Maritime Speaker Series: “The ABCs of ABS and the Winter Fleet”

The next presentation of the Door County Medical Center Maritime Speaker Series will be held on Thursday, January 9th, and will feature Daniel LaMere talking about “The ABCs of ABS and the Winter Fleet.”

The Door County Medical Center Maritime Speaker Series is held at 7pm in the Reddin Bridge Room at the Door County Maritime Museum in Sturgeon Bay, 120 North Madison Avenue. Admission is free of charge with a suggested non-perishable food donation.

Daniel LaMere will talk about the American Bureau of Shipping (ABS) and their involvement with the Winter Fleet. He’ll provide a brief history of ABS and then discuss how the organization works with all of the vessels that ply the Great Lakes, the majority of which are the bulk carriers. The discussion will cover year-round activity, with a little greater focus on the company’s involvement with winter lay-up.

Daniel LaMere is a Principal Engineer with the American Bureau of Shipping in the Ship Engineering Department – Great Lakes Office, located in Sturgeon Bay, WI. During his tenure with ABS he has worked in the Washington, DC Government Operations Office and was co-author of Part 1 – Hull Structures of the “ABS Rules for Building and Classing Naval Vessels” and Part 3 – Hull Construction and Equipment of the “ABS Guide for Building and Classing International Naval Ships.” Prior to joining ABS, he worked for DERECKTOR Shipyards in New York and Rhode Island. Daniel was also a member of Bill Koch’s America-3 America’s Cup design teams for the ’92 (winning) and ’95 America’s Cup campaigns. He is a Michigan native and graduate of the University of Michigan with a degree in Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering. He was raised sailing recreational and racing sailboats throughout the Great Lakes.

The Door County Medical Center Maritime Speaker Series offers an assortment of monthly programs dealing with everything from historical topics to current issues affecting the Great Lakes and the economy that relies on them. Additional support for the Door County Medical Center Maritime Speaker Series is provided by Foremost Resorts, The Lodge at Leathem Smith, Westwood Shores and the Sister Bay Bowl.

The remaining schedule of presenters for the 2019-2020 Door County Medical Center Maritime Speaker Series include Museum volunteers and staff, historians, authors, and marine engineers:

• February 6 – Dr. Don Mikulic: “The Ledge, the Lake, and the Limestone”
• March 5 – Curator Rhys Kuzdas: “Built for Battle: Sturgeon Bay and World War II”
• April 2 – Dan Heibler: “Myths and Mysteries: Legends and Lore of our Great Lakes”
• May 7 – Wes Oleszewski: “World War II & The Great Lakes”