Today was trip 8, a day trip aboard Gwen and Doug Noren’s Victory. They had a full load of people…so much so that they’d doubled checked with the manufacturer of their boat to make sure they were within limits with seven passengers plus the welding set on the return trip. After yesterday’s disappointments, was delighted […]
Trip 7 today. Today’s day trip was aboard Nahma, the National Park Service boat. Arranged as an intergovernmental courtesy between the Park Service and the DNR, this near annual cooperative endeavor has made a huge difference to our restoration efforts. The load includes needed plywood, dimensional lumber, an exterior door, a restored screen door, recreated […]
Despite it being prime mid-summer, our season is ramping down. Swiss Captain Joerg couldn’t get an extended visa this year. Phil vonVoigtlander who has handled transport logistics for 15+ years tendered his well-deserved retirement last year. We’ve having boaters volunteer to help us out (THANK YOU!) Still, it is a huge job to do logistics […]
Wow, we’re seeing great ink this year supporting the South Fox Island Lighthouse project! The Leelanau Enterprise did articles both on our current activities and captain Joerg. The Leelanau Ticker featured current Vice President Cathy Allchin’s vision for the island. Sandy Bradshaw’s July 15 article in the Glen Arbor Sun (see http://glenarborsun.com/the-makings-of-the-crown-jewel-of-s-fox-island/) captures some of […]
Trip 6 today. This one day trip included frequent volunteers Pete & Karen and first time island volunteers Nicole, Rick, Cia, Bob and Lakota aboard Lightkeeper, captained by Joerg as usual. We’d set a meeting time of 8 a.m. for an 8:15 departure. When Joerg & I arrived at 7:50 EVERYONE was already there and […]
T minus 1. Next trip is tomorrow. Just a day trip, so it should be easy. It will be for the team going out, but not for Joerg and me. Joerg had to spend time this week dealing with boat issues. The auto pilot engaged when it shouldn’t have on our way in last weekend, […]
Putting finishing touches on plans for the weekend with a work team that includes a couple of us who have been out earlier in the season, a long-term member who has never been out (who filled in the website volunteer form and reminded us he’d like to go) and a couple first timers (who also […]
Team 5. Great conditions for a trip on Saturday, July 10. Joerg and Lightkeeper headed out with a crew of Kathy, Linda, Pete, Brian & Karen. Wow, from miles out, the Lighthouse grabs your attention. The new tower whitewash is gorgeous, of course, but more importantly, it’s historical. This is how this light was meant […]
The resident keepers, Bruce & Kathy reported in last night: “Going on 24 hours of rain – everything is holding together.” They took photos of how high the waves were down by the boathouse. While the water is down from the records, it’s still high. They report dampness on the floor of the 1867 office […]
Our fourth work team headed to the island this morning aboard Gwen and Doug Noren’s boat Victory. Texas-based volunteers Kathy & Bruce Rollins are beginning a 3+ week residency, their fifth time serving as keeper volunteers. Doug and his friend Scott hoisted an acetylene torch up the skeletal tower in an attempt to free the […]