S.S. Meteor Preservation Project 2013
April 27 & 28
"ALL HANDS ON DECK"
Please Join us for one of the Largest and Most Important Preservation Projects the GLSPS has to Offer
2012 S.S. Meteor Project
Photo By: Kari David
S.S. Meteor from Above
Photo by: Dave Olsen
2012 S.S. Meteor Project Volunteers
Photo By: Diane Hilden
2013 S.S. Meteor Project Crew (35 of the 60)
Photo by Diane Hilden
Jeff Lee Painting In Rudder Room
Photo By: Pete McConnell
Craig David Welding in New Metal
Photo By: Pete McConnell
ATTENTION
GLSPS, LSMMA, WUAA, SPM
MEMBERS AND FRIENDS
Of The
S.S. Meteor!
GLSPS, (Great Lakes Shipwreck Preservation Society),
WUAA, (Wisconsin Underwater Archeology Association),
LSMMA, (Lake Superior Maritime Museum Association),
And
(SPM), Superior Public Museums
We will be Sponsoring the "Ninth" Annual S.S. Meteor Preservation Project. Saturday and Sunday April 27 and 28, 2013
This
is a very worthy cause and if we don't continue to preserve and
stabilize this one-of-a-kind Whale back ship, it could be lost forever!
We
have made a substantial difference in the cosmetics of this ship over
the last eight years. Lets continue this effort and make the staff of
SPM proud!
Please join us in preserving one of the only "Whale back Ships" remaining in the world!
We are looking for a few good men and women to help stabilize and preserve the S.S. Meteor.
Anyone can join us! Non Divers, Divers, Historians, Authors and friends of the Meteor
To learn More about the S.S. Meteor
Preservation Project, the list of tasks needed to be completed or, to Register for the Project as a Participant,
please click on the link button below.
We hope to see all of you there!
Phil Kerber
GLSPS President
S.S. Meteor Preservation Project Chairman
______________________________________________________________________________________________________
S.S. Meteor Preservation and Stabilization Project
Closing Report
April 27 & 28, 2013
This year we started planning for the S.S. Meteor Project several months before to be able to cover 35 tasks this year. At first w thought the project may need to be canceled because of the late winter and the snow that has accumulated in the area this past winter. However as the project date closed in we found that the project weekend was one of the warmest weekends we ever encountered. Since the weather was cooperating with us this year we focused on much on the outside tasks such as scraping painting welding repairing major water leaks rust holes and rusted areas of the entire ship. We tightened all the mast cables which were loose and the strong winds that are anticipated up there were flexing the masts and eventually crack and break the mounting for the masts which could break off and fall to the deck and cause even more damage.
One of the biggest projects this year was the starboard side turret lower cabin area. They were forming huge gaping rust holes and needed to be cut out and new metal plating welded in. Craig David and his wife Kari performed this large and noble task. Kari did much of the grinding and painting after the new metal was installed.
The three Musial Brothers were quite an addition to the project. They brought unbelievable talent to the project. They are all in the construction business. One huge task they undertook was bending all the railings straight on the forward deck. They also located a huge water leak on the bow where the towing bits were located. They resealed the the base and no more water falls inside the ship. One of the brothers installed glass in one of the port holes in the Captains quarters. That was a huge job all by itself.
After all the grinding, heating, and bending where completed, Gunner David and his team of painters including Renee Flacksbarth proceeded to paint the entire railing, the vent pipes, tightening buckles. The paint on the buckles were burned off when they were heated by a torch to be able to turn them. Some where painted black, a few on the main deck were painted silver / gray and others were painted white.
Gunner David and his team also painted the rear aft deck canopy frame with a fresh coat of white paint. The vents with the red insides were painted a french vanilla color. Most of them were painted but the rest will need to be painted either by someone that wants to through out the summer or during next years project.
The forward turret was also in need of rust hole repairs. It to was allowing water to flow like a water fall into the ship. Tim Pranke and Joe Musial sealed the leak then Tim Pranke painted the entire roof of the forward turret. Thanks guys!!
During both Saturday and Sunday we had three TV Stations and one Radio station come out the the S.S. Meteor to interview Sara Blanck (SPM Director) and Phil Kerber (Preservation Project Chairman). While Sara was handling one of the TV Stations Phil was being interview on the cell phone by the Radio Station. Both Sara and Phil got their 30 seconds of fame. Unfortunately the only TV Station story we were able to obtain is the one from Duluth Fox News 21. Here is the link to the story.
S. S. Meteor Project 2013 Tasks that were performed
1. Housekeeping / Cleaning.
2. Cleaned and treated cloths lockers and under beds in crews quarters.
3. Continued cleaning insulation from crews quarters drawers and lockers
4. Continued Painting lower engine room.
a. Checked contents of oil Barrel – some oil but very little to deal with.
b. Painted tool racks (2)
c. Clean tools (wrenches) still needs to install wrenches back in rack.
5. Final coat of paint was completed in Rudder room.
6. Completed painting some parts in the interior of the rear turret stairways.
7. Continued cleaning porthole sills and paint.
8. Replaced glass in port hole on port side in Captains Quarters.
9. Serviced air compressor. Made sure it’s ok , changed oil, (using Amsoil synthetic SAE30/40. drained moisture, changed air filter, started and run, check for any leaks. Install remote air solenoid valve. Repair one leak in the piping. One smaller leak needs to be repaired.
10. Concrete lifted in front of main door to inside ship preventing main doors to open all the way. It was completed by using a porta-power to jack it back down in place.
11. Checked swivel on vent to engine room to see if it is still allowing water to get into the starboard side engine room. Still need to Re-Caulk or weld it shut.
12. Replaced Glass in one port holes – glass was donated. Strip and paint before installing glass.
13. Formed a plan to remove Life boats and repair or rebuild mounts. (Weather Permitting)
14. Cleaned exhibit case glass, inside and out.
15. Cleaned crews’ quarters, make beds, etc.
16. Installed solenoid switching valve on air piping to compressor for ship whistle.
17. Welded new metal in starboard side lower turret cabin area, primed and painted
18. Welded hinges and spacers in rear turret doors.
19. Repair band around smoke stack. (Replace broken bolt) Still needs cleaning painting and resealing.
20. Installed climbing guards / restriction on three different ladders. (Plywood and u-bolts were used)
21. Painted Wall on Port side (where it says “Toshua A Hatfield”)
22. Cleaned and Painted Boiler Room Starboard wall
23. Bent both rear turret doors using porta-power. (Tim P)
24. Rebuilt upper rear Turret Door (Wood and some band metal) Shims were welded in to reposition the door to close to latch properly.
25. Inventory light fixture Guards (red) - (two sizes)
26. Formulate plan to install flooring (wood) in crews quarters room
27. Tighten Cables on all mast that are loose.
28. Straightened railings on forward deck and paint them white.
29. Paint all vent pipes on forward deck vanilla color
30. Paint Employee Gate signs (Black)
31. Clean, sealed and painted forward turret roof
32. Clean old calking out of cracks on bow bits and resealed with silicone calking.
Here are the GLSPS volunteers that helped out on the project:
Thanks to all the GLSPS volunteers listed below With their help, the project was a success!
Phil Kerber
GLSPS President
S.S. Meteor Project Chairman
pkerber@glsps.org