The material for the new masts was delivered in February of 2007 and was shaped throughout the month of March. There were many carpentry and engineering projects completed on the
Highlander Sea while she was docked at the Port Huron Yacht Club for the winter. The ship returned to her home at the Bean Dock (
Seaway Terminal) in early April to begin rigging.
The hull exam in Cleveland went well, however this is only one component in the entire inspection process. We still have a list of jobs to accomplish before our inspection is complete. Last week the Coast Guard inspected a variety of issues we were able to remedy since last year. The inspection was successful, but there are still items on the list we have to address before receiving our certification.
Tall ship Highlander Sea sails through a beautiful sunrise on Lake Huron.
Highlander Sea completed her 2008 sailing season successfully. We had a breezy summer with the occasional thunderstorm, but passenger response was positive.
As down rigging reaches completion, we continue to prepare for a two week dry-dock at Great Lakes Towing Co. in Cleveland Ohio. The primary purpose of this dry-docking is so the Coast Guard can examine the hull to ensure that she is structurally sound. We will take advantage of our time out of the water to perform any maintenance on the hull that could not be done otherwise.
Upon return, Highlander Sea will be laid up at her usual winter berth in the Port Huron Yacht Club. In addition to our usual winter maintenance, we will begin executing the list generated by the Coast Guard with the hopes of a larger passenger capacity next spring.
Getting Highlander Sea ready.
In August, Highlander Sea finished her stay in Chicago and left for Port Huron. She arrived home in time to take part in the 2006 Sail Port Huron tall ships festival, a maritime festival sponsored by Acheson Ventures.
Highlander Sea participated in the June of 2006 ASTA Great Lakes Challenge by attending festivals in Chicago and Green Bay.
Elizabeth Matthews (she likes to be called Liz) joined the HighlanderSea family in April of 2006 as Office Manager. A Port Huron native, Liz and her husband, Joel, have a daughter, Amanda, who lives in Kalamazoo. When Liz finds extra time in her busy life, she enjoys going to Tiger games, walking along the St. Clair River, and volunteering at Evangelical Nursing Home in Fort Gratiot.
Since joining Highlander Sea, Liz has been organizing the office, booking day sails and voyages, learning about the ship and her crew, getting ready for the 2006 sailing season and educational tours for fifth graders from throughout the Blue Water Area, and finding out that left is port and right is starboard.
Liz would be happy to talk with you about sailing on HighlanderSea or visiting the ship at the Port Huron Seaway Terminal, 2336 Military Street. So, give her a call during business hours Monday through Friday at 810-966-3488.
Reprinted from the Soo Evening News in 2004:
"Scaffolding was down and tools removed and her winter cover was cleared away as Highlander Sea stands nearly ready to re-enter her element at MCM Marine earlier this week. Visible to starboard of her massive iron rudder are the two new propellers and shafts fitted beneath the pilot schooners skinny stern. With new frame sections, a new keelson, new underwater planking and new paint all around, the 81-year-old schooner is ready for re-launching today after a nearly one year rebuild at MCM. After a few days to soak up, provision, fuel and take on crew, Highlander Sea will head south down the river for her home port at Port Huron. There, shipwrights will continue interior work and re-rigging on the schooner, the pride and joy of owner Acheson Ventures."
Some great pictures of the restoration from Angie Siemen:
These photos were taken during the refit of Highlander Sea in Sault Ste. Marie.
Highlander Sea Refit at the Soo
The ship's current crew, during the refit in the Soo, consists of Captain Micah Allnutt, Chief Mate Ben Hale, and Andros Kypragoras, our carpenter.
Captain Micah has been dividing his time between MCM Marine, the site of the refit, in Sault Ste. Marie, MI. (Soo) and his home in Port Huron. While in Port Huron he has been working on our volunteer program, introducing himself to our community, working with the advisory board, organizing the ships office, etc. etc. Next week he will be traveling to the Soo with Nobby Peers, a consulting engineer from Whitworth Marine in Maine.
Chief Mate Ben Hale has been busy measuring and planning the replacement of the ballast on the ship. This is an incredibly technical endeavor and is being done in conjunction with our Naval Architect and under the auspices of the Coast Guard.
Last, but certainly not least, carpenter Andros has been overseeing four to six ship carpenters and additional laborers from the marine. He has been the mastermind and problem solver for a myriad of technical and tactical circumstances that have come up since the refit started. He has been on a veritable scavenger hunt for a ships saw, a crane capable of lifting the foremast, a way to get the crane in place (no problem - you just spin the dry dock), lumber (which we were lucky to find in our home state), a mill that could handle the lengths required (South Carolina) and competent ship carpenters willing to work in the Soo (that was a real selling job when it was below zero).
Highlander Sea sits in drydock at Sault Ste. Marie
The project involves people and vendors from all over the country. We have carpenters in from the east coast and the mid-west. Andros has been ordering supplies from California to Maine to South Carolina. The trip the timber is taking is the most adventurous, traveling from the forests of mid-Michigan and Tennessee down to a mill in South Carolina and then trucking up to Sault Ste. Marie for placement by the carpenters.
The owner of the mill, Churchill Hornstein, spent a weekend "wood shopping" with Andros in Michigan, where they found some "gorgeous" (their word, not mine) oak trees. Churchill is also involved in the Spirit of South Carolina project. This tall ship is currently being built by a foundation in Charleston, SC. Churchill has challenged us to a race once both of these magnificent ships are completed. The challenge was accepted once we were assured by our crew that Highlander Sea would win, providing she had feathered props (seems the crew is always trying to get these).
Along with our resident expert, Andros, we have continuing input from a naval architect, Tim Graul; a former mentor, Dave Short; and visiting engineer, Jim Jefferson.
Captain Micah and Chief Mate Ben have been busy working with the architect and the engineer on the interior design of the boat. Ben has tracked down some original ship drawings from the Hart Nautical Museum at M.I.T.
Captain Micah is "old school" as far as sailing goes, and he is anxious to get the ship closer to her original interior design. One modern change will be additional black water space.
The project is quite an undertaking and involves an incredible commitment by Dr. James Acheson for the financing and the crew for the labor.
Highlander Sea welcomed a new captain in 2005, Micah Allnut. He was at the Soo with her. His most recently served as Master on Lettie G. Howard which is a schooner involved with the South Street Seaport Museum. Welcome Aboard, Micah.
Notes from Highlander Sea volunteer Linda Thibdaue, written in October of 2004:
Eleven of us left Port Huron on Tuesday morning, under power, with the Fore and Main set. Somewhere off of Harbor Beach, we where hailed by the Coast Guard and boarded for an Inspection. We think they were bored and just wanted to have a good look since there were some cameras involved. Proud to say we passed the inspection.
We sailed most of the way thanks to wind from a storm front that also brought a delightful combination of rain, sleet and snow. I quickly learned that the engine room doubles as a great place for drying pants, shoes, gloves, hats, and coats! We also started a pool to guess when Capt. Mike Dawson would break down and actually put on long pants. But he is from New England and apparently it is bad form to wear pants until November. (And I thought "no white after Labor Day" was silly.) The rest of us were in multiple layers and all the foul weather gear we could wear.
During the night we were hailed by a freighter on the radio. He wanted to know what type of vessel we were as our lights didn't quite match his expectations. He thought we were a tug with lights burned out. "We are Highlander Sea, a 154-foot schooner," Ben informed him. "Bit late in the season" was his reply. "We are headed to the Soo for dry dock," Ben responded. "Oh, well then keep the coffee hot and a blanket handy," he said before signing off.
Wednesday morning after breakfast the weather broke, but it was still cold. We started the engines and entered the St. Mary's River. It is wild and beautiful. Mid-morning we watched a bald eagle as it flew from a nest on one of the channel markers. We were so busy watching the freighter we had just passed that we almost missed it!
We arrived at the Soo and created quite a commotion. People were taking pictures from the bank of the river and a large tug pulled in to look us over. Ben launched the inflatable and played tug boat for us as Capt. Mike steered us backwards into the dock. Then we were able to connect to shore power, and rig a way to get off Highlander Sea. The dock is not exactly prepared for vessels that sit as low in the water. Standing on the deck, I stretched on tip-toes to reach the quay. And I am certainly not as agile climbing the rat lines as the crew!
Then the work began for de-rigging. We gathered another audience and some help from the yard crew to take the sails off. Picture a Chinese New Year's Parade with a people-powered Dragon float and you will have an idea of what we looked like walking the sails off and up to the quay. Then we used a fork lift to get the fore- and mainsails to a grassy area where we could fold them up.
Wednesday night we went exploring. We had a drink or two at a place called The Antlers. They didn't have a TV (except in the gift-shop) so some of us went looking for a place to watch the World Series. The rest of us walked back to the boat to watch the total eclipse of the moon. The Red Sox won, the moon disappeared, but came right back!
Ben's shore transportation, the antique, blue Huffy bike he rides around the terminal, went missing at some point during the trip. We all remembered seeing him lash it to the safety lines that run between the portside standing riggings before we left Port Huron, but it just wasn't there when we made port. Actually, none of us missed it until Mike Riley asked to borrow it. After Ben questioned all of us and a thorough search was conducted, it magically re-appeared in the Salon. Hmmmm - other hi-jinx did occur, but this was by far the best. (I do hope Chris found the potato someone stuffed down in the bottom of his duffle.)
We continued de-rigging Thursday morning, and then did a thorough cleaning above and below deck. Then it was time to say goodbye. Dick Russel drove up Thursday from Port Huron in a 15-passenger van to give us a lift home. Ben and Mike Dawson stayed with Highlander Sea. Departing Crew members Chris, Kara, and Kate had all of their accumulated belongings to take home. Andros and his black lab, Abbie, also were going with us in the van so they could return with another form of shore transportation for the winter - one with a motor! For awhile I thought I might be riding on top, but we all squeezed in and made good time. There was a lot of "Are we there yet?" coming from somewhere in the way-back seats, but Dick was a good sport. Thank you Dick for stopping to get us food and beverage, and for taking time to come to our aide.
Thank you to Captain and crew for hosting the volunteers on this and all the other sails this season. Thank you to the other volunteers that made this trip: Mike Bachler, Mike Riley, Bob Coulter, and Bob Howard. It was fun! And thank you to ALL THE VOLUNTEERS. It has been a great season!
Crew, volunteers, and members of Acheson Ventures helped Highlander Sea celebrate her 80th birthday on October 2, 2004. Please take a look at her history page to appreciate what 80 years of being a wooden tall ship involves. Thanks to her ever vigilant crew and enthusiastic volunteers, she looks wonderful. Happy Birthday Highlander Sea! May you celebrate many more.
Highlander Sea returned to Port Huron August 13, 2004, from Kenosha, Wi. after participating in the Kenosha Days of Discovery Festival. On August 24, Captain Mike Dawson from Kingston, MA. joined the ship as interim captain. He took her out on daysails, a school overnight, and a trip up north.
In July of 2004, Highlander Sea began her voyage to Mackinac Island after fulfilling her duties as Race Committee Boat. She sailed under the guidance of Greg Wisener. Greg was very impressed with the ship, but even more so with her crew and how well they worked together. She arrived in Mackinac Harbor on Monday, July 19th, thanks to some motor power since the winds were scarce.