History Over the Horizon with Kris Habermehl WBBM TV

Join award winning Chicago radio and television reporter Kris Habermehl for the story of Great Lakes shipping in the Chicago and Calumet area as seen from the air. Ride along with WBBM's traffic famous helicopter, "Chopper 780", as it provides a spectacular place to view examples of Chicago's maritime history just "over the horizon". Rare historic footage is also included. Kris is a lifelong Chicagoan who has been flying since the mid 70's. An early interest in aviation combined with a penchant for local history (especially maritime history) has enabled him to make stories come alive from his post aboard "Chopper 780". He has been on the air since 1992 when he joined Shadow Traffic. Reporting on traffic tie-ups and breaking news led to stints at several Chicago radio stations and also to his longtime assignment with sister station, WBBM-TV (CBS2). Recipient of a regional Emmy for his television reporting, Kris is also the color commentator for WBBM's annual coverage of the Chicago Air & Water Show.

Shipwrecks at Death's Door with Cris Kohl and Joan Forsberg

The concepts of "shipwrecks" and "death" go hand-in-hand, even more dramatically so when they occurred at a place called Death's Door, the most treacherous passageway between Lake Michigan and Green Bay. Dive to the remains of the schooners "E. R. Williams" and "Fleetwing," and to the notorious Pilot Island shipwrecks. Thrill to exciting underwater explorations of the steamer "Frank O.Connor" and the scow "Ocean Wave," and enjoy tales of lost shipwrecks awaiting discovery, featuring ground-breaking research and glimpses of the extensive maritime activity in this infamous region. This new seminar is based on "Shipwrecks at Death's Door" the newest book by Cris Kohl and Joan Forsberg. Joan, who holds a degree in history, has been the Chairman of the "Shipwrecks and our Marine Heritage" Room at Chicago's annual "Our World Underwater" Show since 1996, is the author of "The Diver's Guide to the Kitchen". Her writing has also appeared in Immersed and Wreck Diving magazines. Cris, a prize-winning underwater photographer with a Master's Degree in History, is a Past President of the Underwater Archaeological Society of Chicago. He has written 11 books about Great Lakes shipwrecks, including the bestselling "The Great Lakes Diving Guide" and the revised two-volume set, "The 100 Best Great Lakes Shipwrecks". He has appeared on numerous television programs, including on the History Channel, the Discovery Channel, and CBS-Chicago.

Bright Lights, Big City: Chicago's Lighthouse History with Donald J. Terras

Come on an historical tour of lighthouses, without leaving the festival, that have marked Chicago's port since 1832. Mr. Terras is an author and director of the Grosse Point Lighthouse National Landmark in Evanston. This seminar is based on his new book, "Lighthouses of Chicago Harbor: Their History, Architecture and Lore" (Windy City Press, 2006).

Seagoing Artist with Eric Forsberg

Join Eric Forsberg for a look at his own maritime art and the striking images that result from going to sea. One of Chicago's own, Eric was born in 1959 and still resides in the Chicago area. At an early age his interest in painting grew and after attending the American Academy of Art, Eric studied with maritime greats Charles Vickery and Thomas Hoyne III. He also took to the sea himself aboard sailing vessels and worked as a lobsterman in Maine. Eric is well known for capturing the moods of ocean views with an eye for detail as well as a painterly touch. His work focuses on the Atlantic Ocean, shorelines, lobster boats, fishing trawlers and tall ships.

Weather Forecasting with Amy Seeley

Mariners and landlubber alike will learn much about what goes into a weather forecast. Amy is the Port Meteorological Officer of the Great Lakes and has been with the National Weather Service for 15 years. She graduated from Northern Illinois University with a degree in meteorology in 1992 and has received an NWS award for her presentations at the Chicago Maritime Festival.

The Christmas Tree Ship with Rochelle Pennington

Join author Rochelle Pennington for a look at Capt. Herman Schuenemann, also known as Capt. Santa, and most famous of the Christmas Tree ships, the schooner Rouse Simmons, which was lost in the Winter of 1912. Rochelle, a freelance author and newspaper columnist, has penned The Christmas Tree Ship: The Story of Captain Santa, which featured the marine artwork of the late Charles Vickery, and The Historic Christmas Tree Ship: A True Story of Faith, Hope, and Love. Other works include Chicken Soup for the Soul, Don't Sweat the Small Stuff, and Stories for the Heart.

The Art of Ship in a Bottle with Glenn Braun

Learn the art and technique of this centuries old craft from a master along with other ship model building tips and demonstrations.

Glenn Braun built his first ship model at age six and has since built models professionally most of his adult life. With hundreds of models, ships-in-the-bottle, wood carvings,and other maritime related arts to his credit, Glenn's work can be seen in museums and private collections all over the globe. After almost twenty years at the South Street Seaport Museum in New York City, Glenn has recently relocated to the Chicago area, wading into the rich traditions of the Great Lakes, the Mississippi, and other waterways of the Midwest.

The Diver as Artist with Michael Angelo Gagliardi

"If you haven't surveyed it, you haven't dived it" are words that Michael Angelo Gagliardi lives by. For him art is a form of survey, a mirror to reflect back an event or observation; be it an historical event such as a shipwreck or a geological formation as an underwater cave, or assorted marine flora and fauna. Drawing, for Michael, adds another layer to dive site survey besides cartography and photography.

The seminar will focus on Michael Angelo's experience as a diver and an artist and will explore techniques of bringing the "Wet World" to the surface including drawing from memory, on site on mylar, and from photo montage.

Michael Angelo Gagliardi was born in New York City in 1962 to Irish and Italian Parents. He received a B.F.A. in painting and sculpture and a M.A. in Theatrical Design from C.W. College of Long Island University in 1985. He became a certified scuba diver in 1996 and has since received certifications in technical diving. Michael Angelo has a particular fascination with the caves and springs of Florida and the shipwrecks of the Great Lakes. His was honored when he was chosen to be a diver/artist aboard the 2002 USS Monitor expedition which raised the gun turret. He has, since 1989, lived in Chicago where he works as a Stagehand doing sets, lights and props for Broadway Musicals. He has a non-diving wife and two children who continue to be entertained by his stories from a "Wet World".

The Venturesome Voyages of JC Voss with Ralph Frese

Join Ralph Frese for the story of JC Voss, sea captain, author, and intrepid adventurer who sailed nearly around the world aboard Tilikum, a tiny decked dugout canoe (3 masted !). Voss searched for lost treasure, survived typhoons and escaped from encounters with cannibals. Ralph Frese, the canoe guru of the Midwest, is a blacksmith, author, adventurer, environmentalist, canoe builder, and wonderful storyteller. His collection of over 100 small craft is the cornerstone of the Chicago Maritime Society collections. He owns and operates the Chicagoland Canoe Base.

This presentation has been cancelled.

The Eastland Disaster with Jay Bonansinga

Come join the author the Chicago Tribune calls "one of the most imaginative writer's of thrillers" as he demonstrates why truth is indeed stranger than fiction in the case of the doomed excursion vessel the S.S. Eastland. Jay's 2005 non-fiction narrative book THE SINKING OF THE EASTLAND: AMERICA'S FORGOTTEN TRAGEDY (Kensington Books) was a CHICAGO READER Critic's Choice, and won the Illinois State Historical Society's Certificate of Superior Achievement. Among other things, Jay will discuss the 'mythologizing' of this important Chicago maritime disaster, as well as read brief excerpts from the book.

The National Archives in Chicago with Martin Tuohy

Perhaps the largest collection of unique, original historical documents about Great Lakes maritime life and commerce can be found in Chicago at the National Archives and Records Administration-Great Lakes Region. Historical records created or received by U.S. Government agencies such as the U.S. Coast Guard, the Bureau of Marine Inspection and Navigation, the U.S. Customs Service, and Great Lakes Naval Training Station are available for public research use at the National Archives-Great Lakes Region. Admiralty case records of the United States District Courts from Ohio, Michigan, Indiana, Illinois, Wisconsin, and Minnesota contain evidence about disputes and controversies on navigable waterways as far back as 1815. Handwritten and typed documents, maps, photographs, and charts were created by U.S. Government workers during the course of daily business.

A National Archives-Great Lakes Region staff archivist will offer a short workshop about using federal records for research into the history of sailing and steam ships, sailors, the transportation of commodities and finished products over the water, and the transportation of people by excursion vessels and railroad car ferries. Archivists will also be on hand to discuss resources and research throughout the day. Motivated grade school students, high school students, and adults who are new to the methods of historical research are especially encouraged to attend. Get ready for your visit by visiting www.archives.gov/great-lakes/chicago or calling (773) 948-9001

The Chicago Police Marine Unit with Lt. Steve Georgas

Meet the new head of the Marine Police Unit and discover how the they work, alone and with other agencies, along the shore of Chicago. They deal all sorts of marine problems and work with other agencies to solve problems on the water even before they happen. If you spend any time on or near the water in Chicago you will want to know these people.

Fox Island Lighthouse with Phil von Voigtlander

The Fox Islands are located near the head of Lake Michigan and are associated with areas of shoaling that present a serious hazard to shipping. The Lighthouse was originally placed in service in 1867 steadily developed up through the 1940's only to be abandon in 1958 and left to deteriorate. Phil will introduce you to the history of this large but physically isolated Light Station and invite you to assist in the ongoing effort to protect it. He is the Island Project Manager and Secretary/Treasurer of the Fox Island Lighthouse Association. After a century of protecting mariners the lighthouse now needs your help.

The History of Chicago's Lakefront and Harbors with Bill Rossberger

Join historian and yachtsman Bill Rossberger for a look at the story of the Lakefront; from shoreline to landfill; from Fort Dearborn to the massive rebuilding after the Great Chicago Fire and the Burnham Plan. If you would like learn the story of our home port, plan to attend!

A Chicago Maritime Museum with Jerry Thomas

The time is ripe for the development of a Chicago Maritime Museum on the Lake front to display Chicago's rich maritime history. Join sailor and CMS board member Jerry Thomas for a look at this heritage

Life Before the Mast: Daily Life of a Lake Mariner in the Age of Sail with Ted Karamanski

What was life like for the mariners who crewed the hundreds of windjammers that entered or cleared Chicago each day during the sailing ship era? Through illustrations and photographs, this presentation will open a portal on the long lost world of the average lake sailor, following the lakemen (and women) from the forecastle to the crosstrees, from the galley to riverfront dives.

Theodore J. Karamanski is Professor of History at Loyola University. He is the author of six books including Schooner Passage: Sailing Ships and the Lake Michigan Frontier and Maritime Chicago.

Preserving Chicago's Wooden Boats with Toby Lindo

At the 1995 Wooden Boat Festival in Montrose Harbor, 60 boats rafted off the Montrose Harbor Fairway. Last summer, at the Tall Ship Festival, we were able to muster six vessels from Chicago for public viewing. This is a good index of the extinction of wooden boating looming ahead for Chicago. It also shows why single ownership is a failed model, if the goal is to preserve our wooden boating heritage. This presentation will explore the reasons for this precipitous decline, discuss the history of the oldest power and sailboats still moored in Chicago waters, and present a possible way to save these vessels, and possibly others, so we can preserve what is left of our maritime heritage.

Toby Lindo is a past Commodore of the Heritage Boat Club and the steward of two of Chicago's oldest wooden vessels. The Robert Allan II, a 40' sedan cruiser and the oldest power boat still moored in Chicago, was the platform for the WTTW - Channel 11 documentary, "Chicago by Boat, which has been run many times since its first airing in December of 2005. The Wild Goose, a 48' schooner launched in 1929, returned to Chicago for the first time since 1930, last Summer

Friends of the Chicago River: Changing A River's Bleak Past with Joni Marin / Friends of the Chicago River

Join Friends of the Chicago River's Education Coordinator, Joni Marin for highlights of Friends' accomplishments in improving "Chicago's Second Shoreline" for more than 25 years. Listen to stories of the organization's early years, anecdotes from school children on river field trips, and tales of the recently opened McCormick Tribune Bridgehouse and Chicago River Museum. Discover Friends.'newly launched Clean Water Campaign and the organization's hopes for the future. The mission of Friends of the Chicago River is to preserve, protect, and foster the vitality of the Chicago River for the plant, animal, and human communities within its watershed

Great Lakes Conservation Awareness at Shedd Aquarium with Melanie Napoleon of the John G. Shedd Aquarium

The Great Lakes, holding 20% of the world's usable fresh water, are an invaluable resource, yet they are vulnerable to a number of threats that are becoming increasingly dangerous to the ecosystem, as well as to the people who live near their shores. The Shedd Aquarium is fortunate to have this national treasure in its backyard and is committed to raising awareness of the value and vulnerability of the Great Lakes. It is recognized as a Coastal Ecosystem Learning Center due to its unique position on the shore of Lake Michigan. Since its inception in 2005, the Great Lakes conservation program at the Shedd Aquarium has worked to spread awareness of freshwater issues to citizens in Chicago as well as throughout the region. Utilizing a combination of advertising (including news, radio, television, and print), public outreach, in-house exhibits, and education programs, the aquarium aims to elevate the Great Lakes into the forefront of environmental consciousness for people across the basin. As the manager of the campaign, Ms. Napoleon will outline not only the ecological threats facing the Lakes today, but pose quick and simple actions that everyday people can do to help protect them.

Today's Christmas Tree Ship with Capt. George Lisner

In the early 1900s, Herman Schuenemann was a known vendor in the Marine Christmas tree trade. Capt. Schuenemann had a crew who would cut trees from the northern woods of Michigan, strap them down upon his ship and then set sail for Chicago. Once in port, he would sell the trees off the deck of the sailing vessel Rouse Simmons. Every year, families and their children would gather at the pier and anxiously await the arrival of the "Christmas Ship". On November 23rd, 1912, during a fierce winter storm with his ship covered with ice Capt. Schuenemann and his crew of seventeen with approximately 5000 fresh-cut trees sank, not far from the shores of Two Rivers

Since Christmas 2000 the marine community of Chicago pulled together to raise money to procure over 8,000 Christmas trees for disadvantaged families. Join Captain George Lisner for the story of the modern day Christmas Ship in Chicago.

For the last two years Captain Lisner has served as Chairman of Chicago.s Christmas Ship and a member of its Executive Committee since it.s beginning in 2000. A professional mariner, he has been Master of the four-masted schooner Windy for the past two years and President of the Chicago Lodge, International Shipmasters. Association this past year. He currently holds seats on the Board of Directors for Chicago Maritime Society and Chicago Council, Navy League of US and is Past Commodore of Chicago Yachting Association and Chicago Corinthian Yacht Club.

Great Lakes Invaders with Tom Kelly

The Great Lakes is under invasion by organisms from outside the watershed. What are these organisms, how did they get here, and what can be done about them? Join Capt. Tom Kelly, sailor, marine biologist, and executive director of the Inland Seas Education Association of Suttons Bay, MI for a look at this phenomena as well as the shipboard and shore based education programs of the ISEA.

Fiery Holocaust on the Great Lakes: The Peshtigo Fire with Philip R. Elmes

The smoke was so dense that the vessel had to be steered by compass. The fire on the east side of the bay stretched in an unbroken line from the eastern shore of Lake Winnebago to the northern tip of the northeastern peninsula, a full 150 miles. The sun was totally obscured for a distance of 200 miles. So goes the description of a Lake boat passenger in the Fall of 1871 who witnessed the effect of the largest and most devastating fire in Great Lakes history. Because it took place during the same weekend as the Great Chicago Fire, relative few remember it today. For Chicago, the Great Fire became an historic turning point, a source of rejuvenation and civic pride. For the survivors of Peshtigo, Manistee, and White Rock there was only remembrance of the terror, of the awesome power of Nature, and the knowledge that everything was forever changed. Learn more about this frightening and fascinating event and how it affected life around the Great Lakes for years after, with Phil Elmes, an historian and founder of the Chicago Maritime Society.

How to become a Shipwreck Detective for Kids (and Adults) with the Underwater Archeological Society of Chicago

Learn about a schooner, its parts, and why these tall ships were important in Chicago's history. See and learn about scuba diving equipment used to be a shipwreck detective and how they find shipwrecks around the Great Lakes and the ocean. Then try to draw the shipwreck like an underwater archaeologist.

A Natural History of the Chicago Region with Joel Greenberg

Join author and naturalist Joel Greenberg for a look at how eco-systems have changed since the arrival of European settlement. This seminar will be based on Joel's landmark book of the same title.

Fancy Knotwork and Marlinspike Seamanship with the International Guild of Knot Tyers

From the overhand to the bowline. Knots, hitches, splices and more! Get together with the Guild for a true hands on experience!

Nautical Expressions We Use Every Day with Dan Kasberger

Ahoy! All you Jack Tar shake-a-leg toe-the-line to stand your trick so we can cut loose to skylark before the bosun sounds off to pipe down and lets the cat out of the bag!! With the long history of man on the seas, much of our every day colorful speech has developed from sailors. As ships developed, much of the wealth of the day moved on them and so the responsibility for its sure delivery needed rules and laws to see the cargo safely to port. So the basis of our 'Rules-of-the-Road' started on the waves. In this seminar we will discuss how the ancient mariners have affected us today. Dan Kasberger has a long experience with boat operations including qualifying as a U.S. Coast Guard Coxswain. He has taught Boating Safety, scuba, Seamanship, Navigation, Marlinspike and many other nautical arts. You'll enjoy this delightful visit to the sailors long history.