at our Ships Company Meeting on March 29th.  www.gordonlaco.com

Jim Schneider

Sail Training Committee 14 Mar 08

Michigan Maritime Museum

 

 

Sail Training committee

14 March 2008  Meeting Minutes

 

 

Present:   Captain Jim Schneider, Marcia Flynn, Pete Matthews, Al Kempf, Jr.

                  Not Present: Eric Standen, Tim Matteson

 

 

Meeting began at 1910.

      

     Activities since last meeting were reviewed.

 

     Captain has asked for a revision of the presentation order of the training programs to concentrate on getting the vessel rigged and sailing first, and integrating new crew after the ship is in service.

 

     The Status of the Revised Seamanship I program was discussed briefly, and it was agreed that the program will begin with a 2 to 2 ½ hour morning program reviewing the Michigan Maritime Museum policies and the Crew Manual, History of the FGW, and more administrative type topics.   A lunch break will be inserted and then hands on training will be conducted in basic marlinspike seamanship, with Knots and Line handling, conducted both in the Padnos and on Deck. 

 

     The Captain has announced that we will be having a guest to the Museum on Friday March 28^th, and Saturday March 29^th, but her schedule is not finalized.   Lori Aguiar is the Program Manager for ASTA, and the present schedule is that she will meet with the Sail Training Committee on Friday Evening.   We will communicate more as her schedule is finalized, but this will be the chance to learn about other programs, and other resources available to our program.  

 

     The Topman Training program was discussed in detail.    To be rated as a Topman an individual must hold at least the rating of Ordinary Seaman.   Topman ratings are reconfirmed annually, and the Captain will be reviewing this and establishing criteria for recertification.    Topmen are appointed by the Captain upon the recommendation of the Bosn.  The sequence of training was established as first demonstrating an ability to work in the headrig at the dock, Then an ability to work in the headrig while underway.    Next a person would work aloft on the mast in the company of a Rated Topman at the Dock, then work aloft, again in the company of a Rated Topman while underway.     The Rated Topman will consult with the Bosn and with the individual in training on the progress of the training.     Due to weather and scheduling considerations this portion of the training will be conducted on an as the opportunities are available basis.   

 

    The Outline for the Topman Training was presented, reviewed, and approved as the document attached to this report.  

 

     Individuals working as Topmen may purchase and provide their own harnesses.   Marcia Flynn will be reviewing the available rating systems for commercially available harnesses and suggesting a minimum standard.

 

     Pete Matthews has prepared a sheet reviewing the duties and responsibilities of the Lookout.    He will continue this project with the preparation of a similar document for the helmsman.     These will be incorporated into the training programs and the Crew manual.    Pete will also prepare a history of the 2004 Friends Good will to be used to indoctrinate those whom interpret the vessel to the public.    It was fully agreed that anyone sailing aboard on “Foreign” voyages must be able to act as an interpreter and spokesperson for the vessel.

 

     Pete has also prepared a listing of recommended readings that will be used to assist persons qualifying for advancement of ratings.

 

       For the 2008 sailing season our program will utilize the Relative Bearing Points system of direction for reporting objects to the helm.   Marcia pointed out that this is already in the Policy & Training Manual in Appendix A.      This will be reviewed in all training programs for returning and new crew.   

 

    The meeting was adjourned at 2115.   

 

 

 

 

 

MCBA Memberships

Don't forget to renew your MCBA membership. The cover is coming off in 3 weeks and our sailing season starts on May 1st this year. First Aid and Cpr classes will be offered at the Museum in April and May. If you don't have the MCBA renewal form checkout there website at

http://www.micharterboats.com/application.pdf

All those who have received there MCBA membership renewal card please email me so I can request your name be added to our annual Coast Guard drug test audit.  MCBA does not track who joined through the Museum so I need to send a list of names that they will then check in there records and put on the audit.

Jim Schneider

Wednesday, March 12th

This evening we will be preparing the top rig for our Saturday topman training sessions. Rigging and topsail will be lowered from the loft and inspected.

Jim Schneider

Wednesday the 12th

This Wednesday we will be gluing down the new deck planks. Wednesday evening we will bring down all of the Topsail rig and sail in preparation for the Saturday Topman training class. Depending on how many volunteers are on hand we may finish painting the forward name boards and start sanding the mast(If its warm enough).

Jim Schneider


"At the present important crisis, every man who navigates the ocean should, by theory and practice, be a sailor".

-Edmund M. Blunt- Seamanship, both in theory and practice-1813

Deck Repairs

Tim Mattson and Mary Stephens continued with the quarter deck project today. They planed the planks to the proper thickness, cut the rabbit for the seam and started fitting them in preparation for gluing on Wednesday. Ed Pratt repaired a chaffed section of the quarter lifts. Meanwhile the Traditional Small craft Assoc. members laminated the inner stem and midships frame for the Podunk Skiff they are building in the Padnos boat shed.

Jim Schneider

Fellow Members,

This springs Ships Company meeting will start on the morning of Saturday March 29th.

_9am_-- Capt. Schneider will present the training and sailing schedule for this season, detailing this springs school ship program, summer day sailing and Voyages.
_10am_ Gordon Laco will talk about his involvement with Canadian sail training programs, his role in the filming of "Master and Commander" and his experiences supplying rigging and hardware for traditionally sailing vessels.

_12pm_--We will open the ships articles for crew members to start signing up for this seasons voyages.
_Muskegon_-- May 26th through June 1st. Three Parts, the overnight up, schoolships during the week and the voyage home.

_Holland_-- I am still working on this one, July 6th and 7th.

_Port Washington_-- @August 13th through the 20th, actual sailing dates may change to due to weather. This is a Tall Ship Festival, The Pride Of Baltimore and the Niagara will be there. One and a half- two days each way.


_Saturday afternoon is our spring volunteer open house. We will have guided tours of our campus and collections and Topsail and Rigging demonstrations and for those interested in learning more about volunteering at the Michigan Maritime Museum.

Captain Jim Schneider

captain@michiganmaritimemuseum.org

Spring Training for new and returning Topman

The first Topman refresher class will be held Saturday morning March 15^th starting at 10 AM. Experienced topmen are needed to trim out the topsail yard and to re attach the topsail, as well as to suspend the yard in the Padnos for further training programs. Please notify Al Kempf at alkempf1901@aol.com if you plan to attend.

The Introduction Training for new Topmen will begin with a session at 1 PM on Saturday M

arch 15^th in the Padnos Boat Shed. Any member of the ships company who has attained the rating of Ordinary and who is interested in learning to be a topman is invited to attend. To maximize the individual attention in this training this class is limited to eight participants. The class will be repeated for those who are unable to make this date. If you are interested in participating in the topman training program please email the Captain at captain@michiganmaritimemuseum.org, and copy Al Kempf at alkempf1901@aol.com

March 29th Ships Company Meeting

We are having our spring Ships company meeting at 9am on March 29th. Topic will include spring fit out, sail training classes and dates, our summer sailing schedule, and we will a speaker. Gordon Laco, of R&W Rope Warehouse. I will post more information next week.

Jim Schneider

March 1st

This weekend we Tim Mattson, Mary Stephens , Ray Warmoth, Ed Pratt, Al Kempf And Chris Hess got alot of work done. The electrical wires were pulled out of the mast for inspection and repair and we made adjustments to the radar. Planks were removed from the quarter deck and the deck made ready for next weeks work when we will laminate in new Douglas Fir planks and sand and oil the quarterdeck. Only four weeks until the mast goes up!