The GLSPS traveled to Milwaukee once again to attend the 14th Annual Ghost Ships Festival. This year the Festival was much later than it usually is. Normally they schedule the event in early March. This year the Hotel booked someone else in that time.
The attendance was down this year and the speculation as to why was because of the later scheduled event. However, it still carried on as a great show like it always was in the past.
This year was a very special event this time. We had three special events / happenings that occurred for the GLSPS this year.
One, Kimm Stabilfeldt announced that this was his last Ghost Ships Show as an organizer. The GLSPS would like to thank him for all his hard work putting together this show for the last 14 years! We will miss you and your expertise in running the show. The GLSPS and Kimm have always worked together to bring a great show to the Upper Midwest area of the United States. We worked together on sharing speakers, ideas and supported each other throughout the last 13 years. The GLSPS will continue the synergy with the new management of the show in the years to come.
Two, Saturday evening when visiting with all our friends after the show, we realized that a major event was going to take place that evening. Using our smart phones, we Googled and researched the 100th year anniversary of the Titanic sinking. In or research, we figured out that 100 year ago at 12:30 AM Sunday, (because of the time zone and DST) was the exact time the Titanic sank. So we alerted Brad Friend, (Ghost Ships manager this year) that we need to raise our glasses to remember the Titanic and all that lost their lives on that fateful night. The time came and the entire bar raised their glasses to saluted the Titanic tragedy and bowed our heads in a mariners prayer for those who died.
The later planned Ghost Ships Festival may have been for a reason, Hummmm??
The third thing, because the show was so late this year, all six of us that traveled to the Festival, booked two charters to dive the Milwaukee Street Car Boat and the Prins Willem. Unfortunately the Captains had to cancel the charters because of the high winds they forecasted for Sunday. DARN! We dragged / hauled all our gear over there too. Oh well, I guess we will have to try later.
As usual the show was fun. We always meet new people and visit with old friends. The GLSPS promoted our 2013 UMSAT Show, the S.S. Meteor Project that is coming up two weeks and our projects we did in the past and what we have planned in the future. We also researched the possibility of bringing the Society's Research vessel the R/V Preservation up the south shore of Lake Superior to do some preservation and stabilization work in Wisconsin's Apostal Islands. We are still researching this since many of the shipwrecks out there have already been documented by an Archeological study. There may be a possibility of preserving and stabilizing a few of the shipwrecks in that area by providing our underwater construction abilities to help slow down further deterioration. Some shipwrecks are simply debris fields and this process may not be feasible to be performed but, some may still be eligible.
A good time was had by all! If you are ever interested in joining the GLSPS in traveling to Milwaukee for the Ghost Ships Festival, please let us know and we can make arrangements for you to car pool with us.
I hope to see many GLSPS members join us on a project this year or in the future.
Safe travels and diving (STAD)
GLSPS Ghost Ships Volunteers
Phil Kerber - President
Ken Merryman - Board of Director UMSAT Show Chairman
Paul Imsland - Treasurer
Kelly Murphy - 2nd Vice President
Pete McConnell - Documentation Chairman
Jim Christiansen - Volunteer