Day 11: Blown out
(September 08, 2004)
We tried, but it was too rough
Today we arrived on site to find large waves rolling in from the northeast. Conditions did not look good, but anxious to start mapping, Keith went in to check site conditions. Visibility was reduced to zero, and a large surge swept back and forth across the wreck as the waves passed overhead. The surge was so strong that the centerboard trunk, still attached to the keelson, was wobbling back and forth. We would have to wait for another day to begin the mapping process.
Tami on the
Fleetwing
We headed north to Garret Bay to check the
Fleetwing site. Sheltered from the northeast waves by Washington Island, we hoped conditions would be much improved. While the size of the waves and the surge on the site were much less than the Jacksonport site, the visibility was not more than three feet. Nonetheless, we made a 40-minute dive over several sections of the wrecksite, noting the large numbers of zebra mussels that had covered large portions of the Fleetwing’s remains.
Tami fixes the sign
Following the
Fleetwing, we traveled to Baileys Harbor to repair the
Christina Nilsson Maritime Trails Marker. Mounted on the observation deck’s railing at the Baileys Harbor Marina, the sign had slipped down the railing and was resting on the deck. We removed the sign’s mounting brackets and lined them with soft rubber gaskets that would better adhere to the smooth railing. We then remounted the sign in its original position.
In its original position
