ATTENTION

MEMBERS AND FRIENDS

Of The

S.S. Meteor!

The
Great Lakes Shipwreck Preservation Society (GLSPS)
Superior Public Museums (SPM)
Lake Superior Marine Museum Association (LSMMA)

Wisconsin Underwater Archaeology Association (WUAA)

 

 

We will be Sponsoring the "Thirteenth" Annual S.S. Meteor Preservation Project, Saturday and Sunday April 28 and 29, 2018.

This is a very worthy cause and if we don't continue to preserve this one-of-a-kind Whale-back ship, it could be lost forever!

Please join us in preserving one of the only "Whale-back Ships" remaining in the world!

Please Click on Above Pictures to Enlarge

  

 

S.S. Meteor Preservation Project 2018

Requirements / Recommendations:

1. You must be 16 years of age or older. (Unless other arrangements are made)

2. Have your own Medical Insurance.

3. This is a project that requires the ability to do both light and heavy physical work.

4. Please bring any of your own safety equipment such as safety glasses, respirators, masks, knee guards, gloves, coveralls, shoes, boots, hats and warm cloths. Optional: Hard hat.

5. A liability release form from SPM will need to signed and handed into the staff before anyone can start working on their assigned tasks.

6. Please Note:  Some tools will be provided.  Such as, paint scrapers, brushes, wiping rags, cleaners, and some respirator masks (Limited Quantity).  Please bring your own if you prefer a certain brand and are in good shape.

To speed up the process, please click on the link button to print, read, agree, sign and bring with you to hand into the SPM Staff.

S.S. Meteor Liability Release and Waiver

 

Please Note: The below Task List is Updated right up to the day before the Project!

Please Check Back Later for Any Updates to the Task List as We Draw Closer to the Project.

S. S. Meteor Project 2018 Work Weekend Tasks List

(The Task List Can Change at any time and up to the Day of the Project)

April 28 -29, 2018

 (More than 60 Tasks to Complete)

(Updated 4-22-18)

 

Tasks-Every Year

 

Exhibit Area:

 

1. Clean staff office.
2. Clean exhibit case glass inside and out.

 

Cabin Deck (In this order):

 

1. Touch up paint in Crew’s quarters, galley and mess halls. –
2. Please Note: Some areas may only need to be cleaned and waxed to clean very small areas of rust.  Mainly around the bolt and screw holes. (Please use Terry Cloth)!!
3. Wash portholes
4. Wipe down walls and furniture as needed
5. Vacuum all rooms
6. Clean up paint drippings
7. Make beds and put out props

 

Pilot House:

 

1. Polish all brass as needed – (Marty Karpa)
2. Wash windows- clean equipment-vacuum

 

Engine Room:

 

1. Polish Brass as needed – (Jeff Lee)
2. Apply another coat of white paint to areas that still need it in lower engine room.(Ceiling and wall onport side).
3. Paint upper engine room - A safe platform was constructed by Joe and Tony Musial 2017 to access roof.
4. Spray protection Lube on all tools (wrenches) in Engine room – Use Chain Lube and or Fogging oil.
5. Engine room - Scrape and touch up paint, Polish Brass as needed

 

 

 

 

Exterior:

 

1. Pressure wash entire outside of ship with pressure washer (Especially where bird droppings occurred on the Aft Starboard side of the ship). Warm water or car wash soap-DO NOT USE DAWN!
2. Replace/install bird spikes where needed. (search for more spikes and purchased more if needed).Check Pigeons nest /roost areas on the aft deck under starboard turret along the conduit and wiring leading to pilot house. Spray tops of areas with JB80. (Pigeons don’t like the smell)! Remember you will be able to see where you have sprayed the JB80.
3. Identify areas on hull that need touch up that need the special black paint. If there are enough areas to paint to accommodate one gallon of black paint, it will only be purchased at that time.If paint is applied, the surface has to be prepared again by sanding the area.
4. Recheck Tightness of the Forward mast cables (3) (After tightened, make sure the cables are cleaned, primed and painted to prevent it from rusting).

 

Mechanical:

 

1. Change oil in air compressor.(Use Amsoil SAE W40 Compressor Oil).Check Air filter.Check and change if Necessary.(If air filter needs to be changed, a new air filter system will need to be installed).

 

 

This Year’s Tasks

  

Scraping and Painting:

 

1. Clean and paint rust lines on outside of ship from water draining down - Port side turret and stairways. (Please use Terry Cloth)!
2. Paint white lettering of Meteor name and hull numbers on starboard side. - Tim Pranke
3. Paint (or treat) all four life boat cradles – (installed within the last two years)
4. Paint floor of Captains balcony
5. Paint forward deck-with anti-slip sand in paint. (Tile red) (If weather permits).
6. Paint ceiling in display area on starboard side and other areas in the display area.(Need Scaffolding or scissors lift to complete this task).
7. Paint Elmer’s Room (with radar equipment and array)
   1. Port side was painted with white primer two or more years ago – it now needs a coat of white paint
   2. Starboard side was scraped in 2017 and needs to have primer applied on first then a coat of white paint.
8. Move radar equipment under radar array.(after painting is complete)
9. Paint ceiling in upper engine room – A wood platform was constructed last year by Joe and Tony Musial.Thank you, Guys!!
10. Repaint “Meteor” signs (Name Boards) on top of Pilot House to match Historic photos – (Dale Koziol).

     

    *Please Note:  The tasks below will need to be done later on Sunday as we exit the ship

     

11. Touch up / paint red railings on stairs in boiler room going up to engine room (Need to be painted red (or Yellow for caution and for safety reasons). (This is a summer job by one person)!
12. Paint rails in Boiler room (Silver color).This will need to be done Friday or Sunday at the end of the project (two hours before)?
13. Paint floor in Mess Hall and certain parts of the walk way that are peeling?
14. Paint floor of lower engine room. (This will only take place after all other painting and cleaning projects are completed)! (Paint color will be tile red)
15. Paint Ramp Posts (Use black external latex paint).
16. Paint Floor in 2^nd Mate room – (Paint color will be tile red).

  

Mechanical Repairs- High Priority:

 

1. A plan was established last year about the On-Off Switch and old fuse box in the main and lower engine room on the following Equipment:

   Switch to turn on electric motor, electric starter box, hour meter if applicable and replacement of older fuse box with newer breaker box for electric motor that runs the main engine.  Replacement of wiring as needed or to bring it up to code.  Replace electric motor.  (Electric Motor specs – 10 HP, 230 V, 45 AMP 1750 RPM).  (Motor cannot be installed until Jacking gears are installed)!  *See Dale Koziol, Leader of this Task.

    

2. Create Manual to indicate lubrication points of main engine along with photos. - Tim Pranke – Leader.
3. Need someone to reorganize the main fuse panel – circuit breakers need to be remarked after figuring out what each circuit feeds.
4. Repair rolled up cable to whistle in Chart Room.(Or tape end to keep from additional unraveling).(A swaging tool will be needed).
5. Wire in Cat 5 network cable for internet, phone and security services.

6. Install all sump pumps (4) and identify areas in which they were installed.  A document of instructions will need to be created.  Such as, where the pumps need to be placed in the bilge, where they discharge the water to the outside of the ship and where the power is located.   (This will need to be created for future reference).  (Mike and Tim P).
   
7. Pump out water in bilge below engine.    (Soak up any oil in water below engine before pumping with absorbent pads).   (Mike and Tim P).

 

Mechanical Repairs-lower priority:

1. Clean brass fittings in lower engine room including brass fittings that were accidently painted.

1. Repair / replace steam site glass tubes in engine room??  After they are found or ordered online. (Jeff Lee).
2. Clean Machinery in main engine room – Do Not use stiff brushes!  Just clean by wiping with cloth and vacuum any debris created.
3. Remove, Clean, organize and place black pipe fittings on shelves under stairway in Boiler Room. – (See Ken Lillimo) 

 

General Repairs, Fabrication, welding and other odd Jobs- high priority:

 

1. Prepare and finishing welding roof of Forward Turret where it is rusted through and railing around turret
2. Remove plugged and rusted drainage piping and replace with new piping – Needs to look authentic
3. Install black plastic corrugated drainage hoses on drainage pipes that don’t stick out far enough to keep water of the hull and stain it.Plan and estimate has been created for later project?
   
   
4. Reseal leaking port in Captains Office Port aft side on top of Pilot House.Remove to seal?Or, reseal with exterior caulking from the outside.
5. Clean up paint chips and greasy floor in lower engine room.After electrical rewiring and jacking gears are finished!
6. Grease gear and shaft if needed - (To prevent rusting).
7. Build wood walkway to access water meter?
8. Clean rust from valving on engine.Treat with engine fogging oil to prevent further rusting.
9. Install gasket around rear turret deck level door.Use pliable camper deck gasket purchased from auto parts store.
10. Install gasket around crew’s quarters deck level doors.Use pliable camper gasket purchased from auto parts store
11. Cement repair in 2^nd Cook & Porter Room in crew’s quarters area. (Joe & Tony Musial)
12. Cement repair in 3^rd Mate room in crew’s quarters area.(Joe and Tony Musial)?

     

    
    

    General Repairs, Fabrication, welding and other odd Jobs- lower priority:

     

13. Paint floor tile red in the crew’s quarters 2^nd mate room.
14. Reproduce and Rehang all recreated signs that were removed in 2015.A trip to Office Max /Depot to scan and print may still need to be completed.
15. Identify and record all portholes that are broken and need to be replaced.Measurements will also need to be done such as diameter and thickness of the glass.(A document needs to be created and handed to Sara Blanck)!
16. Look into installing new bulletin board cork on boards in mess hall / crew’s quarters.(Available through Amazon, order as needed)!
17. Install more netting?
18. Clean and paint GLSPS Display area – form committee to help put together a display area for the work the Society has done to Preserve maritime history – mostly the S.S. Meteor including taking the panels from the port side and painting them battleship gray (like the other display cases) and re-purpose them.Please remove all photos on panels and record them for storage until they are needed again.
19. Paint top panel, sides and door of diver’s display case, (Gray). – (See Dale Koziol)
20. Find access to shaft alley to see why moisture is pushing up concrete in floor.
21. See if we can find where water is entering through the engine room (or prop shaft).
22. Roof of Pilot house leaks lots of water – Weld large hole on bottom of Radar Mast, clean off all caulking with wire brush, clean with paint thinner or solvent (brake parts cleaner) and as a final step, re-caulk all areas that were cleaned and have a plate or gasket area that could leak water into pilot house for roof.
    

*If you are a leader of a task during the project work weekend and, you were assigned to bring supplies and equipment,
Please click on this link to see what you were assigned to bring to the project.  (Link not provided yet)!


The large list of tasks continues to grow as the project draws near.

More will be added, please check back later.

Lunch: Will be provided by TBD. (Breakfast you will be on your own).

Please Note: If you are staying in any of the campers or boats, please bring your sleeping bag, pillow and other sleeping accommodations. If you are staying at a marina, the showers are most likely open for use.

If you prefer to stay in another Hotel, there are a few smaller and inexpensive Hotels in the local area. Please Google “Hotels Superior Wisconsin” Mention you are there for the Whale-back Project. Some hotels will give you a discount.

This year’s Saturday night program, we will once again have the “free” Buffet Dinner.  It will be at the Fair-Lawn Mansion at 6:00 PM in Superior WI (Not far from the Meteor).  We will be offering free tours of the Mansion after dinner. 

You can also ask the SPM staff of the Museum to bring you on a tour of the Whale back Ship you normally don't see on a regular summer tour!

Please confirm your attendance ASAP!

 

Thank you very much for your time.

 

Phil Kerber