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.

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

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.

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.