Event Details

Tuesday, May 21, 2024

12:00 pm

This online webinar is free and open to the public.

Location

Online Webinar

About the Event

Sometimes the answer is right in front of you; you just need to look. Centerboards – a common feature of wooden sailing vessels on the Great Lakes – were wooden or iron boards that pivoted down into the water from the bottom of a ship. Use of centerboards improved sailing efficiency while still allowing for easy entry into shallow bays, harbors, and rivers – a definite advantage on the Great Lakes. But while vessels with a single centerboard were common, sailing vessels with double centerboards seemed to be unusual. Come learn how Wisconsin Historical Society archaeologists used information from historical records, underwater archaeology, and shipwreck exploration throughout the Great Lakes to reveal that double centerboards were far more common than researchers once believed. Explore known double centerboard ships that sailed the inland seas, including the shipwrecks of seven double centerboard vessels in Wisconsin waters, several of which can be viewed by beginner scuba divers, snorkelers, and paddlers!

We are proud to hold this event in celebration of Wisconsin Historic Preservation and Archaeology Month.