Bob Moler's Ephemeris Blog

A week an a half ago  my granddaughter and I went out on the schooner Manitou for as two hour cruise  with over 50 folks on the west arm of the Grand Traverse Bay.  It was my shakedown cruise, not the boat’s.  I was asked to be the astronomer on the four day Astronomy Cruise.  The regular physicist/astronomer was on sabbatical this year.

Astronomy Cruise image from the Ephemeris Web site

Here’s the image on the Ephemeris web site that I’ve been running since last autumn.

Anyway, back to the cruise.  There was a steady wind and after the ship motored away from the dock and headed into the wind.  12 of us hauled on the line to raise the mainsail.  Others raised the foresail and the crew raised two jibs.  (If I got anything wrong, I’m working on the terminology, OK?).  We stayed in the south end of the bay, sailing back and forth.  I never knew our speed, but the boat seemed fast and responsive enough.  I had a long chat with the captain with what the itinerary would be.  She said their wasn’t one.  That was determined by the wind  Though they did expect to make it to one of the Manitou islands.   I checked out below decks at the cabins and the galley.  Snug but nice.

My companion and bunk mate for this cruise is a veteran of many cruises Norm Wheeler.  He’s the instructor for Science and English at the Leelanau School and the head of the school’s Lanphier Observatory.  He’s also a member of the Beach Bards, a story telling troupe that entertains at a bonfire on the beach at the school and on the Manitou.

I’m going to bring my 8 inch Celestron telescope for viewing at night from onshore,   a couple of pair of binoculars  I’ll also bring my laptop computer if worse comes to worst and it’s cloudy.  I have a stock of my Grand Traverse Astronomical Society presentations to use.

Here’s some photos from the cruise.

Looking Aft

Looking Forward

The bunks in one of the forward cabins

My granddaughter Coley near the ladder below deck

Coley on deck