The Sail Training committee is pleased to announce that the expanded
Seamanship I training program will be available this spring, with the
first presentation tentatively set for Saturday March 15th. This will
be an introduction to the Michigan Maritime Museum and to the Friends
Good Will sailing program. It will feature hands on training in basic
skills needed to participate in our sailing program and is open to all
persons interested in joining the Ship's Company. Additional programs
will be presented at future dates. If you have friends who are
interested please have them contact Captain Jim Schneider at the museum
at ( 269 ) 637 8078 for registration or additional information.
Attendance is limited so be sure to call for reservations. And while
you are at it you might check out the "Animated Knots by Grog"
website at http://www.animatedknots.com/

for a refresher of some of
your marlinspike skills. "

Sincerely,

Al Kempf, Jr.

Mail from Sam

Hi Jim,
I am in San Diego. I got my license a couple of weeks ago and will be
mate on Lynx starting in march.
We put Lynx through a major yard period in December. It was an
interesting time, we made all new chain plates in the headrig and
replaced most of the standing rig up there too. It makes me miss the
Kevlar rig, I did 36 wire seizings and 6 wire splices in yard and still
have to replaces all the turn backs on the shrouds.
I hope things are going well there, I haven't talked to anybody except
Mary briefly. Unfortunately I don't think I will be back in Michigan at
all next season. I will be on Lynx until the end of September, we are
doing tall ships on the west coast, should be fun. I might have to come
back some time to get my boat up to Lake Superior for my father to use.
Any how, I hope all is well, give the museum and the boat my regards.

Sam

Wednesday the 23rd and Saturday the 26th

This Wednesday Eric Standen and Ed Pratt set up the main shrouds in the boat shed and prepared them for ratlines. We will be seizing all of the ratlines on to one shroud while they are down to reduce the amount of time and difficulty doing them while aloft. This spring when the mast is stepped we will be able to complete the rest of the seizings without the need to measure or carry them aloft. Eric Standen, Katie Koontz and Mary Stephens seized ratlines Wednesday evening and Eric and Ed continued with this on Thursday. We intend to finish this project on Saturday. Many hands make light work.

For those who don't know of it check out Boatnerd.com's news section to great lakes shipping and maritime historical news.

Jim Schneider

Our crew visits the Bee in Penetanguishene, Ontario, 2005

Fun pictures from our 2005 Port Elgin trip

Attachment 2 for text below

I am still learning how to use this. Or maybe I should say I have allot more to learn.

Jim Schneider

Org%20Chart.ppt

Attachments for text below

Committee%20Responsibilities.docOrg%20Chart.ppt

Friends Good Will Volunteer committees

The Michigan Maritime Museum is looking for volunteers interested in
joining our "Maintenance" and "Operations" committees. Attached is a
draft of the general committee responsibilities.

The Maintenance committee will be tasked with scheduling and recording
vessel maintenance, planning for future vessel needs and assisting with
short and long term budgets. They will also maintain a list of upcoming
work sessions with a description of work being done and who is taking
the lead that day.

Operations committee members will assist with scheduling volunteer crew
for day sails, sail training sails and voyages. Planning voyages time
lines, needed ships stores and crew packing lists.

The MMM staff will work directly with committee chairs, as a steering
committee, to keep the lines of communication open and ensure that
effective action is taken to address committee needs. The purpose of
this volunteer committee system is to develop and strengthen our
volunteer program and maintain continuity from year to year.

Many of our members come here with valuable skills and knowledge and we
have all learned allot in the past four years we have sailed together.
To all those who have the time and interest, I encourage you to take
part in these committees. With your input and guidance we will grow and
continue to be a strong and resilient group. We already have other
programs calling and asking for advice on rigging, period costume and
sail training. This spring we will be working with the local Sea
Scouts, eventually taking over that program which will allow us to reach
14-21 year olds interested in sailing and maritime history. In the
future we intend to offer a traditional small craft livery at our dock,
similar to Mystic Seaports where visitors can rent a historic replica to
row on the river. There is so much more can be accomplished here, and
with your help, we will.

Jim Schneider

USCG AUX Boating Skills and Seamanship Class

The USCG Auxiliary will be offering their Boating Skills and Seamanship class starting this Febuary 11th and running through early April. Monday 7-9 pm and Thursday 7-9 pm. Classes will be held at the River Bend Boat Club in South Haven.

We will present more information as we get it.

Minutes from the January 11th sail training committee meeting

Minutes%2011%20Jan%202008%20Training%20Cmte.doc

Saturday the 19th

There will be no work session this weekend. Work will continue on Wednesday. Meghans going away party is tonight at 6:30pm in the Padnos.

Jim Schneider

This months opportunitines committee meeting minutes

op committee 01

Wednesday the 16th

This evening we hung and painted the last of the rigging. Two more coats on the topmast stay and we will be done. The Tiller received its final coat of satin finish and I learned to spin wool! Katie brought her parlor wheel in and helped me get started. The Port Washington trip is on for August 13-19th. The Niagara and the Pride of Baltimore will be there also.


Jim Schneider

Chicago Maritime Festival

Greetings All: This year the Michigan Maritime Museum will participate in the Chicago Maritime Festival held at the Chicago History Museum on Saturday, February 23. We are planning to take the sail model of the FGW and the stuff we use for the trade of the times. Is there anyone that is interested in going dressed up in our funnies? Let me know. Ellen

January 9th

This evening we painted allot of rigging and scraped one of the outer guy blocks. Mary Stephens, Ray Warmoth, Tony Appleyard, Eric Standen, Katie Koontz and Dan Sipple were here.

The Museum will be hosting a going away party and dinner for Meghan on January the 18th at 6:30pm. It will be held at the Padnos Boat Shed. Meghan will be departing for a mission in South Africa on the 22nd and be there at least 6 months. We will put out a little donation box for Meghan as she is covering all the costs for the mission trip.

Jim Schneider

Ice Breaker Weekend

I just want everyone to let everyone that there are two events being sponsored by the Museum on Saturday, February 2, that you might find of interest to volunteers and supporters of the Museum.

Weather permitting Don Hermanson director and producer of the film Ice Breaker Mackinaw will be at the Museum to introduce and then talk about the making of the film afterward. The film will be shown at 10:00 am and 2:00 pm.

Second item. Our very own, Pete Mathews will also give an illustrated presentation about ice breakers at Noon. Both events are free to members.

See everyone at the Museum

Ellen

January 2nd

This evening Jim Spurr, Tony Appleyard, Mary Stephens and David Bugge scraped blocks and hearts, sanded and primmed the spritsail yard and prepped the binnacle then repainted the inside of it black. Parts of the martingale were painted and Eric Standen continued remaking the cross-jack yard trusses. In the morning Ed Pratt and I will oil the binnacle, paint the spritsail yard and rigging then Ed will finish the last grommet Eric started and seize the blocks in.

Work continues at a steady pace and we will be finished with the rigging maintenance by late January. On the evening of Friday the 11th there will be a sail training committee meeting where we will be working on improving and scheduling our sail training program. Al Kempf is our first sail training committee chair, Marcia Flynn, Eric Standen, Tim Mattson and Pete Matthews will make up our first committee. Minutes of the meeting will be posted in some manner as soon as I figure out how to do it. On Saturday the the tiller will be refinished with a few coats of flat Bristol Finish.

Jim Schneider

P.S. If anyone has a snowblower they don't need we could use one at the Museum.