The Quarterdeck Honorary Society at the University of Michigan is an organization dedicated to providing service to the NA&ME Department at UM as well as to the field of Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering in general. Quarterdeck is a division of the UM Student Section of the Society of Naval Architects and Marine Engineers (SNAME). All Quarterdeck members are registered members of SNAME.

Tour of the Toledo Port
March 12, 2008

With help from the Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering department, eighteen students and faculty were able to visit the Port of Toledo, Ohio on March 12.  After about an hour drive, our big blue Michigan bus rolled into Downtown Toledo on our way to the Seaport. 

Joe Cappel, the Manager of Business Development for the Port Authority, jumped onto our bus and directed the bus driver to our first stop, the shipyard facility currently being leased from the Port Authority by Ironhead Marine.  The group toured the brand new facility that consists of a high bay working area and offices.  We talked with Ironhead Marine’s president, Tony LaMantia, about the work currently going on at the facility.

After touring the indoor facility, we walked down to the two dry docks.  The larger dry dock was currently empty, but we were able to get a closer look at the smaller one.  This dry dock had an Army Corps of Engineers tugboat and barge that were used for dredging.  During operation, the tug scraped against some rocks, which severely damaged the propeller and bent the shaft half an inch in four feet.  The group was lucky enough to go down into the dry dock and see this damage up close.

FUN FACT: Right next to the shipyard facility is a mill owned by Nabisco.  Based on information obtained by our tour guide, 90% of the wheat that Nabisco uses is processed at this facility.  “Think about that next time you eat an Oreo,” mentioned Mr. Cappel.

The next stop on our tour was Midwest Terminal of Toledo International, which is also leased out by the Port Authority.  This is where most of the loading and unloading of cargo occurs.  At this location we were fortunate enough to have yet another tour guide, the Operations Manager, Terry Leach.  Although an avid fan of the Ohio State Buckeyes (see picture with hard hat), he was very informative and entertaining.  We were able to get a close look of the American Integrity, a 1000-foot bulk carrier.  Also, we learned about the current dredging operations that are underway at the port.

Every person that the group met while on the tour was very informative.  The group was able to experience the operations of a busy port as well as a small-scale shipyard facility. 

The Quarterdeck Honor Society would like to thank everybody that made this trip possible, including the Department of Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering, David Singer, Anastassios Perakis, Joe Cappel, Gilda Mitchell, Tony LaMantia, Tim Emens, and Terry Leach

(Written By Commodore McKenney)

Detroit Boat Show
February 16, 2008

On February 16, a group of eight Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering students took the short trip into Detroit for the 2008 Detroit Boat Show being held at the COBO Center.  Although the weather outside was cold, the students soon warmed up when they saw the building full of over 1000 boats.  The group toured boats ranging from 10 to 48 feet by companies including Tiara Yachts, Sea Ray Boats, Regal Boats, and Formula.  Being the engineers that they were, the group was very curious about not only the sleekness of the hulls, but the power underneath the decks.  Certain students took this curiosity into their own hands and went into the engine compartments on a few of the most appealing boats (see pictures).  Overall, the group enjoyed visiting the Boat Show and hope to make it an annual outing for members of the Quarterdeck Society in years to come.

Detroit Auto Show Trip
January 28th, 2008

As an unofficial trip, some Quarterdeck members went down to the Detroit Auto Show at Cobo Hall in Downtown Detroit.  The Auto Show is a venue for car companies to show off their newest and most innovative designs.  The trip was organized by Quarterdeck Social Co-Chairs Morgan Parker and Henry Dorger.

Internship Meeting Set
January 28th, 2008

The 2008 Internship meeting will be held at 3:00 pm.  If you are interested in a Naval Architecture Internship please attend.  Here are the requirements for going thru the NAME Internship Program:
1.  Must be returning to continue your education in Fall '08.
2.  If you are graduating with a B.S.E. or Masters you must me planning to return for Masters or Ph.D.

Don't come to the meeting just to get the packet of information.  If you want the company information to help with your full-time job search, Kathy can give you the company list in a different, more complete, format.  The packet students will receive on Feb. 4 will contain only those companies who are hiring interns; this is only about 25% of the master list.

Survey Results In!
March 6th, 2007

Recently Quarterdeck conducted a survey of the department student body.  This survey was completely voluntary.  The survey focused on questions regarding a possible Undergraduate Design Lab Renovation and the possibility of an addition of a student lounge.  Please take a minute and review the results of the survey by clicking here.