The Erie Maritime Museum and the Flagship Niagara League are working hard to get the Brig Niagara ready for winter.

“On deck, we essentially build a house on top of the brig,” Chief Mate Sam Dinsmore describes. “We have upright posts, a center ridge beam, rafters just like you would have in your roof, and then canvas that goes on over top of that.”

The canvas will be protecting the deck of the ship from rain and snow that could otherwise seep into any cracks and seams in the deck’s hull. Once the water is in those cracks, it can freeze, expanding the wood around it, melt, refreeze, re-expand the wood, and so on. This process can damage the hull of the ship and contribute to rot in the wood.

Some systems on board rely on water when the ship is in operation, but in the winter all of those systems are flushed with antifreeze. Antifreeze, however, is not an option to protect the Brig Niagara from ice in water around the ship.

“Ice is actually really abrasive, and if you have essentially a knife blade of it up against the hull, it will chaffe the hull and damage it,” says Dinsmore.

In order to protect the ship from Presque Isle Bay’s icy waters during the winter months, “bubblers” have been deployed around the hull. These are small pumps that disrupt the water around them, keeping the water around the ship fluid.

The entire process takes several weeks, and many of the days will last long into the night. But it’s all worth it to keep the Brig safe for another year of sailing next year, and Dinsmore says that community engagement and support is what makes it all worth it.

“Having community support is the only way that Niagara can continue doing what she does best, which is bringing the history of Lake Erie and of the history of Erie in particular to a wider audience, to the public. We can't do this without the public's support.”