1999 Construction Trip

   High winds and strong current challenged the twelve men and three boats that made up this year's SS America construction team. From September 9-12, divers worked in 38-degree water to hang pipes and stabilize walls in the galley and salon areas. They also reassembled the chief engineer's bed and cleaned silt out of the galley and stewards quarters.

   According to Ken Merryman, "the work was slow, but we made progress even though the weather didn't cooperate." Divers used both service-supplied air and conventional scuba. The construction team consisted of Ken Merryman, Bob Olson, Steve Daniel, Tom Brueshaber, Dave Schmidt, Ken Knutson, Stan Braun, Paul Cording, Ron Johnson, Bob Nelson, Al Brown, and Brian Nylander.

   This year, they decided to try a new system where divers divided up into two-person work teams and were assigned a specific project. Each team worked on the same project until it was completed. This allowed for improved work efficiency and reduced miscommunication caused by too many divers working on the same task. This arrangement also improved diver safety, as each person was working with same buddy for the entire time.

   Some of the artifacts that were discovered included a gold men's ring with green stone, an aftershave bottle, and a metal cigar box with the brand name Between Acts: The Little Cigar. These artifacts will be preserved by the park service and put in the new America display case at the Windigo Visitor Center.