Tall Ship Rigs: How to tell your Brig from a Barque with Al Kempf, Jr.

Tall ship rigs are fascinating to look at, and, to most people, they are a maze of puzzling lines and spars. Yet they are based upon rather simple and straight forward systems, and there is a very logical arrangement to the rigs and their development. This session will help you to recognize those wonderful rigs when you have the opportunity to see one or more of the Tall Ships.

Al Kempf Jr. has been sailing since he learned as a teenage Sea Scout in Burnham Harbor, Graduated California Maritime Academy, and Sailed in the Merchant Marine for several years. He helped build and sailed on the three masted schooner Denis Sullivan of Milwaukee and is currently serving as Sailing Master of Michigan Maritime Museum's tall ship Friends Good Will.

Connecting Worlds: The Story of the Chicago Portage

The Friends of the Chicago Portage will present its new documentary video Connecting Worlds, The Story of the Chicago Portage which explores the past and present of the Chicago Portage, the vital trade link that resulted in the creation of our great metropolitan area.

Jeff Carter, President of Friends of the Chicago Portage, will begin the presentation with a brief history of the Portage followed by the DVD documentary. Gary Mechanic, who founded the organization in 2001 and is the Steward of Portage Woods Forest Preserve, will conclude the presentation by describing how the Chicago Portage is still alive and driving the economic engine of Chicago today.

The Friends is a volunteer not for profit organization that presents free public tours of the Chicago Portage National Historic Site Spring through Fall and conducts monthly work days throughout the year in Portage Woods Forest Preserve.

Friends of the Chicago Portage promotes the historic interpretation, ecological restoration and appropriate development of the Chicago Portage National Historic Site through volunteer advocacy, public events and other projects that raise public awareness of its history and significance. More at www.chicagoportage.org

Piratecore: Sea Chanties in the 21st Century with Gerard Heidgerken

As a musical genre, the sea chantey has gone largely unchanged since the age of sail. But where most maritime artists have chosen to embrace and preserve the rich heritage of this music, others have opted to take their fascination with the sea into surprising new directions. This session will explore the development and current state of Piratecore, a relatively young yet incredibly diverse musical genre that blends the traditional sea chantey with such contemporary styles as rock, rap, punk, metal, and more.

Gerard Heidgerken is the host of Bilgemunky Radio, a weekly online show featuring pirate-themed music from around the world. He comes from a long line of sailors, and served a six-year stint in the U.S. Navy aboard the U.S. Enterprise. His love of sea chanties began with Schooner Fare, having first heard them when growing up in Maine.

More information can be found at www.bilgemunky.com and www.bilgemunky.com/radio

THE LEGACY OF THE CHRISTMAS TREE CAPTAINS with Fred Neuschel

The story of Chicago's Christmas Tree Ship is one of the most popular and beloved stories from the history of the Great Lakes. But there were many Christmas tree captains just as there were many Chistmas tree ships. Getting to know the captains reveals a class of sailors whose lives of hard work, danger and adventure were far more varied and interesting than can be seen by their Christmas tree voyages alone. Fred Neuschel will show how these captains helped to establish and shape the history of many communities around the lake. In their bold and often reckless acts they have left not only a legend, but also a legacy. Listeners who are already familiar with the story of Capt. Schuenemann and the schooner Rouse Simmons will gain a much more comprehensive picture of life on Lake Michigan at the end of the 19th century. Listeners who are new to the subject will learn one of those stories that every student of Great Lakes history should know. Mr. Neuschel is the author of the recently released book "Lives and Legends of the Christmas Tree Ships" published by the University of Michigan Press. [199 words]

Fred Neuschel is a resident of Crystal Lake, Illinois. He is Vice-President of the Association for Great Lakes Maritime History and the chairperson of the association's Research & Publication Committee. His research has been published in "Inland Seas," "Chicago History," "Wisconsin Magazine of History," "Voyageur" and "Northern Mariner/Le Marin du Nord." He has presented programs at museums and libraries in Illinois, Wisconsin, Michigan,Ontario and Quebec. Most recently, the University of Michigan Press has published his "Lives and Legends of the Christmas Tree Ships." Fred has also crewed on two of the tall ships that are based on the Great Lakes.

History of the Chicago River in Photographs with Jonathan Genzen

In preparing his 2007 book "The Chicago River: A History in Photographs," author Jonathan R. Genzen researched hundreds of historical images of the Chicago River from libraries, historical collections, newspapers, and private photographers. In this discussion, we will explore the visual history of the Chicago River and the importance of this amazing waterway in the development of Chicago.

An avid canoeist and former member of the Chicago River Rowing and Paddling Center, Jonathan lived in Evanston during his undergraduate education at Northwestern University, and in Hyde Park while earning his PhD (2002) and MD (2004) from the University of Chicago. He is currently a postdoctoral research fellow studying laboratory medicine at Yale University.

TITANIC, The Great Lakes Connections with Cris Kohl and Joan Forsberg

In April, 1912, on the maiden voyage of Titanic, the world's largest and most luxurious passenger ship, 345 of the 1,343 passengers were bound for the Great Lakes region: 61 made Chicago their destinations, 24 aimed for Detroit, while hundreds more headed for smaller locations and rural settings in Ohio, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, western Pennsylvania, western New York state and Ontario. Some were returning to their homes; others hoped to settle in a new land. Some survived the world.s most famous sinking; others never reached their goals. This presentation tells many of their stories, plus tales of Titanic's Great Lakes counterpart ship, artists with strong Titanic / Great Lakes connections, the Great Lakes writer who predicted Titanic's loss 14 years earlier, and consequences to Great Lakes shipping because of Titanic's sinking. (Based on Cris Kohl's book of the same title).

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.

Weather For Sailors 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.

Nautical Expressions We Use Every Day II 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.

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.

History Over the Horizon IV 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.

Chicago's Changing Shoreline 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!

Judd Goldman Adaptive Sailing Program

Members will present information about the program and let you know how you can get involved.

Justin "Judd" Goldman was seventeen years old when he suffered a disabling bone disease. After realizing that there were few sports that he could participate in, he discovered sailing. During the next fifty-eight years he competed successfully in many races throughout the world, including over twenty-five Chicago-Mackinac Races, a 333-mile challenge from Chicago to Mackinac Island, Michigan. He founded an Olympic one-design class of sailboats in Chicago, the Dragon class. In 1989, at the age of seventy-five, Judd passed away at a Naples, Florida boatyard.

In 1990, Judd's wife, Sliv, son Peter and daughter Judy established the Judd Goldman Adaptive Sailing Foundation (JGASF) as a public/private partnership with the Chicago Park District. Today, the adaptive sailing program consists of eight Freedom Independence 20, six Sonar, and four 2.4 meter sailboats. Over one thousand participants experience the joy and independence of sailing each year. The JGASF, in partnership with the Chicago Yacht Club, is very proud to have been chosen for over ten years by US Sailing as the host for the annual national disabled double and single-handed sailing championship, the Independence Cup.

In 2001, the Foundation embarked on a pilot program with the Chicago Park District designed to teach sailing to Chicago inner-city youth. Ten 7'7" Vanguard Pram sailboats were purchased for use at the beautifully renovated, city water-fed lagoons. Offering an unequaled environment and an extremely rare experience for a big city recreational program, this unique approach brings the program to the neighborhood rather than the neighborhood to the program. The goal for this inner-city youth program is identical to our current mission...helping people to achieve self-esteem and independence.

The Third Coast with Ted McClelland

Ted McClelland is the author of The Third Coast: Sailors, Strippers, Fishermen, Folksingers, Long-Haired Ojibway Painters and God-Save-the-Queen Monarchists of the Great Lakes. In the summer of 2005, he drove the 10,000-mile Great Lakes Circle Tour, traveling as far west as Duluth, Minnesota, and as far east as Kingston, Ontario . to explore the idea that the Lakes are a distinct region of North America, with its own culture and common interests. In Wisconsin, he met David Gumieny, proprietor of the World's Largest Barber Pole. In Minnesota, Harley Toftey, one of the last Norwegian herring fishermen on Lake Superior. In Ontario, Moses Beaver, an Ojibway who still paints in the woodland style. In Michigan, he drank with sailors in a Rogers City bar. To cap it off, McClelland rode the Joseph L. Block from Indiana Harbor to Escanaba, Mich., and back. When he came back home to Chicago, McClelland was convinced that, although they're divided between two countries, the Great Lakes form a freshwater nation of their own. His website is www.tedmcclelland.com

CHICAGO'S ONE HUNDRED YEAR OLD TREASURE: THE VIKING SHIP with Ralph Frese

Ralph will talk about how the original vessel was discovered and how a replica was built to be sailed to Chicago. Using the memoirs of the captain and a member of the crew about the voyage, he will follow the story from the Columbian Exposition to New Orleans and back to Chicago. You will also be able learn where the Viking Ship is right now!

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.

The Challenges of Photography on the Water with Pete Matthews

Photographing on or around the waters presents many challenges not found when photographing on land. Knowledge of rapidly changing conditions of light, the subject, and movement of both the subject and the shooting platform, are all necessary to obtain a good image of boats and/or the marine setting. During this session learn to use some of the tricks used by photographers in this environment.

Pete Mathews is a lifelong boater and photographer who has studied both subjects most of his life. He has over 40 years in the marine industry both professionally and recreationally. He has been photographing since high school, has studied with a diverse selection of professional photographers, teaches Marine Photography at several venues and is a published photographer

An Artist Looks at the Great Lakes and the Salt Water Seas with Eric Forsberg

Join Eric Nils Forsberg to see the surprising interaction of how the process of fine artwork comes aboard. Enjoy viewing some of Eric's finished artwork at sea and on the Great Lakes as he talks about his technique and answers questions about his works and his travels.

Eric is one of Chicago's very own established artists. He grew up with a passion for art and attended the American Academy of Art. He studied with the famous Charles Vickery for a period of 10 years and also received guidance from Thomas Hoyne III. To further Eric's understanding of the relationship and rules between sky and water, he took to the sea working on lobster boats, fishing trawlers, tall ships and sailed the Great Lakes allowing him to paint water with great conviction and knowledge.

His passion and excitement for historical and modern day ships is evident as their stories unfold on his canvas. Whether in the Great Lakes, the Indiana Dunes or out at sea, Eric captures the moment.

Getting Started in Building Wooden Ship Models with Kurt VanDahm

Information for the starting ship modeler; Basics of modeling ships, mistakes not to make, tools you do and don't need, information sources and modeling tips. The presentation will be geared to the experience and interest level of the audience.

Kurt Van Dahm lives in Westmont, IL and is a professional model builder. He is also a contributing editor to Ships in Scale Magazine and has authored many articles on how to build a model ship and related modeling subjects. Kurt is the president of the Nautical Research & Model Ship Society of Chicago, a director of the Nautical Research Guild, and member of the Chicago Maritime Society, Midwest Model Shipwrights, and the North Shore Deadeyes.

He is Badger Air-Brush Company's Marine Hobby Consultant and developer of their Modelflex Marine Paints and teaches air brushing techniques to model builders for Badger. He was a founding partner in Pacific Tall Ships Co. and Gallery headquartered in Lemont, IL and Manila, PI. PTS employed 50+ Manila residents building highly detailed sailing ship models that are owned by many heads of state, CEO.s and model ship collectors.

THE ENDURANCE: History's Greatest Shipwreck with Rochelle Pennington

Join award-winning author Rochelle Pennington for a program detailing one of the most extraordinary events in maritime history-the Antarctica expedition of Sir Ernest Shackleton and his crew of 27 men aboard the ship Endurance.

Pennington traveled to the countries of England and Scotland to research the epic adventure, a story which has inspired generations over the past century, provoking management studies in motivational principles.

Journal entries penned by crewmembers who served on board Endurance pay tribute to the unique and effective leadership style Shackleton used to safely deliver every one of his men from two years of disaster and perils in the frozen world of Antarctica where danger threatened life, limb and sanity. Their plight has been called "the greatest survival story of all time".

Pennington's slide presentation will be complemented by dozens of century-old photographs documenting the journey.

Rochelle Pennington is the author of seven books, including The Endurance, The Christmas Tree Ship and The Historic Christmas Tree Ship.

Lost Ships and Airplanes: The World of A & T Recovery with Taras Lyssenko

Join Taras Lyssenko and friends for an update on the discovery, research and recovery of Great Lakes wrecks in our area. A&T Recovery, a Chicago based firm, has recovered 31 WWII planes from Lake Michigan on behalf of the National Museum of Naval Aviation. They have also located an early Holocene forest underwater, and dozens of shipwrecks including the schooner Wells Burt, the Wings of the Wind, the Rotarian, and the former German WWII U-boat UC-97. "Butch" O'Hare's F4F-3 Wildcat fighter plane, recovered by A&T, can be found displyed at the airport bearing his name.

Hands On, Michigan Maritime Museum with The Michigan Maritime Museum

The Michigan Maritime Museum is dedicated to the preservation of Michigan Great Lakes waterways, maritime history and culture. The Captain and crew of the 1810 Great Lakes Replica Sloop, Friends Good Will, out of the Museum in South Haven, Michigan, will be on hand to talk about Chicago during its first decade and a half at their exhibit "Trade of Times" in the Chicago Room South -- discover the history, learn sail theory and more! Or make your own turk's head bracelet in the North Crown Room

THE HISTORY AND FUTURE OF THE CHICAGO MARITIME SOCIETY with Ralph Frese

Ralph Frese, one of the founders and board members of CMS, will give a retrospective about the collections, activities and achievements of the organization. He will also discuss the possibility of a maritime museum for Chicago.

Great Lakes Conservation Awareness at Shedd Aquarium with Sandy Somodi 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.