Tall ship returns to Houghton
Tall ship returns to Houghton
Denis Sullivan a lesson in sailing
| CAPTION: Photo courtesy of Keweenaw Land Trust The S/V Denis Sullivan, a recreation of the Great Lakes schooner, returns to Houghton to offer maritime adventures this weekend. Two-hour educational sails leave from the west side of the Portage Lake Lift Bridge throughout Saturday, and a five-day “land to sea” excursion leaves Sunday. |
By LAURA KIRBY, DMG Writer
HOUGHTON — For an entirely new learning experience, get aboard the “floating classroom” arriving in Houghton this week in the form of the S/V Denis Sullivan tall ship.
Sullivan is a re-creation of a Great Lakes schooner and serves as a learning and research platform for both old time vessels and the maritime history of the Great Lakes, said Keweenaw Land Trust Director Evan MacDonald. The Land Trust has worked with owners Pier Wisconsin to bring the vessel back to the Copper Country for the second time this year.
Two unique events are planned as part of the tall ship’s visit.
On Saturday, two-hour day sails at 10 a.m., 2 p.m. and 6 p.m. are open to the public. Participants will learn about the history of the vessel, its native Great Lakes waters and educational programs offered aboard. Day sails are intended to be a hands-on experience, with participants given the opportunity to pitch in by hoisting sails.
For the more hardcore adventurist or maritime learner, a five-day “Land to Sea” expedition leaves Sunday and returns Thursday: An open event also offering a special opportunity for K-12 teachers to earn graduate credit through the Michigan Tech University Department of Education. With much more time on the water, participants will learn about traditional sailing techniques, navigation, maritime history, as well as about the ecology of the Lake Superior Basin.
Mark Gleason will be aboard to demonstrate the use of a remotely operated vehicle (ROV) — a robot with video cameras that can explore the depths at various points of interest along the journey and send back real-time images to the Sullivan’s television monitors.
The cruise track for the Land to Sea expedition has the Denis Sullivan departing Houghton through the Portage Lake Shipping Canal South Entry heading for Bete Grise. In Bete Grise Bay, participants and crew will learn about a local partnership’s efforts to protect the rare coastal wetlands in that area resulting in the successful establishment of the Bete Grise Preserve in 2005.
The tall ship will then head for the Keweenaw Land Trust’s Manitou Island Light Station Preserve, a 93 acre nature and historic preserve with structures dating back to the 1860s.
Next on the cruise track is the deep water region out in the open waters of Lake Superior at a depth of about 1,300 feet. The crew will prepare equipment to send down a cable with sampling equipment to measure chemical characteristics of the water column. Then on to Superior Shoals, an underwater mountain that comes to within about 20 feet of the lake surface. Those shoals have probably claimed many vessels, having only been mapped in the 1960s, MacDonald said.
“We’ll send down the ROV as well as take bottom samples at the Shoals to look for interesting plants and animals,” he said.
Then on to Isle Royale where the Sullivan will anchor in Rock Harbor with shore leave for participants to explore and learn about the national park.
The tall ship will return to Houghton on July 20, “Hopefully with a good wind to enjoy a long stretch of open water sailing,” he said.
Described as a “modern educational sailing vessel”, the Sullivan comes equipped with two 180-horsepower diesel engines and state of the art science and navigation equipment. Annually, the Sullivan also transits from its summer home in the Great Lakes along the eastern seaboard to southern Florida. Sailing over 18,000 nautical miles every year since 2000 has allowed crew and guests to explore the east coast and Caribbean, “in addition to our five Great Lakes,” MacDonald said.
The Keweenaw Land Trust is a non-profit land conservation organization, which partners with fellow non-profit, Discovery World at Pier Wisconsin, to bring the tall ship to the Keweenaw in each July to raise awareness about land and water conservation.
“Both organizations recognize that the health of our Lake Superior and all of the Great Lakes depends on how we manage the land resources surrounding them,” MacDonald said.
Day sails, for example, will be a fundraiser for expansion of the Keweenaw Land Trust Paavola Wetlands Preserve (along U.S. Highway 41 between Hancock and Calumet), an important habitat for wildlife, he said.
Saturday’s excursions are priced at $40 adult and $30 for children. Cost for the five-day excursion is $890 for general registration or $1,050 with two MTU graduate credits, all meals and lodging included. Life jackets are provided for ages 2 and up. Parents should bring their own life vests for younger children. Contact Keweenaw Land Trust office to register 482-0820. For more information on theDenis Sullivan visit www.pierwisconsin.org.
Laura Kirby can be reached at lkirby@mininggazette.com
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