When the South Haven Michigan Maritime Museum’s tall ship sets said in Lake Michigan this summer, it will be crewed with volunteers from the community, and everyone now has a chance to become one. The museum’s Claire Herhold tells us it takes a crew of around eight to sail Friends Good Will. The museum will hold two weekends of seamanship training in April and May to get volunteers up to speed.
“It is quite physical because we are hauling lines and moving about the ship, as well as trying to make sure that our passengers are having a really good time, and telling them about the history of the ship,” Herhold said.
Friends Good Will is a replica of a square topsail sloop built in 1811 for a Detroit merchant, which was captured by both British and American forces during the War of 1812. Herhold says it’s half the experience with the seamanship training.
“It’s not just that we’re teaching our passengers and our museum guests about the history of the ship. But this volunteer program is a hands-on learning experience, too. So, we feel a bigger crew and mentorship among crew members is a big part of that experience.”
Herhold says those age 16 and older are ideal for serving as crew members on Friends Good Will, and volunteering does require a drug test. After the seamanship training, volunteers can choose to sail as often as they’d like from the end of May through September. To qualify for the free training, a volunteer must be a member of the Michigan Maritime Museum. We have information for signing up at our website.
To register, contact Captain Bob Harnish at captain@mimaritime.org or call (269) 637-8078, ext. 105. For more information about Friends Good Will, please visit michiganmaritimemuseum.org/explore/our-fleet/friends-good-will.
