The Michigan Maritime Museum Weblog

News from the Michigan Maritime Museum .

Thursday, November 11, 2010

Volunteer Connection

Volunteer Connection

November 11, 2010

 

To all of our Veterans, thank you. Freedom is not free. We appreciate your sacrifice!

 

 

Greetings, Friends!

 

“Ride The River Fund Drive

 

Well everyone, it’s official…The Ride The River Fund Drive is underway!

A wonderful edition of the Ship’s Lamp is in the mail and we are in hopes that the enthusiasm we have all been feeling will create positive results for our annual appeal.

 

This has been a successful and exciting year here at the Museum.  With the increase of memberships on the rise and the excitement of new opportunities that lay before us, our next year could be one that will literally go in the history books! 

 

The launching of a new exhibit, building our very own River Launch Vessel, and preparation for daily river cruises and educational programming will keep us all very busy, but busy is good, very good!  We are alive here at the Michigan Maritime Museum and are striving for an exciting and financially secure future.

It’s time to spread the word to every person we know!  Get involved, it will take each and every one of us to make this happen!

 

Our annual appeal is absolutely critical and is the primary source of funding that sustains the operational expense of the Museum on an annual basis.  Please join me in sharing the excitement and encourage anyone, and everyone to support the Ride The River Fund Drive!  Every dollar counts and it’s up to all of us to make the difference.  I know I can count on each of you! ~ Patti Montgomery, Business Director 

 

Good Luck, Captain Sikkema…Welcome Home, Captain Adele

 

Captain Sam Sikkema is off to blue water! The MMM was hoping to keep him as Captain for 2011. He was, by all reports, growing fond of us as well, and we all know how he feels about Friends Good Will. But more distant destinations called and as wrote Masefield, “A wind’s in the heart of (him), a fire’s in (his) heels.” He promises to keep in touch and encourages us all to keep him informed and would welcome hearing from us. Both the MMM and Captain Sikkema acknowledged the real possibility of his returning to Friends Good Will, as Captain, in the future.

There is no better way to soften any regret than to welcome back Captain Adele Arlitt. Those with the program in 2009 will remember her as Relief Captain of Friends Good Will. She knows our sloop, knows our program and recalls fondly many of the volunteers with whom she worked and sailed. She has logged thousands of miles and brings a wide variety of commercial and sailing experience to the program. She is comfortable with a volunteer led program, day sailing from our harbor and looks forward to numerous voyages, already in the making.

 

We will keep in close contact with Captain Arlitt over the winter and she will be starting in the latter part of March. Let’s plan a homecoming; a wonderful reason for an early spring party as we prepare to uprig! ~Jim Spurr

 

 

 

November Lecture Series Features Ross Richardson, Shipwreck Hunter

 

The Michigan Maritime Museum continues its popular winter season lecture series on Sunday November 28, at 2:00 p.m. with a presentation by noted Shipwreck Diver and Maritime History Researcher Ross Richardson.

 

Mr. Richardson, of Lake Ann, Michigan recently discovered the propeller of the Westmoreland, an arched steamship which went down in the Manitou Passage in the 1850’s, lying on the bottom, yet keeping her secrets.  She is known, for perhaps good reasons, as Michigan’s Treasure Ship.  Mr. Richardson will tell the tale of her all too brief career as a once beautiful ship, and her recent discovery, shedding light on that which for some 150 years, been shrouded in the darkness of the deep.

 

Mr. Richardson observes, “Her Captain went back, twice, within 20 years of her sinking.  You don’t expend that effort or subject yourself to such risk unless it might be well worth your while.  Plausible rumor of gold coins in her hold could have well supplied his motivation.”

 

Mr. Richardson is by profession a realtor in Traverse City, but also serves as a Benzie Area Public Safety Dive Team Diver.  In his spare time, he researches and hunts for shipwrecks.  There is estimated to be at least 6000 shipwrecks in the Great Lakes and those of Lake Michigan are of particular interest to the Michigan Maritime Museum.  Patti Montgomery, Business Director, predicts, “Mr. Richardson will be one of our most exciting guest speakers.  The lecture is in our main gallery and we look forward to a nice crowd following the Thanksgiving Day Holiday weekend.”

 

Friends Good Will Posting on You Tube

 

Ship’s Company Crewmember Steve Stryd has posted the following video on You Tube from this summer’s Chicago to South Haven voyage. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mBBOyhMzVzY

 

From the ‘Bosun…

 

Calling all volunteers!  The winter maintenance season for Friends Good Will is upon us.  As always there is standing rigging to paint and belaying pins and blocks to scrape and oil.  The mild weather this fall has allowed us to make a good start on exterior projects – the deck is oiled and the mast and transom are sanded and varnished.  Work on the bowsprit is progressing, David made good progress on the frame, and the winter cover has been put into place.  Thank you everyone who took time to prepare Friends Good Will for the winter.

 

There are many rigging and carpentry projects small and large to be done over the winter including things like making new blocks, remaking strops and spliced eyes for many rigging pieces, and stripping and varnishing the topsail yard and crojack yard.  As usual, we can use all the help we can get, so plan to come to the regular work sessions Wednesday evenings and Saturday mornings.  If you are free during the day, David and I am usually at the Padnos Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays, so call the Museum to check and then come on over.  We are looking forward to seeing you this fall and winter. ~ Eric Standen, FGW Bosun

 

Mary’s 2¢…So far, this has been the smoothest fall/winter transition for Friends Good Will yet. A huge thank you to Eric Standen and the rest of the crew for your dedication and commitment to getting the job done!

 

 

Big Sale Just in Time for Christmas! 30% off all items in our Ship’s Store!

 

All items in our Ship’s Store are included in this big one day event…including selected artwork! Also choose from selected Christmas items including tree ornaments and nautical Christmas CDs. December 11, 10 AM-5 PM One day only.

 

 

Date:                                                                                        Event:

 

Saturday, November 13, 9 AM-12 PM                           FGW Work session

Wednesday, November 17, 6-8 PM                               FGW Work session

Friday, November 19, 3 PM                                           Board of Directors Meeting

Saturday, November 20, 6-8 PM                                  FGW Work session

Sunday, November 28, 2-4 PM                                     Lecture Series Speaker Ross Richardson on the Shipwreck of Westmoreland

 

For the good of the cause,

 

Mary Stephens

Education & Volunteer Coordinator

Michigan Maritime Museum

260 Dyckman Avenue

South Haven, Michigan 49090

voice: 269.637.8078, xt. 224

fax: 269.637.1594

www.MichiganMaritimeMuseum.org

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Wednesday, November 3, 2010

Ship's Company Alert--Calling all Volunteers!

The winter maintenance season for Friends Good Will is upon us.  As always there is standing rigging to paint and belaying pins and blocks to scrape and oil.  The mild weather this fall has allowed us to make a good start on exterior projects – the deck is oiled and the mast and transom are sanded and ready for varnishing.  Work on the bowsprit is progressing and David is making good progress with the frame for the cover and should be ready to put on the shrink-wrap by the end of the week. 

 

There are many rigging and carpentry projects small and large to be done over the winter including things like making new blocks, remaking strops and spliced eyes for many rigging pieces, and stripping and varnishing the topsail yard and crojack yard.  As usual, we can use all the help we can get, so plan to come to the regular work sessions Wednesday evenings and Saturday mornings.  If you are free during the day, David and I am usually at the Padnos Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays, so call the Museum to check and then come on over.  We are looking forward to seeing you this fall and winter.

 

Eric Standen, Friends Good Will Bosun

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Mary Stephens

Education & Volunteer Coordinator

Michigan Maritime Museum

260 Dyckman Avenue

South Haven, Michigan 49090

voice 269.637.8078 xt. 224

fax 269.637.1594

www.MichiganMaritimeMuseum.org