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Sail Mail
October, 2019
Our Mission
Our mission is to provide tuition-free sailing adventures for Gold Star Teens, veterans, and veterans' families. We want to do more than just say, "Thank you for your service," or "We appreciate your sacrifice."
Captain's Comments
Captain Bryan Smith
I am an optimistic person. Whenever we have a problem at Michigan Challenge I am always confident we can find a positive solution.  It seems like whenever we needed something or somebody, the universe conspired to help. Once, when we were low on funds a $5,000 donation came to us out of the blue from a donor in Hawaii who didn't even know us, and another $5,000 came from a lady whose deceased husband was a veteran. When we needed someone who knew about engines, several eager and knowledgeable experts appeared. When we needed dockage, we were given it at no cost. When we needed someone to repair and restore our woodwork, not just skilled experts, but artisans emerged "out of the woodwork!"  When we needed a new dinghy, Dr. Brophy gave us one! Solutions to problems have even come to me in my dreams.

That is why I am very excited to be partnering with the Traverse City Optimist Club! I have joined this wonderful organization, and plan to sign Michigan Challenge up for a corporate membership.  According to their Facebook page, their mission is "to foster an optimistic way of life, through a network of optimists, dedicated to the full development of their potential in order to provide ever-expanding service to youth, the community and the world." 

Their mission meshes well with ours, since they are "dedicated to 'Bringing Out the Best in Kids.' Members conduct positive service projects to provide a helping hand to youth. With our upbeat attitude we help empower young people to be the best they can be."

Now I'm not just an optimist, I'm an Optimist! We look forward to partnering with the Traverse City Optimist Club in the future!
We Love The Optimists!

Gazebo Built to Protect Gold Star Mother Statue
On September 29, National Blue and Gold Star Mother's and Family's Day, a gazebo was dedicated to protect the gold Star Mother statue in Veterans Memorial Park in Traverse City. The wooden gazebo was paid for through a $3,500 Home Depot grant. Photo courtesy of  WPBN/WGTU
Two years ago we attended the dedication of the Gold Star Mother statue, a project of the Blue to Gold Star Mothers of Northern Michigan. The group raised the money to buy the bronze statue, worth $65,000, and dedicated it in 2017. Starla Owens, the president of Blue to Gold Star Mothers of Northern Michigan, says, "For me, it's important to connect the families together so they don't feel alone." 
We at Michigan Challenge feel that it's important to bring Gold Star Teens together on our summer sailing programs. They have little opportunity to meet other teens like themselves whose families have suffered such a tremendous loss. Sharing experiences and feelings helps to heal.
Photo courtesy Record-Eagle/Jan-Michael Stump

Perception Winds Up Her
Summer Season
Volunteers Gregg Chance, Steve Hatch, and Bill Horning fold the sails.
The wedges that keep the mast in place are carefully removed as the shrouds and stays are loosened.
Below deck, Vinney Festa and Denny Ray try to keep the main mast from kicking out and damaging the table.
Elmer's Crane Services expertly removes the main mast. Thank you Elmer's, for another excellent job!
Captain Jason Lombardi carefully positions the mast on the trailer as Captain Bryan Smith supervises.
The 70' masts rest on a trailer awaiting the removal of the running and standing rigging.
Bill Horning works on removing the rigging. Thank you, Pat Johnson, for giving us space to work!
The running rigging is safely labeled and stored for the winter.
Big cranes, big masts, big trucks, big guys--unleashed testosterone in only 24 seconds!
Watch a recap of the season's activities--Gold Star Teens programs, appearances at the Bay City Tall Ships Celebration, Elk Rapids Harbor Days, Les Chaneaux Islands Classic Boat Show, and our sails with veterans, friends, and families.
We owe thanks to so many who have helped us recently! 
 

Where Is Perception Now?

Perception is spending the winter at CenterPointe Marina, 12935 S. West Bay Shore Drive, in Traverse City.
CenterPointe is the big office building with the seagulls on the side in Grelickville. The marina is in between Harbor West Marina to the north and Elmwood Township Marina to the south.

Calling All Sailors

I would like to invite all sailors and sailor wannabes to be a part of our growing organization.  We need good people who are interested in crewing on schooner Perception. This may involve day sails with veterans, multi-day sails to Great Lakes destinations, and/or 4-day programs with Gold Star teens.  Don't know how to sail a schooner? No worries, we'll teach you!
If you're interested or just curious, click HERE or in the box below and read our volunteer information and code of ethics. If we sound like the kind of people you'd like to work with, fill out the form on that page.
 

It's not just for guys, gals! We need you, too!  We like lady sailors and ladies who want to be sailors. We like guys and gals and couples and singles. We're all family here! If you're a nice person who "plays well with others," we want YOU!

Why Is There Wind?

 
Recent gale force winds battered the Open Space and flooded parking lots in Traverse City.
Wind driven waves pushed boats over their docks, mixed up kayaks, canoes, paddleboats, and dock sections on neighbors' shores.
The Traverse Bay area has some recent bouts of gale force winds (34-59 mph) from the northeast, prompting us to move Perception to safer dockage. This made me wonder: Why doesn't air just stay put? It turns out, it just can't! Imagine water moving down a river until it meets a waterfall--suddenly the water rushes down the waterfall until the terrain levels out again, then it slows down.
Water speeds up over the falls, then slows down as the terrain levels off.
The greater the fall, the faster the water flows before it levels off.
Air does pretty much the same thing, but instead of elevation differences for the water to flow over, air flows into areas of low pressure.  Warm air is lighter than cold air. It rises, allowing cooler air to rush in to fill up the space.  Just like water over a falls, the falling cooler air travels faster, creating wind, and the greater the difference in air pressure, the faster the air falls into the low pressure area.
You might be wondering why the air would move from high pressure to low pressure in the first place. According to SkyJinks, this is something that happens in nature all the time: things always try to even out. It’s called diffusion.
Even people do it! When people get onto a bus, do they all sit on the same side of the bus first? Do strangers sit next to each other when there are plenty of open seats? No way. People want to spread out as much as possible.*
*Thank you, SkyJinks! Visit their website at: https://scijinks.gov/wind/


This flag signifies a gale warning. Stay out of the water and off the beach!

How Does The Weather
Look Today?

Click below to visit a webcam.
I added Martha's Vineyard to our webcams this month, since that's where Perception lived for over 30 years. If you're missing our beautiful summer weather, take a look at Cruz Bay in the Caribbean! OK, the Fish Cam isn't a weather cam, but it's interesting! Be patient--the fish are a little shy.

Tall Ships in the Movies

Ever wonder where the tall ships in nautical movies like Pirates of the Caribbean and Master and Commander came from? We made this video five years ago for Traverse City's Schooner Festival. It was shown at the State Theater and Captain Bryan narrated it.
Click Here To Read Past Newsletters

Engine Fund Update

After much consideration, our engine team has determined not to purchase a new engine, and instead upgrade the current engine. The reasons are as follows:
  • New engine estimates were well above our expectations and  the funds that were donated.
  • We learned that any new engine would most likely not fit into the current engine space, requiring extra  costly fittings and structural changes which would cost even more with the labor involved.
  • Perception would require a new core, an additional expense.
  • We first believed that we could not find parts for the British-made engine, and now know that several sources are available on this side of the ocean and many standard GM parts will fit.
  • The engine does not have as many hours on it, and therefore not as much wear and tear as a truck engine of the same age (which would be running whenever it was moving.)
  • Among our volunteers are several engine experts who believe that the existing engine will perform well for many more years, as it has this summer.
Have a question or comment?
Click HERE
OR
email us at michallengesailing@gmail.com
 
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We do have fun--maybe not this much fun.
Michigan Challenge is sponsored by Accucomp Computers
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Barbara Horning, Editor

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