ATTENTION

MEMBERS and FRIENDS

of the

S.S. Meteor!

All Hands on Deck!!
 
Please Register for the 21st Annual 2026 S.S. Meteor Project
Work Weekends ASAP!

Please Note:  At the time of this Written Description of the Meteor project, the City of Superior has taken over the Management of the Museums.  The city in collaboration with the GLSPS and other organizations involve with the Meteor will be creating a detailed plan .  Please check back as the Project draws near.

This Preservation Project is Sponsored by:

Great Lakes Shipwreck Preservation Society (GLSPS)
Wisconsin Underwater Archaeology Association (WUAA)
City of Superior - Division of Historic Properties (DHP)


PLEASE NOTE:  There is not any requirement to be a member of the organizations listed above to join us for this project.
However, we certainly encourage you to become a member of your favorite organization, or all of them.

This is the "Twenty First" Annual S.S. Meteor Preservation Project.  This year, it will be a six day week long project. The new dates are, Monday through Saturday April 27, 2026 through May 2, 2026.   






Everyone is welcome to join us for any or all of the above dates. 

Please sign up to be part of the crew by Registering on the GLSPS Website
and by Signing Up through the City of Superior.  Please click on the links below.

This year we are requiring two (2) forms of Registering/Signup.  Please sign up for both

Both are Required!

To Be a Crew Member please Click on this Button to Sign up

GLSPS "Register Now" Button


Please Note:  Special pricing at the Barkers Island Inn is listed below.  However, you may still take the time search for other Hotels and use an online booking service. 

You may want to share a room with a fellow member to split costs.  Please contact us to see any other members need to share a room.

Some bring campers.  You will need to make special arrangements with a local camp or RV camping facilities.

**************


This is a very worthy cause and if we don't continue to preserve this one-of-a-kind Whale-back ship, it could be lost forever!

Please join us in preserving one of the only "Whale-back Ships" remaining in the world!

S.S. Meteor Photos

Results of the Hull Painting


Aft Section After Hull Painting

Pilot House After Hull Painting


SS Meteor Project Crew

Requirements / Recommendations:

1.You must be 16 years of age or older. (Unless other arrangements are made)

2.Have your own Medical Insurance.

3.This is a project that requires the ability to do both light and or heavy physical work.  By knowing your limits, please sign up for what ever task fits you physical capability.

4.Please bring your own safety equipment such as safety glasses, respirators, masks, knee pads, gloves, coveralls, shoes, boots, hats, and warm clothes. Optional: Hardhat.

5.A liability release form from the City of Superior and other Organizations will need to be signed and handed into the staff before anyone can start working on the their tasks.

6. Please Note:  Some tools will be provided.  Such as, paint scrapers, brushes, wiping rags, cleaners.  For your own safety, please bring your own respirator masks!  We highly recommend and most often require a full respirator mask with separate filters.  Please purchase your own for sanitary and safety reasons. 

To speed up the process, please click on both link buttons below to print, read, agree, sign the Liability Release Form and bring with you to hand into the City Staff.  Please complete both Forms!  This will be required before entering the work areas of the Meteor.  

There will also be forms at the sign in table just inside the Meteor entrance.

S.S. Meteor Preservation Project Work Weekend 2026

Please Note:  This is the Task List From the 2024 Project.  The 2025 project was canceled because of a concern about a crack that developed in the expansion deck over the 2024/2025 winter.  No project or volunteer effort occurred!!

This list will give you an idea as to the tasks that were listed to perform during the project.  Some items were not started, some were completed and others were started and still need completion  

The 2026 List will be upload soon!

The task list will be re-written to maximize priorities, the time we have for the project, and the amount  of volunteers participating

Bold = priority items

Water Leak Stoppage

1. Craig David’s leak list – what is left to do.
2. 2022 Tim/Randy Leak List – locate, weld, or seal the more minor water leaks.
3. Exterior hull leak—patch over the leaking rudder area (from the 2022 Tim/Randy Leak List). We will need to dig down about 2 feet on the hull's port side to obtain access to where it is leaking.
4. Storeroom – Continue to follow leaks and find leak sources.

Welding Repairs (Craig David)

1. Pilot House exterior – starboard wing rail – cut off rusted and sharp metal.  Dara Fillmore + Craig David
2. Shipwreck Room Hopper – Remove or secure plate from end of tour route hopper near shipwreck room door. 
3. Exterior Walkway Ceiling—On the Port side, aft of the pump room door, before the porthole, the ceiling has a rotting plate that needs fixing. It may be the same as #4.
4. Officer Mess (Rm 17) – port side hole rotting from underneath.  It may be the same as #33.
5. Aft turret – weld in the ceiling plate.
6. Officer Mess (Rm 17) – south ventilator tube hole rusted through.
7. Crew quarter deck under the starboard aft exterior – very rusted.  A large plate will need to be welded in. 
8. Engine Room (Rm 44) – sheet metal opening on starboard side ceiling near stair – Possibly a couple of screws would hold it back up or weld it.
9. Pilot House exterior – starboard side rail.
10. City piping hole—Once the City removes its piping through the hull near the forward port doors, a weld patch will be placed over the remaining hole.

Painting (Crew Chief = Russel Leitz) (priority items are bare metal coverage)

Red epoxy paint – needs min. 35F + 5F above the dew point. 10 days to cure – 5 hrs. to touch, 48 hrs. to handle (at 35F).
White epoxy paint needs a minimum of 20 F + 5F above the dew point. It takes 14 days to cure, 3.5 hrs. to touch, and 12 hrs. to handle (at 40F).

1. Room 30 (2^nd Cook & Porter) – ceiling & walls.
2. Room 19 (Galley) – Vents 5 + 24 (the two ceiling vents) – area on ceiling around vents are rusted showing bare metal and needs to be cleaned and painted.
3. Room 25 (4 to 8) – ceiling – Some painting missed around edges of ceiling. Scraped and cleaned but needs Gloss-off again.
4. Room 26 (8 to 12)—ceiling—Most of it is not painted. It has been scraped and cleaned but needs Gloss off again.
5. Room 28 (12 to 4)—ceiling—Most of the ceiling is painted. Check for missing paint on the ceiling close to the door and around the edges of the ceiling. It has been scraped and cleaned but needs Gloss off again.
6. Room 31 (rear Turret)—The line (rope) locker has a few small areas left to paint with epoxy. It has been scraped and cleaned but needs Gloss-off again.
7. Hallway 42 (forward of Steering Gear Room) – Remove paint flakes on walls.
8. Room 32 (Utility Man Wiper rm) – Remove paint flakes from the ceiling.
9. Room 21 (Crew’s Mess) – Remove paint flakes from underneath the surface of the lower shelf under TV.
10. Deck Cowl Vent/scoops (whichever needs work) – interiors (red) – repair caulk if necessary first.
11. Room 17 (Officer’s Mess) – floor – Minimum is to paint the walking path through the room.  Needs recleaning before painting. The temperature needs to be warm enough for painting.
12. Room 21 (Crew’s Mess) – floor – Minimum is to paint the walking path through the room.  Needs recleaning before painting. The temperature needs to be warm enough for painting.
13. Room 23 (hallway) – ceiling.
14. Room 27 (crew room) – ceiling.
15. Room 42 (hallway in front of steering gear room) – section of port wall.
16. Railings (last priority)—if there is time, scrape and sand to prepare for student volunteers.

Other/Misc

1. Forecastle contents: Move rings and life preservers to the basement of Fairlawn (pallets in pool?). (Dara or a museum lead).
2. Pilot House – Starboard door – remove hasp from door lock and paint over.  Dale Koziol
3. Pilot House exterior – starboard wing rail – once fixed by Craig, rope off that outer edge, leaving stair for safety exit.
4. Boat Deck Grocery Hatch (under the awning pipes, forward of the dumbwaiter) – better secure it (any way to lock it with a padlock?)  Dale Koziol
5. Lifeboat Davits – potentially install hardware cloth inside the bottoms of lifeboat davits on the port side (see pigeon poop for details) and see if it’s an issue on the starboard side as well.  Dale Koziol??
6. Exterior Engine Sump Hole—Fill the hole from the Engine Room sump with gravel on the lawn, aft starboard end. May need to have the City perform this duty?
7. Engine Room Workbench: Clean the rust off it (wipe/clean off—don’t scrape—it’s not being repainted).
8. Exhibit starboard exit cardboard – remove. Dara Fillmore
9. Exterior under ship nose – Extend or adjust plastic pipe.  Dara Fillmore + City
10. Research - Starboard side engine room vent. Can the flapper be removed to address the rust and water/condensation leaking in.  The vent is causing lots of water to come in and drip on the walkway where touring occurs.  Dean will take a look at it.
11. 3D Shipwreck Model Display Case – troubleshoot lighting issue and install new model (if available).  Dale Koziol
12. Forward hold doors – Needs wood safety railing constructed inside.

Annual Tasks

1. Replace burnt-out lightbulbs.  Museum Maintenance Person
2. Scupper plugs on the boat deck need checking – tighten before pressure washing.  Replace any worn-out ones.  (There are 7 or 8 new ones available).
3. Pressure wash ship.
4. Water in the bilge – Plug in all water pumps. 
5. Prop set-up (including making beds). 
6. Polish all brass in the engine room, pilot house, and chart room.
7. Clean staff office and area
8. Clean exhibit areas – sweep, dust, vacuum
9. Clean exhibit glass inside and out
10. Clean glass on all port holes and other windows
11. Vacuum all areas that need it (especially on tour routes)
12. Whistle air compressor – service as needed.  

Leaks Located in 2022 - Some have been repaired in 2024
(there are photos that go with these leaks – use the QR code or the link.)
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1nhrzaBBVxVX8RNtPYeQCE8oIyIzQ_ouE?usp=share_link

Please Note:  Any cargo holds and other areas that need cleanup, will not take place without City Personnel Present!! 

*If you are a leader of a task during the project work weekend and, you were assigned to specific group, please let a representative of the City of Superior know who you are, what you were assigned to and if you need any special equipment or supplies to complete your assigned job.  

The task list for the current project is listed above, please take a moment to look through it to see what you would like to participate in.  The task list will continue to change as the project draws near and throughout the project week.  Please check back to this list from time to time.

Please Note: 
Masks/respirators are highly recommended and required for any sanding dust or painting tasks - Although most of the time you will be required to wear a respirator for your safety during the work weekend inside the Meteor for most working tasks, especially while painting.  Please be aware of your environment and if you need to step out for a breath of fresh air, please do so as many times as you need.

Please be present for the briefing!!  Saturday: 9:15 AM - Project Briefing)!!  The briefing will take place inside the ship in one of the open areas.

Breakfast: You will be on your own.  Everyone is welcome to join us at the Perkins Restaurant (Near the Meteor) each morning for Breakfast at 7:00 AM.  

Lunch: Lunch will be provided by the City of Superior

Please don't forget to register for the project on both this website and through the City of Superior using the above link buttons.  We need for you to confirm your attendance ASAP!

Thank you very much for your time.

Phil Kerber

manager@superiorpublicmuseums.org
715-394-5712