The work started with a new deck plan by Steve Daniel. The helm and galley are on the starboard side. Bunks/seats run lengthwise on both sides of a center aisle. The head and storage are in the bow.
Our Boat - Our Biggest Project Completed
Our boat, the Preservation formerly the Wreck Diver, is our single largest project in both work and capital invested that GLSPS has undertaken. We acquired it in September of 2001 as a donation from Jay Chester and have been working on it weekly since September 2001 to remodel it as a work boat for GLSPS. The Wreck Diver was a 28 foot steel hull excursion boat with a commercial rating. It ports a large back deck and open back cabin and is powered by two efficient diesel engines. It is a sturdy hull and should be relatively inexpensive to operate. Our plan is to use it for Lake Superior GLSPS projects such as setting moorings, carrying out our monitoring program, and supporting preservation and documentation projects. Our original hope was to install an overhead lifting frame so we could transport and place the one-ton concrete mooring blocks we use for our mooring projects. After some rough calculations we are less certain that we could maneuver blocks of that size in and out of the boat. With our newly invented mooring approach of drilling into the rock lake bottom and using anchor bolts instead of mooring blocks, we won't need the lifting frame and we will still be able to install moorings.
The work started with a new deck plan by Steve Daniel. The helm and galley
are on the starboard side. Bunks/seats run lengthwise on both sides of a
center aisle. The head and storage are in the bow.
After a major re-modeling and re-fitting effort and six long years of work we finally launched the Preservation in 2007. Initially we built a temporary boat house to cover the boat so we could work year around. We added a raised and extended cabin roof over the back deck so we can work in the rain and enclosed the cabin. Since most of the projects will be weekends we added sleeping accommodations for six and a simple galley for lunches underway. After two years of working on the boat we discovered there was severe pitting on the bottom of the hull so we removed and re-plated three quarters of the bottom steel. Engines and transmissions were rebuilt and overhauled. We replaced the prop shafts and seals, the marine head, the helm, some electronics, and or course stripped and repainted the hull. We then moved the boat to Spirit Lake Marina in Duluth where we continued the work. We are now done and the final product is shown in the photos below -- along with photos of the work it took to get us there. We now have a busy schedule of shipwreck projects we plan to do using the newly outfitted Preservation.
Behold the Outcome of our Toil in 2007
 The Preservation ready for launch in 2007. |
 Preservation Side View -- Ready for Launch 2007. |
 The Preservation at its Slip at Spirit Lake Marina. |
 Interior View of the Galley a Bunk and the Freshly Overhauled Engines (Engine covers opened of course) |
 Interior with final Upholstery and all the Trimmings |
 Ken Knutson Installing Bow Winch. |
The 2005 Season
The 2004 Home Stretch
 The Preservation sitting in her new Home Port of Spirit Lake Marina, Duluth |
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 The overhauled starboard engine nearing completion in Phil's Quality Automotive Service Center |
 The completed engine ready to be transported to Duluth for installation.. |
2003 Work
 Bob Nelson finishes the welding on extending the main cabin. |
 Bob Olson shows the progress made on the back deck and main cabin to Jay Cole. |
 The engine compartment with the engine removed and clean down to the coupling. |
 The before shot of the helm and old helm wiring. |
 Phil Kerber ready to remove and overhaul the diesel engine. |
 Ron Johnson redesigns the helm. |
 The framework which is the start of the new engine cover/ bunk/seat. |
 Dick Giese meticulously machines our new prop shafts. |
2002 Work
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 Bob Olson and Ron Johnson built a custom engine hoist and Tom Brueshaber works on removing the engines |
 The Wreck Diver sits in Bob Olson's yard where we gutted the cabins before building the boat house to cover it. |
 Ken Merryman laid out the roof from Steve's drawings with Tom's help. Bob Olson and Bob Nelson did the lion's share of the welding. |
 Need a new battery box mount? Bob Olson can weld it up. |
 Each roof support was cut and ground to fit the curvature. |
 Todd Olson and Ken M. welding the forward supports for the new cabin roof. |
 Steve Daniel redesigned and remodeled the forward cabin to add storage and improve the looks. It was the first cabin to be completed in the project. |
 And the finished product. The porthole and top of storage cabinet in the forward cabin which was the first cabin to be completed. |
 The anchor rode locker in the forward cabin after Steve's remodeling effort. |
