Research vessels are on the Great Lakes, but there’s no crew on board
The government is using three uncrewed research vessels in the Great Lakes.
These autonomous vessels are gathering data on fish. One vehicle is on the surface on northern Lake Michigan. Another is on Lake Erie.
There’s also a long-range autonomous underwater vehicle (LRAUV) that’s mapping fish distribution. It’s being deployed out of harbors from Frankfort down to Benton Harbor.
The U.S. Geological Survey along with conservation agencies from Michigan, Wisconsin, and Ontario are partners in these experimental uses of the uncrewed vessels.
The USGS said in a release that diesel-powered conventional research vessels are relatively loud and that might have an impact on the data collected because fish could be scared away by the noise.
The surface vehicles, called saildrones, are wind-powered and can stay out on the water 24 hours a day for months, gathering data.
Having more data always makes scientists happy. It can be used to determine the validity of other research where data was gathered by crews on conventional boats.
The operators say notices about the autonomous vessels have been sent to the U.S. Coast Guard to provide to mariners.
Brig Niagara sailing season to end early due to propellor repairs
The remainder of the U.S. Brig Niagara’s 2023 sailing schedule has been officially canceled due to mechanical issues.
The Flagship Niagara League will offer refunds to anyone who has already registered to sail on the ship, according to a statement Monday from the Flagship Niagara League and the Pennsylvania Historical & Museum Commission.
What kind of mechanical issues?
The cancellation was due to the loss of the Niagara’s starboard propeller.
Flagship Niagara League Executive Director and Fleet Captain Billy Sabatini said the propeller had been attached to the Niagara for 30 years without incident and that he doesn’t know what led to its sudden failure, which was discovered earlier this month and led to a temporary suspension of sails.
“We didn’t hit anything. We didn’t get it caught up in fishing gear. We didn’t hit a dock. Nothing happened. There wasn’t any event that precipitated the prop falling off because if that was the case I would have noticed,” he told the Erie Times-News.
Sabatini said he looked into getting temporary propellers. But after considering the time this would take — a minimum of 55 days — and the fact the Niagara would ultimately get permanent propellers this fall in Cleveland, that option seemed less attractive.
“The temporary ones would be great spares to have, but the timetable being a minimum of 55 days, it didn’t make sense to go through all that just for one week of sailing at the end of the year,” Sabatini said.
The Niagara will be fitted with in-kind custom-fabricated propellers, which, according to the statement, will save money on repairs in the long run and allow the ship to operate without undue stress to the engines.
The variable-pitch propellers will take a minimum of 76 days to fabricate and install at a cost of roughly $120,000.
“Our next step will be to sail the Niagara to shipyard (in Cleveland) to replace the propellers and install new generators as previously planned,” said Melissa Mann, PHMC’s director of Historic Sites and Museum, in the statement.
“While at the shipyard, a full survey of the ship’s mechanical and maintenance needs will be conducted in order to develop a long-term maintenance and preservation plan to ensure many successful future sailing seasons.”
Niagara still open for deck tours
Before the ship travels to Cleveland in the fall, the Niagara will be open for deck tours at the Erie Maritime Museum Wednesday through Saturday, 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sundays, 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.
Day sails, sunset sails and occasional full-moon sails are available aboard the schooner Lettie G. Howard as scheduled, weather permitting.
Sabatini said the canceled Niagara sailing schedule was a “hard hit” but that the Flagship Niagara League and PHMC are committed to Niagara sailing in the future.
“The public-private partnership between the Flagship Niagara League and the Pennsylvania Historical & Museum Commission is strong and as long as we work together, and this community is still in support of what we’re doing, we’re going to make this happen.”
The PHMC administers the Erie Maritime Museum. The Flagship Niagara League is a nonprofit organization that facilitates public participation aboard the reconstructed Battle of Lake Erie warship.
