The Neeskay, the UWM School of Freshwater Sciences’ research vessel, is beached on land for a few weeks while it undergoes its regular five-year maintenance.
Captain Max Morgan sailed the Neeskay to Manitowoc through choppy seas on Lake Michigan Oct. 16, navigating a short way up the Manitowoc River to Burger Boat. There, a large travel lift hauled the Neeskay – all 71 feet and 75 tons of it – out of the water and onto a dry dock.
Over the course of six weeks, workers at Burger Boat Company will check the hull, valves, prop, rudder and other mechanicals, and provide a fresh coat of paint.
Built in 1953 in New Orleans, the Neeskay was an Army T-boat used for tug and transport duties in the Korean War. UWM bought it in 1970 and had it converted into a research vessel at Peterson Builders in Sturgeon Bay. It remains the only research vessel that explores the Great Lakes year-round.
