12/08/2008 Sorry for the delay regarding this entry. My last entry left off while we were still in the Cleveland shipyard. The dry-dock period went well. Highlander Sea went back in the water as scheduled with three new planks back aft and two up forward on the port bow. In addition to the new planking, all of the old leaky caulking was replaced with new cotton and oakum.
For the trip back to Port Huron, we could not have asked for better weather. We left Cleveland around noon on Tuesday, November 4th, under a cloudless, blue sky with a temperature somewhere in the 50s (maybe even 60s). Since we were motoring, we were all grateful for the lack of wind and glassy surface out on Lake Erie.
Due to our late departure from Cleveland, we were not going to make it up the Detroit River before dark so we planned our voyage to include a night anchored at Put-in Bay (sparing us a tiring transit back to Port Huron). The weather was favorable so why hurry? We dropped anchor just after dark and decided to go ashore. Our objective? Find a local establishment with a television. Some of us were anxious to see how the election was progressing...and, of course, hoping to enjoy a malty beverage before retiring to our bunks. Objectives met.
The following day we enjoyed the same weather conditions as the day before thereby allowing an uneventful, yet pleasant, ride back to Port Huron. The anchor was up before daybreak and we were moored at the Bean Dock by 7 p.m.
Our move to the Black River a couple of weeks later went very well. By planning ahead we were able to perform the task unassisted (other than our own rescue boat) without a single scratch to Highlander. The whole operation took about two hours from the time we left the Bean Dock until we were secure in Port Huron Yacht Club's basin.
Due to the weather, the shrink wrap cover was postponed until the week after Thanksgiving. It was either too windy or too slushy. Finally an opportunity presented itself towards the end of the week and two solid days were spent securing and shrinking the cover. With the cover securely in place we are now able to begin our long list of winter projects.
Happy Holidays!!
Captain Benjamin Hale
SV Highlander Sea
10/27/2008 Our trip to Cleveland was rather uneventful since it was merely a motor boat ride. We arrived early Saturday morning, but waited outside the harbor until we had sufficient daylight.
Due to weather and scheduling, we were not hauled out until Wednesday, which gave us plenty of time for settling in and preparing what would be needed for the job. We got hotel rooms a short distance away and figured out ways we would transport the crew to and from the shipyard. Caulkers and carpenters started showing up throughout the next two days. All were familiar faces from the rebuild in the Soo.
Early Wednesday morning we departed the dock into Cleveland's old river to position the vessel over Great Lake Towing Company's floating dry-dock. Great care was taken to ensure Highlander Sea would be properly positioned so as to minimize any stress or strain on her hull as she is floated out of the water. The entire dry-docking took six hours from the time we left the dock until she was high and dry with all of the shoring in place.
Work began immediately. Seams were reefed for caulking, five planks above the water line which contained rot were removed and through-hull valves were disassembled for inspection. The yardmen began cleaning the growth off the hull and started preparing for new coats of anti-fowling paint.
Presently our new planks are on and fastened, ready for new caulking and paint. The caulkers are about a third of the way through and continuing while the crew cleans out any seams with old caulking. The crew also is repainting shot length markings on the anchor chains.
This morning the Coast Guard preformed a hull exam without encountering any major concerns, but the "letter" still needs signing. A test of our bilge pump is pending for the exam to be complete, but that will have to wait until she is back in the water. All in all, I expect the remainder of the exam to pass smoothly.
So far, we are on schedule to return to Port Huron and we are all looking forward to getting Highlander Sea safely home into her winter berth. The crew is all looking forward to some down time as well.
Happy Halloween!!
Captain Benjamin Hale
SV Highlander Sea
The following journals were written (in June of 2004) by visiting Captain, Lt. Cmd. Greg Wisener, United States Coast Guard and two loyal HIghlander Sea volunteers, Gary Beauchamp and Eric Wright.
Notes from Lt. Cmd. Wisener:
07/15/04 (Thursday) My first day on board Highlander Sea. I've signed up to be the licensed master of a ship I don't know, with a crew I've never met, on a lake I've never sailed!!!! No worries! I've got a great first impression of the crew - they are confident and competent and are overflowing with enthusiasm for their work!!! Chris, Scott, Jen, Andrew, Kate, and Kara have certainly lived up to the high standard my friend, Chief Mate Ben Hale, has for them. As for the ship, I am speechless. The deck is beautiful, the lines of this powerful schooner are clean! I spent the day inspecting the readiness of the vessel and have found her in all respects ready to sail. The most disappointing part of this day was that we didn't sail (and yes, the crew let me know it!)
07/16/04 (Friday) Underway on the St. Clair River, bound for Lake Huron and a day of training! As we proceed up river, the water turns an amazing color of green, reminding me of Hamilton Harbor in Bermuda. Andrew and Ben point out the many landmarks and curiosities as we proceed. Once in Lake Huron, we proceed to our designated anchorage for the start of tomorrow's race. The crew smartly sets two anchors - bow and stern - to ensure we will point north to form the start line. Eager to sail, we heave around and house the anchors, then proceed to set sail. Although forewarned, I am still impressed by the size of the mainsail. As Boatswain Scott provides words of encouragement to the crew, while they haul on the seemingly endless halyard, he points out that the Sea's mainsail is the third largest gaff rigged sail in the world...and how! The winds are light so we set the main gaff-topsail in addition to the lowers. Next, the crew encounters a fire in the forecastle, a victim of smoke inhalation, a man overboard, a fire in the engine room, and the need to abandon ship - all drills handled correctly with the calm professionalism of a well-trained crew. Still, lessons are learned and passed on to all. Sea returns home after a long, but satisfying day of work.
07/17/04 (Saturday) Race day! The race committee is an interesting lot, bringing with them many flags that are unknown to me and the guy with the coolest job in the race, the shotgun signal guy! (He always seemed to fire that signal gun at a passing merchant vessel, helicopter, or plane... I guess we're all kids at heart!) Throughout the day the starts involved larger, more complex, more capable boats until the 70's arrived. Watching these high tech racing machines and the well-honed crews on board was indeed a pleasure! They were handled gracefully with hardly a word passed between crewmembers. One boat came across the start too soon and so had to circle around the Highlander Sea. They didn't waste a yard of distance, coming so close to our forward anchor chain and bowsprit that we thought they might strike us. Once on our starboard side, the helmsman saw that he was inside of our stern anchor buoy. He made a seemingly effortless maneuver around it. As this magnificent vessel passed astern of us, the crew changed out the staysail without losing an ounce of wind. They re-crossed the start line no more than 400 yards astern of their competitors... something to see! After dropping off our guests, we get underway once again, bound for Mackinac Island while the sun sets - this is going to be a good trip!
07/18/04 (Sunday) First night watches... Again the crew performs well, sailing the ship in challenging light airs. I'm getting to know the very capable volunteers. What a great group - Jared, Mike and Mike, Chris, Victor, Marilyn, Rob, and Gary all have something special to offer. They blend right in with the professional crew, which says a lot for their capabilities and contributions. Put the boat over the side to get some photos of this beautiful schooner underway. We were able to sail through the day until abeam of Thunder Bay, and then we had to motor through the night to make Mackinac Island by Tuesday.
07/19/04 (Monday) Headed into Cheboygan to pump out our sewage and get some supplies. We then sailed in the scenic South Channel and anchored Monday evening at Mackinac Harbor to the sounds of reveling sailors who had made it in from the still ongoing race.
7/20/04 (Tuesday) Moved the ship to the pier to minimize requirements for crew watch and to allow the public to get a closer view of the Sea. The crew enjoyed a nice dinner with some of the key leaders of Acheson Ventures.
07/21/04 (Wednesday) A peaceful sail to St Helena Island while the crew did some light maintenance and improvements. We met an interesting group of people who have restored an 1800's lighthouse while teaching young people how to do the restoration - including completion of 15 Eagle Scout projects. We had dinner on the beach, cooked over a fire pit which we shared with a visiting Girl Scout troop (and yes, we helped them eat their burned marshmallows.) Ben, Jen, Chris, Gary, Rob and myself went for a hike to find the remnants of a long vanished town. A great day!
07/22/04 (Thursday) Sailed from our anchorage - always a source of pride for a tall ship. We took advantage of the passing of a front with Northwest winds, 20 to 30 knots, that blessed us through most of the day. We passed under the mammoth Mackinaw bridge, then circumnavigated Mackinac Island, making more than 8 knots for much of the day. My mentor and relief, Captain Ivan Luke, got to see the ship in it's full glory, as we sailed past the passenger ferry he was riding on.
07/23/04 (Friday) Light winds today, but a good day underway none the less. This was Captain Luke's first day aboard and we ran through all emergency drills so he could become familiar with the crew and their capabilities. We sailed around Mackinac Island again and then moored in St. Ignace to pump out and take on fuel. Our crew greeted a gathering of spectators on shore, and then we gave them a bit of a show. Sailing off the dock. A great day, my only regret is that it was my last day sailing with this fine crew on board the elegant Highlander Sea."
Notes from Highlander Sea volunteer Gary Beauchamp:
I am writing a thank you note for Acheson Ventures and the Highlander Sea crew -especially Scott and Ben - for inviting me to help crew up to Mackinac Island for the 80th Anniversary of the Port Huron to Mackinac Island Sailboat Race, plus the 80th Anniversary of Highlander Sea.
I have been a volunteer crew member for two years now. This was my first overnight trip on Highlander Sea, so I was anxious about getting caught in a storm on Lake Huron. I can't swim, so I wear my Stern's life jacket on the whole time, except when sleeping.
07/17/04 (Saturday): About 6 p.m. we start sailing to Mackinac. When we started setting the sails out in Lake Huron, we lined up to set the main sail and Greg, our captain on the trip, lined up next to me and said, "Am I missing something, Gary? Why are you wearing a life jacket? Are we supposed to be wearing one?" I said, "No, I can't swim and I don't like heights." And we both started laughing and I said, "And I'm sailing on a tall ship."
We broke up our crew into two night watches. I was assigned to Ben's crew and we had the midnight to 4 a.m. watch. We went to sleep around 8 p.m. and got up about 11:30 for our midnight watch. When I came up the steps from the galley, I couldn't believe how beautiful the sky was. The stars were awesome! The crew members were telling me how nice it is to work the night watch. Ben let me take the helm and steer the ship for about an hour. I really enjoyed the experience.
07/18/04 (Sunday): After we woke up, we came up on deck and had a wonderful sunrise. I took quite a few pictures, and you also have the video tape that I took - beautiful scenery.
07/19/04 (Monday): We caught the sailboats up near Alpena. It was a foggy Monday, so we had a difficult time spotting them. We went to Cheboygan Monday afternoon to pump out and then sailed to Mackinac Island. We got to Mackinac Island in the late evening and moored out in the bay.
07/20/04 (Tuesday): We went on the island for a couple of hours and then we went back to the ship to move it to Arnold Transit Dock for mooring. Acheson Ventures took us out to dinner at the Yankee Rebel. The whole crew thanks you all very much for your generosity and caring for the crew and the volunteers.
07/21/04 (Wednesday): Ben said, "Let's go for a barbeque somewhere." So we went to Saint Helena Island over on Lake Michigan. We pulled up and dropped anchor and a group of scouts from the island came up to us in a dingy and invited us over to the island for our barbeque.
We didn't have a grill and Ben was wondering how we were going to do our barbeque. They said they just built a brand new barbeque pit. So they said they would go back to the island and start up the fire for us while we got our picnic together. We had to use our dingy to get back and forth to the island. We did hour watches, so everybody could enjoy the island. We had a wonderful time. They restored a lighthouse and the scout leaders let us go up in the lighthouse and view the scenery of Lake Michigan. It was beautiful up there.
07/22/04 (Thursday): We had tremendous winds, so we set sail and headed back towards the Mackinac Bridge. You saw the video, so you can see how Highlander Sea handled the winds. It was awesome. This was the first time I was on Highlander Sea when it tipped that much. I hung on tight to whatever I could hold on to of course, my life jacket was on snug.
In ending, I just want to let Acheson Ventures know that you have an excellent, professional crew right now -Ben, Scott, Chris, Katie, Andrew, Jennifer, Kara, and Ivan. The volunteers who sailed to Mackinac Island with us were awesome. We were on that ship for eight days and never once had an argument, fight, or whatever. Every single one of us did our job, worked together as a team, and helped each other out. This is an experience I will never forget - and I have the video tape that I made to remind me of it. I am sure all the other members of our crew that sailed with us echo my thoughts.
Your Windy Volunteer Crew Member
Gary Beauchamp
Notes from Highlander Sea volunteer Eric Wright:
Two Weeks on one of the most beautiful ships afloat. What a great experience! I have been volunteering on the Highlander since last September, participating in many day sails, public dockside tours, sail training days and maintenance activities, but this was my first chance to sail on an extended voyage.
We started off by having the best seat in the house for the start of the Port Huron to Mackinac Race. As the race committee boat, we were one of the starting line boats and I got to watch much of the start of the bigger boats, such as Genuine Risk and Earth Voyager, from up in the cross trees at 90+ feet above the water.
Following the start of the race we weighed anchor and returned to Port Huron to let off the race committee members and pick up our remaining crew. Our trip up to Mackinac was done with a mixture of sailing, motoring, and motor sailing due to the very light winds and the schedule we had to meet. There were some great experiences on the sail up there including an opportunity, at one point, to get out on the dinghy taking pictures of Highlander under full sail. The incredible display of stars during night watch was breath taking. The camaraderie of the crew during watch and even the little bit of competitiveness between the two watches was a lot of fun. "Port Watch Rules!!!!!!!"
After arriving at Mackinac we had many varied days such as shore leave on Mackinac Island, sailing to St Helena and Beaver Island for barbeques and Bon Fires, and some incredible days of raw sailing. We had a great sail with Mary Ryba and several other Mackinac Island business owners.
Thank You, Mary, for your hospitality towards the crew and a great evening in your Bistro after the sail. Mackinac Island is a very unique and interesting place that everyone should experience at least once. Once having experienced it, you'll probably want to go back again though.
I had a great time sailing under two very different but equally impressive Captains. Lt. Commander Greg Wisener and Captain Ivan Luke, both from the U.S. Coast Guard. I learned so much off of both of these men and off of First Mate Ben Hale and the rest of the crew. Several events stick out in my mind like sailing off the dock at St. Ignace, sailing both off of and onto the hook (that means sailing into anchor position and sailing off of the anchor without engines) at St Helena and Beaver Island (at least off the hook here), detailed navigation instruction and sail theory training, operating the helm for hours under all kinds of maneuvers under full sail, and just a whole lot of fun.
My wife at one point stated she thought that, by the excitement in my voice every time we talked, that if I didn’t have a mortgage and a family depending on me I might not even want to come back. I don't think she was that far off the mark.
I hope that anyone reading this, someday, gets the opportunity of a lifetime like I just had. I am looking forward to many more years of participation with this incredible ship and I wish to thank Acheson Ventures and the crew of the Highlander Sea for providing this unique opportunity.
Eric B. Wright
Systems Analyst - Canada
Cleanharbors Canada Inc. - I.T.
This is a message received from Captain Ivan Luke, USCG in 2004:
I had the distinct pleasure to sail for a time (too short a time) aboard HIGHLANDER SEA the last week of July. Being a "sailor without a ship" (I'm currently teaching school ashore in Newport, RI) sailing such a beautiful classic schooner was too good of an opportunity to pass up.
We were sailing out of scenic Mackinac Island and ventured as far as Beaver Island in Lake Michigan, and enjoyed some great sailing weather. But it wasn't the weather or even the beautiful boat that impressed me most-- It was the crew. Chief Mate Ben Hale and his crew of both professional sailors and talented volunteers were fantastic and made me feel like a shipmate from the first day. They really know their stuff and impressed me with their ability to work the big schooner under sail in the rapidly changing weather characteristic of the Great Lakes.
I was particularly impressed with their demonstration of traditional boat prowess by sailing to and away from anchorage several times, just as it would have been done by Great Lakes schooner men a century ago. HIGHLANDER SEA and her crew are a fine and fitting tribute to the rich maritime heritage of Port Huron and the Great Lakes region, and I hope I get to chance to sail with them again real soon!
12/08/2008 Sorry for the delay regarding this entry. My last entry left off while we were still in the Cleveland shipyard. The dry-dock period went well. Highlander Sea went back in the water as scheduled with three new planks back aft and two up forward on the port bow. In addition to the new planking, all of the old leaky caulking was replaced with new cotton and oakum.
For the trip back to Port Huron, we could not have asked for better weather. We left Cleveland around noon on Tuesday, November 4th, under a cloudless, blue sky with a temperature somewhere in the 50s (maybe even 60s). Since we were motoring, we were all grateful for the lack of wind and glassy surface out on Lake Erie.
Due to our late departure from Cleveland, we were not going to make it up the Detroit River before dark so we planned our voyage to include a night anchored at Put-in Bay (sparing us a tiring transit back to Port Huron). The weather was favorable so why hurry? We dropped anchor just after dark and decided to go ashore. Our objective? Find a local establishment with a television. Some of us were anxious to see how the election was progressing...and, of course, hoping to enjoy a malty beverage before retiring to our bunks. Objectives met.
The following day we enjoyed the same weather conditions as the day before thereby allowing an uneventful, yet pleasant, ride back to Port Huron. The anchor was up before daybreak and we were moored at the Bean Dock by 7 p.m.
Our move to the Black River a couple of weeks later went very well. By planning ahead we were able to perform the task unassisted (other than our own rescue boat) without a single scratch to Highlander. The whole operation took about two hours from the time we left the Bean Dock until we were secure in Port Huron Yacht Club's basin.
Due to the weather, the shrink wrap cover was postponed until the week after Thanksgiving. It was either too windy or too slushy. Finally an opportunity presented itself towards the end of the week and two solid days were spent securing and shrinking the cover. With the cover securely in place we are now able to begin our long list of winter projects.
Happy Holidays!!
Captain Benjamin Hale
SV Highlander Sea
10/27/2008 Our trip to Cleveland was rather uneventful since it was merely a motor boat ride. We arrived early Saturday morning, but waited outside the harbor until we had sufficient daylight.
Due to weather and scheduling, we were not hauled out until Wednesday, which gave us plenty of time for settling in and preparing what would be needed for the job. We got hotel rooms a short distance away and figured out ways we would transport the crew to and from the shipyard. Caulkers and carpenters started showing up throughout the next two days. All were familiar faces from the rebuild in the Soo.
Early Wednesday morning we departed the dock into Cleveland's old river to position the vessel over Great Lake Towing Company's floating dry-dock. Great care was taken to ensure Highlander Sea would be properly positioned so as to minimize any stress or strain on her hull as she is floated out of the water. The entire dry-docking took six hours from the time we left the dock until she was high and dry with all of the shoring in place.
Work began immediately. Seams were reefed for caulking, five planks above the water line which contained rot were removed and through-hull valves were disassembled for inspection. The yardmen began cleaning the growth off the hull and started preparing for new coats of anti-fowling paint.
Presently our new planks are on and fastened, ready for new caulking and paint. The caulkers are about a third of the way through and continuing while the crew cleans out any seams with old caulking. The crew also is repainting shot length markings on the anchor chains.
This morning the Coast Guard preformed a hull exam without encountering any major concerns, but the "letter" still needs signing. A test of our bilge pump is pending for the exam to be complete, but that will have to wait until she is back in the water. All in all, I expect the remainder of the exam to pass smoothly.
So far, we are on schedule to return to Port Huron and we are all looking forward to getting Highlander Sea safely home into her winter berth. The crew is all looking forward to some down time as well.
Happy Halloween!!
Captain Benjamin Hale
SV Highlander Sea
The following journals were written (in June of 2004) by visiting Captain, Lt. Cmd. Greg Wisener, United States Coast Guard and two loyal HIghlander Sea volunteers, Gary Beauchamp and Eric Wright.
Notes from Lt. Cmd. Wisener:
07/15/04 (Thursday) My first day on board Highlander Sea. I've signed up to be the licensed master of a ship I don't know, with a crew I've never met, on a lake I've never sailed!!!! No worries! I've got a great first impression of the crew - they are confident and competent and are overflowing with enthusiasm for their work!!! Chris, Scott, Jen, Andrew, Kate, and Kara have certainly lived up to the high standard my friend, Chief Mate Ben Hale, has for them. As for the ship, I am speechless. The deck is beautiful, the lines of this powerful schooner are clean! I spent the day inspecting the readiness of the vessel and have found her in all respects ready to sail. The most disappointing part of this day was that we didn't sail (and yes, the crew let me know it!)
07/16/04 (Friday) Underway on the St. Clair River, bound for Lake Huron and a day of training! As we proceed up river, the water turns an amazing color of green, reminding me of Hamilton Harbor in Bermuda. Andrew and Ben point out the many landmarks and curiosities as we proceed. Once in Lake Huron, we proceed to our designated anchorage for the start of tomorrow's race. The crew smartly sets two anchors - bow and stern - to ensure we will point north to form the start line. Eager to sail, we heave around and house the anchors, then proceed to set sail. Although forewarned, I am still impressed by the size of the mainsail. As Boatswain Scott provides words of encouragement to the crew, while they haul on the seemingly endless halyard, he points out that the Sea's mainsail is the third largest gaff rigged sail in the world...and how! The winds are light so we set the main gaff-topsail in addition to the lowers. Next, the crew encounters a fire in the forecastle, a victim of smoke inhalation, a man overboard, a fire in the engine room, and the need to abandon ship - all drills handled correctly with the calm professionalism of a well-trained crew. Still, lessons are learned and passed on to all. Sea returns home after a long, but satisfying day of work.
07/17/04 (Saturday) Race day! The race committee is an interesting lot, bringing with them many flags that are unknown to me and the guy with the coolest job in the race, the shotgun signal guy! (He always seemed to fire that signal gun at a passing merchant vessel, helicopter, or plane... I guess we're all kids at heart!) Throughout the day the starts involved larger, more complex, more capable boats until the 70's arrived. Watching these high tech racing machines and the well-honed crews on board was indeed a pleasure! They were handled gracefully with hardly a word passed between crewmembers. One boat came across the start too soon and so had to circle around the Highlander Sea. They didn't waste a yard of distance, coming so close to our forward anchor chain and bowsprit that we thought they might strike us. Once on our starboard side, the helmsman saw that he was inside of our stern anchor buoy. He made a seemingly effortless maneuver around it. As this magnificent vessel passed astern of us, the crew changed out the staysail without losing an ounce of wind. They re-crossed the start line no more than 400 yards astern of their competitors... something to see! After dropping off our guests, we get underway once again, bound for Mackinac Island while the sun sets - this is going to be a good trip!
07/18/04 (Sunday) First night watches... Again the crew performs well, sailing the ship in challenging light airs. I'm getting to know the very capable volunteers. What a great group - Jared, Mike and Mike, Chris, Victor, Marilyn, Rob, and Gary all have something special to offer. They blend right in with the professional crew, which says a lot for their capabilities and contributions. Put the boat over the side to get some photos of this beautiful schooner underway. We were able to sail through the day until abeam of Thunder Bay, and then we had to motor through the night to make Mackinac Island by Tuesday.
07/19/04 (Monday) Headed into Cheboygan to pump out our sewage and get some supplies. We then sailed in the scenic South Channel and anchored Monday evening at Mackinac Harbor to the sounds of reveling sailors who had made it in from the still ongoing race.
7/20/04 (Tuesday) Moved the ship to the pier to minimize requirements for crew watch and to allow the public to get a closer view of the Sea. The crew enjoyed a nice dinner with some of the key leaders of Acheson Ventures.
07/21/04 (Wednesday) A peaceful sail to St Helena Island while the crew did some light maintenance and improvements. We met an interesting group of people who have restored an 1800's lighthouse while teaching young people how to do the restoration - including completion of 15 Eagle Scout projects. We had dinner on the beach, cooked over a fire pit which we shared with a visiting Girl Scout troop (and yes, we helped them eat their burned marshmallows.) Ben, Jen, Chris, Gary, Rob and myself went for a hike to find the remnants of a long vanished town. A great day!
07/22/04 (Thursday) Sailed from our anchorage - always a source of pride for a tall ship. We took advantage of the passing of a front with Northwest winds, 20 to 30 knots, that blessed us through most of the day. We passed under the mammoth Mackinaw bridge, then circumnavigated Mackinac Island, making more than 8 knots for much of the day. My mentor and relief, Captain Ivan Luke, got to see the ship in it's full glory, as we sailed past the passenger ferry he was riding on.
07/23/04 (Friday) Light winds today, but a good day underway none the less. This was Captain Luke's first day aboard and we ran through all emergency drills so he could become familiar with the crew and their capabilities. We sailed around Mackinac Island again and then moored in St. Ignace to pump out and take on fuel. Our crew greeted a gathering of spectators on shore, and then we gave them a bit of a show. Sailing off the dock. A great day, my only regret is that it was my last day sailing with this fine crew on board the elegant Highlander Sea."
Notes from Highlander Sea volunteer Gary Beauchamp:
I am writing a thank you note for Acheson Ventures and the Highlander Sea crew -especially Scott and Ben - for inviting me to help crew up to Mackinac Island for the 80th Anniversary of the Port Huron to Mackinac Island Sailboat Race, plus the 80th Anniversary of Highlander Sea.
I have been a volunteer crew member for two years now. This was my first overnight trip on Highlander Sea, so I was anxious about getting caught in a storm on Lake Huron. I can't swim, so I wear my Stern's life jacket on the whole time, except when sleeping.
07/17/04 (Saturday): About 6 p.m. we start sailing to Mackinac. When we started setting the sails out in Lake Huron, we lined up to set the main sail and Greg, our captain on the trip, lined up next to me and said, "Am I missing something, Gary? Why are you wearing a life jacket? Are we supposed to be wearing one?" I said, "No, I can't swim and I don't like heights." And we both started laughing and I said, "And I'm sailing on a tall ship."
We broke up our crew into two night watches. I was assigned to Ben's crew and we had the midnight to 4 a.m. watch. We went to sleep around 8 p.m. and got up about 11:30 for our midnight watch. When I came up the steps from the galley, I couldn't believe how beautiful the sky was. The stars were awesome! The crew members were telling me how nice it is to work the night watch. Ben let me take the helm and steer the ship for about an hour. I really enjoyed the experience.
07/18/04 (Sunday): After we woke up, we came up on deck and had a wonderful sunrise. I took quite a few pictures, and you also have the video tape that I took - beautiful scenery.
07/19/04 (Monday): We caught the sailboats up near Alpena. It was a foggy Monday, so we had a difficult time spotting them. We went to Cheboygan Monday afternoon to pump out and then sailed to Mackinac Island. We got to Mackinac Island in the late evening and moored out in the bay.
07/20/04 (Tuesday): We went on the island for a couple of hours and then we went back to the ship to move it to Arnold Transit Dock for mooring. Acheson Ventures took us out to dinner at the Yankee Rebel. The whole crew thanks you all very much for your generosity and caring for the crew and the volunteers.
07/21/04 (Wednesday): Ben said, "Let's go for a barbeque somewhere." So we went to Saint Helena Island over on Lake Michigan. We pulled up and dropped anchor and a group of scouts from the island came up to us in a dingy and invited us over to the island for our barbeque.
We didn't have a grill and Ben was wondering how we were going to do our barbeque. They said they just built a brand new barbeque pit. So they said they would go back to the island and start up the fire for us while we got our picnic together. We had to use our dingy to get back and forth to the island. We did hour watches, so everybody could enjoy the island. We had a wonderful time. They restored a lighthouse and the scout leaders let us go up in the lighthouse and view the scenery of Lake Michigan. It was beautiful up there.
07/22/04 (Thursday): We had tremendous winds, so we set sail and headed back towards the Mackinac Bridge. You saw the video, so you can see how Highlander Sea handled the winds. It was awesome. This was the first time I was on Highlander Sea when it tipped that much. I hung on tight to whatever I could hold on to of course, my life jacket was on snug.
In ending, I just want to let Acheson Ventures know that you have an excellent, professional crew right now -Ben, Scott, Chris, Katie, Andrew, Jennifer, Kara, and Ivan. The volunteers who sailed to Mackinac Island with us were awesome. We were on that ship for eight days and never once had an argument, fight, or whatever. Every single one of us did our job, worked together as a team, and helped each other out. This is an experience I will never forget - and I have the video tape that I made to remind me of it. I am sure all the other members of our crew that sailed with us echo my thoughts.
Your Windy Volunteer Crew Member
Gary Beauchamp
Notes from Highlander Sea volunteer Eric Wright:
Two Weeks on one of the most beautiful ships afloat. What a great experience! I have been volunteering on the Highlander since last September, participating in many day sails, public dockside tours, sail training days and maintenance activities, but this was my first chance to sail on an extended voyage.
We started off by having the best seat in the house for the start of the Port Huron to Mackinac Race. As the race committee boat, we were one of the starting line boats and I got to watch much of the start of the bigger boats, such as Genuine Risk and Earth Voyager, from up in the cross trees at 90+ feet above the water.
Following the start of the race we weighed anchor and returned to Port Huron to let off the race committee members and pick up our remaining crew. Our trip up to Mackinac was done with a mixture of sailing, motoring, and motor sailing due to the very light winds and the schedule we had to meet. There were some great experiences on the sail up there including an opportunity, at one point, to get out on the dinghy taking pictures of Highlander under full sail. The incredible display of stars during night watch was breath taking. The camaraderie of the crew during watch and even the little bit of competitiveness between the two watches was a lot of fun. "Port Watch Rules!!!!!!!"
After arriving at Mackinac we had many varied days such as shore leave on Mackinac Island, sailing to St Helena and Beaver Island for barbeques and Bon Fires, and some incredible days of raw sailing. We had a great sail with Mary Ryba and several other Mackinac Island business owners.
Thank You, Mary, for your hospitality towards the crew and a great evening in your Bistro after the sail. Mackinac Island is a very unique and interesting place that everyone should experience at least once. Once having experienced it, you'll probably want to go back again though.
I had a great time sailing under two very different but equally impressive Captains. Lt. Commander Greg Wisener and Captain Ivan Luke, both from the U.S. Coast Guard. I learned so much off of both of these men and off of First Mate Ben Hale and the rest of the crew. Several events stick out in my mind like sailing off the dock at St. Ignace, sailing both off of and onto the hook (that means sailing into anchor position and sailing off of the anchor without engines) at St Helena and Beaver Island (at least off the hook here), detailed navigation instruction and sail theory training, operating the helm for hours under all kinds of maneuvers under full sail, and just a whole lot of fun.
My wife at one point stated she thought that, by the excitement in my voice every time we talked, that if I didn’t have a mortgage and a family depending on me I might not even want to come back. I don't think she was that far off the mark.
I hope that anyone reading this, someday, gets the opportunity of a lifetime like I just had. I am looking forward to many more years of participation with this incredible ship and I wish to thank Acheson Ventures and the crew of the Highlander Sea for providing this unique opportunity.
Eric B. Wright
Systems Analyst - Canada
Cleanharbors Canada Inc. - I.T.
This is a message received from Captain Ivan Luke, USCG in 2004:
I had the distinct pleasure to sail for a time (too short a time) aboard HIGHLANDER SEA the last week of July. Being a "sailor without a ship" (I'm currently teaching school ashore in Newport, RI) sailing such a beautiful classic schooner was too good of an opportunity to pass up.
We were sailing out of scenic Mackinac Island and ventured as far as Beaver Island in Lake Michigan, and enjoyed some great sailing weather. But it wasn't the weather or even the beautiful boat that impressed me most-- It was the crew. Chief Mate Ben Hale and his crew of both professional sailors and talented volunteers were fantastic and made me feel like a shipmate from the first day. They really know their stuff and impressed me with their ability to work the big schooner under sail in the rapidly changing weather characteristic of the Great Lakes.
I was particularly impressed with their demonstration of traditional boat prowess by sailing to and away from anchorage several times, just as it would have been done by Great Lakes schooner men a century ago. HIGHLANDER SEA and her crew are a fine and fitting tribute to the rich maritime heritage of Port Huron and the Great Lakes region, and I hope I get to chance to sail with them again real soon!