 Exhibits, workshops, and presentations cover just about every aspect of maritime history and Great Lakes scuba diving. You can listen to and interact with leading dive industry professionals, extreme explorers, maritime historians, and Great Lakes authors!
We reserve the right to modify this schedule as needed. Please note that there will be presentations in two different rooms (Grand Ballroom West and Grand Ballroom East). Wristbands are needed to gain into all presentations and are obtained with a paid admission at the ticket desk.
Click on a title below to view more information about the event.
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Friday, March 07, 2008
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| Welcome to Ghost Ships Festival. The exhibit hall is FREE to the public. |
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 Found on May 3, 1995 by archaeologist working for NUMA. Ralph’s association with the Hunley actually began years earlier, when Ralph was working with the South Carolina Institute of Archeology and Anthropology. It was in 1980 that Clive Cussler was first granted a permit to search for the illusive, history-making vessel, and he was introduced to and aided by Ralph. The following year, 19 magnetic anomalies were discovered in the search; all but 7 were discounted. But by the end of the project, none of the 7 leads had produced any results. It would be 14 years before the search began again.
 In 1994 Ralph, who was by now owner of his own company, Diversified Wilbanks, was again hired by Cussler to search for the lost sub. In yet another career irony, it wasn’t until Ralph and diver Wes Hall went back to the most un-promising site from the 1981 endeavor that the Hunley, lying on her side and buried under 3 feet of sand, was discovered.
On the evening of 17 February 1864, the Hunley set out on patrol. Approximately two and a half miles off Charleston Bar, the Hunley observed and shaped a course for the screw sloop-of-war USS Housatonic, which lay at anchor on blockade duty. The Housatonic's lookout spotted the Hunley and voiced a warning, but the ship's attempt to get underway was not timely enough to prevent contact and detonation. The Housatonic sank in approximately three minutes. The Hunley was the first submarine to sink a warship, but never returned to station. |
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Saturday, March 08, 2008
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Booth 6 - Pathways Press Rochelle Pennington
Booth GLSRF - Kimm A Stabelfeldt
Booth 45 - David Trotter after 10:30AM
Booth 44 - Fred Stonehouse 11:15AM-11:30AM and 3:15PM-4:00PM
Booth 31 - Mike and Georgann Wachter 11:15AM-11:30AM and 3:15PM-4:00PM
Booth 37 - Valerie Van Heest - Michigan Shipwreck Research Assoc. |
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The idea started with the recently published book, Shipwreck Hunter...to share the early images and the excitement of the being the first to explore unique, one of a kind Great Lakes shipwrecks that represent our Great Lakes Marine History.
In the beginning, positioning systems such as Loran C and Global Positioning Systems (GPS) did not exist. Then the convergence of positioning systems and the application of sidescan sonar underwater survey made profound changes in Great Lakes exploration.
The world of exploration, for shipwreck hunters and shipwreck divers, has now become a dive into Great Lakes Maritime History; our History. The Great Lakes is one of the last unexplored realms where people of modest means, you and I, can truly experience discovery and “virgin” exploration, and share the adventure with others.
From discoveries in the 70’s to the most recent new discoveries in 2007, this program is a great visual experience to delight historians, shipwreck divers and adventurers. It is one hell of a ride! |
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Join Jerry as he reveiws the wrecks Hiram R Bond and the Tug Ellen HIRAM R. BOND, 95966, unrigged scow, wood, built 1888, Milwaukee Ship Yard Co., Milwaukee [built as a propeller steamer] (113x26x8 231g as a steamer), lost May 29, 1905 off Milwaukee in a collision carrying sand, Rammed in a fog and sunk by the carferry PERE MARQUETTE 20. The ferry rescued her crew. ELLEN, 136358, Sand sucker built in 1893 by Milwaukee Dry Dock Co. for Lake Shore Sand Co. 350 gross tons, 121.0 X 30.6 X 8.0, Idle after 1924. Sank on the Milwaukee River and abandoned in 1928 at Lyon Street, remains removed by Great Lakes DR & DK Co. Dredge summer of 1931 and dumped in the lake. |
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Pre-Registration Only
This workshop will provide a basic understanding of how an underwater site is surveyed, mapped and interpreted using manual methods. The class will cover survey objectives and the use of trilateration, offsets and sketches to generate preliminary maps of underwater sites. The workshop will include hands-on practice using the tools and techniques covered in the discussion.
Fee for the workshop is $30 per person. The fee includes a 1 year membership in the Wisconsin Underwater Archeology Association. For workshop registration use the form to the right.
Fee: $30.00 | | |
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| Join Tamara Thomsen on a tour of the projects conducted by Wisconsin Historical Society's Maritime Preservation and Archaeology Program over the busy 2007 field season. Discover the port anchor of the Rouse Simmons, photo mosaic several coasting schooners, collaborate with GLSPS and GLSRF on documentation projects, survey the SS Wisconsin, learn about our partnership with Wisconsin Dept. of Tourism, and see what's coming out of the State's conservation lab! |
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| From 1874 until 1915 when it became the U.S. Coast Guard, the men of this remarkable organization displayed incredible courage and bravery in rescuing over 55, 000 people from potential death on the Great Lakes. Despite personal danger or difficulty, the life-savers invariably accomplished the rescue. Their unofficial motto was, "Regulations say we have to go out, they say nothing about coming back." It was a motto they lived and in some cases, died by. |
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Pre-Registration Only
Jerry Guyer once again returns to Ghost Ships, with his program Side Scanning & Shipwreck Hunting 101.
Jerry shares his knowledge and success of his 2007 season providing side scanning skills, imagines of what to look for in the search, planning and search grids to use.
Fee for this workshop is $75 per person
You can sign up at the Pirates Cove booth on Saturday 3/8/08 or use the form.
Fee: $75.00 | | |
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Learning to scuba dive is your gateway to dicovering a fascinating new enviroment...and you don't need a space suit to get there! Discover the world of weightlessness in the controlled environment of a heated pool.
These introductory experiences offer a safe enviroment with a variety of expert instructors by your side.
It's free - All you need is a swim suite & towel |
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Join the WUAA & GLSRF, Inc. in the 2007 fieldwork to survey the remains of Milwaukee’s historic Fireboat Number 23. Built at Sturgeon Bay in 1896 as the August F. Janssen, she was a landmark on the Milwaukee waterfront and participated in several notable fires over her 27 year career. She was a wooden tug of 100 ft in length with massive boilers to power her fire fighting equipment. The 23 was scrapped in 1922 and scuttled in Lake Michigan on July 27, 1923.
In 2005, her remains were located a few miles off Milwaukee Harbor by area charter captain Jerry Guyer. Mr. Guyer assisted the WUAA and GLSRF,Inc. Volunteers in the survey work, which was conducted over several months this summer in developing the site mapping of the wreck. Join the team in 2008 to complete the work.
Support the Milwaukee Fireboat project by making a donation at the GLSRF, Inc. booth. For donations over $10.00 you get a free T-Shirt with the project Logo on it. |
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Sitting on the beach in Porter County, Indiana is an old wooden schooner with possible ties to one of the most important and turbulent times in recent American history—the Underground Railroad. This lecture centers on the theory of how and why the Alpha Wreck was connected to the transportation of escaped slaves via Lake Michigan to Canada during the antebellum years.
Did the Alpha Wreck transport fugitive slaves to Canada and freedom? |
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Pre-Registration Only
This workshop will provide a basic introduction to closed circuit rebreather technology, discuss rebreather theory, present differences between closed and open circuit diving, and explain the features of popular rebreather units on the market today. Participants will be allowed to sample from 7 different models of rebreathers: KISS Classic, KISS Sport, Megalodon, Inspiration, Evolution, Ouroborus, and Optima. This is the prefect chance for the rebreather-curious to try out this next frontier of diving technology. It is also a great opportunity for those with a basic knowledge of rebreathers to compare and contrast design and performance components. The workshop will include hands-on participation experiencing bubble free diving in the hotel pool (onsite, indoor, heated).
Prerequisite: Basic Scuba Certification
What to Bring: Swim suit, mask and fins.
The fee for the workshop is $75 per person. The fee covers rebreather use, gases, scrubber material, and handout materials.
To register, use the form to the right
We will contact you for payment details or you may call 608-347-2822
Fee: $75.00 | | |
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On what must have been a violently stormy day on Lake Michigan more than a century ago, a small schooner, loaded with slabs of freshly milled lumber, wallowed in the trough of the huge seas as her captain and crew struggled to keep their ship afloat and their lives intact. But that was not to be.
More than a century later, Michigan Shipwreck Research Associates located the wreck of a small schooner off Saugatuck Michigan. Broken, and waterlogged, the ship none-the-less called out to have her story told. But with so many ordinary lumber-laden schooners lost in the Lake, identifying the ship would be nearly impossible.
Through painstaking research and several dangerous dives to this deep wreck, MSRA explores not only the wreck, but the lumbering industry that sustained Michigan in its early years as a State during the mid to late 19th century. Their journey ultimately leads them back to 1881 and the ironic final moments of a prophetically named schooner swallowed by a freshwater Monsoon. |
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On November 22, 1912, the Rouse Simmons departed Thompson, Michigan with a load of Christmas trees bound for Chicago. She never arrived. Despite desperate searches, no one knew where or why she was lost.
It was not until 1971 that the Rouse Simmons was discovered in 170 feet of water northeast of Two Rivers. Since that time the story of the Rouse Simmons, better known as the Christmas Tree Ship, has grown to legendary proportions. |
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| In the past couple years many new wrecks have been discovered or revealed in Lake Erie. Mike and Georgann will take you on a fascinating tour of thirteen of these finds, including the Courtland, Anthony Wayne, Belle Mitchell, and George Weyland. The presentation includes an array of varied and surprising new targets for divers to explore. |
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| The engine and engine room machinery are some of the most interesting parts of a shipwreck. Understanding what you are seeing makes it even more enjoyable. Using 3Danimations Ken will build and describe a steam engine and a basic steam system. He will then take you on a video tour of the engine rooms and machinery of several shipwrecks using these basics to interpret what you see. |
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Pre-Registration Only
Jerry Guyer once again returns to Ghost Ships, with his program Side Scanning & Shipwreck Hunting 101.
Jerry shares his knowledge and success of his 2007 season providing side scanning skills, imagines of what to look for in the search, planning and search grids to use.
Fee for this workshop is $75 per person
You can sign up at the Pirates Cove booth on Saturday 3/8/08 or use the form.
Fee: $75.00 | | |
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| In 2007, the Wisconsin Historical Society conducted the first formal survey of the SS Wisconsin wreck site. Join nautical archaeologist Keith Meverden on an underwater tour of the SS Wisconsin as she lies today. Hear her storied history and learn what the Society divers discovered in the frigid depth of Lake Michigan. |
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The Jessie Scarth was a three-masted canal schooner launched in 1871 at Hamilton, Ontario. She foundered at anchor off of Manistee, Michigan in 1887. The accounts of the sinking of the City of Green Bay and the Havana are well known to Lake Michigan wreck enthusiasts.
This is the story of a third schooner lost in notorious the October, 1887 storm. The Jessie Scarth and the people associated with her have a fascinating history that bring together stories of shipping on the Baltic Sea, land speculation in the Canadian west and American Civil War battles. The wreck is partially intact and totally pristine. This virgin shipwreck is documented with high definition video. |
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| The narrow passage between Lake Michigan and Lake Huron has been a busy waterway since shipping on the Great Lakes began. Many ships have met there demise within the Straights. Greg Such will cover several of the ships in the area that are explored annually by hundreds of recreational and technical divers. The diversity in the area makes it a great experience for everyone and the City itself is a thriving tourist destination for the non-diver many of us travel with. |
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| The focus will be on the history of the ship from construction to the wreck – why it sank in a fierce Lake Erie storm, how the survivors survived, and my experience diving the Boland (including my harrowing dive that resulted in a tragic and almost fatal case of the dreaded bends). The wreck sits at the bottom of Lake Erie in 137 feet of water off Barcelona, New York. |
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Ghost Ships
2008
Presenters
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Become a Volunteer!
GLSRF welcomes outside assistance from qualified volunteers.
CLICK HERE If you are a diver, a Great Lakes shipwreck buff or just
someone who wants to lend us a hand during Ghost ships.
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