BaySail's info
BaySail's Mission
>> To foster environmental stewardship of the Saginaw Bay Watershed and the Great Lakes ecosystem and to provide personal development opportunities for learners of all ages through ship board and land based educational experiences. <<
Donors
- Alden and Vada Dow Foundation
- Bay Area Community Foundation
- Bay City Morning Rotary
- Bay City Noon Rotary
- The Bay City Times
- Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention
- Consumer's Energy Foundation
- Dow Chemical Foundation
- Gougeon Brothers
- General Motors Powertrain
- Kantzler Foundation
- Michigan Sea Grant
- Rollin M. Gerstacker Foundation
- Realtor's Association of Bay County
- Ronald McDonald House Charities
- Russell & Maxine Smith Foundation
- Saginaw Bay Watershed Initiative Network
- Samuel I. Newhouse Foundation
- S.C. Johnson Foundation
- Wienlander Fitzhugh
- Science Under Sail K-12
- Shipboard Itinerary
- Student Journal
- The Watershed
- Testimonial
- Booking the Ships
Science Under Sail K-12

BaySail’s Science Under Sail program, delivered on board the Appledore IV and Appledore V, is a hands-on science program for elementary through high school students. In 2010 spring programs will be offered from five Lake Huron Ports: Bay City, Detroit, Harbor Beach, East Tawas, and Mackinaw City.
On board activities were developed with the teacher's goals in mind. Each activity covers a variety of academic disciplines and MEAP objectives. The program includes pre and post sail activities aligned to Michigan Content Standards and Benchmarks for each major discipline – Language Arts, Math, Science, and Social Studies. We are also aligned with the new Grade Level Content Expectations (GLCE). For a comprehensive listing of Science under Sail curriculum links please see our 2009 Evaluation Report.
Each participating teacher also receives a level specific Educator’s Manual, which is full of water-related activities that can be used in the classroom both before and after the Appledore trip.
The emphasis of our educational sail is water quality, with the primary focus on issues specific to the the Great Lakes. While aboard students will be directly involved in analyzing the water, sediment and plankton samples that they collect while underway. During these hands-on exercises, students learn how these different components play an important role in their local ecosystem.
During the sail students will also take part in several hands-on activities focused on weather, navigation, and scientific observation.
In addition to offering an extensive scientific curriculum, the trip provides the students the opportunity to participate in raising some of the schooner’s seven different sails under the watchful eye of the Appledore’s experienced Captain and crew.
| River Stations: |
|---|
| Weather - | take readings of humidity, wind velocity etc |
| Navigation - | learn some basic navigation techniques using a nautical chart and instruments |
| Observation - | identify birds, waterfowl, point source and nonpoint source pollution |
| At Anchor: | Students gather samples of lake bottom (benthos), water, and plankton. |
|---|---|
| Sailing: | Students and crew raise the sails and coil the lines. |
| Bay Stations: |
|---|
| Benthic - | analyze bottom sample for organisms |
| Water - | analyze water sample for temperature, clarity, dissolved oxygen and PH levels |
| Plankton - | identify and examine live plankton with microscopes below deck |
Public Sailing Schedules

- Bay City, MI
- Tawas, MI
- Mackinaw City, MI
- Cleveland, OH
- Michigan City, IN
- Tall Ship Celebration Bay City
- Muskegon, MI


