Roseanne Scott gave up teaching to become a crew member of the UMD research vessel the Blue Heron.
Possession of an able-bodied seaman certificate and a captain's license for 100-ton vessels, plus crew member experience on several lakers, helped seal her decision. Next week Scott, 61, retires after 10 seasons. Her crewmates say she is one of a few women in the area to hold such qualifications.
"There are only a couple women like her on the lakes," said Rual Lee, a crew member of the Blue Heron. "We're going to miss her."
Scientists from the University of Minnesota Duluth and other universities use the former swordfish fishing boat to do research, mostly on Lake Superior, and trips span from five to 14 days. Scott's 12-hour workdays on the boat include a 4-6 a.m. watchman shift, various deck jobs and preparing three meals in the galley.
"Boating and food go together," she said. "Once you're on the boat, you've got to know there's going to be good food coming."
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Surrounding the cozy booth in the heart of the Blue Heron are jars of candy, a bowl of kiwis, oranges and apples and a plate of cookies. Her roster of popular meals for the crew and scientists includes beef pot roast, barbecue ribs and tomato bisque.
"Food is a morale booster, and I've learned to use it that way," Scott said, "to know when to use food to celebrate, or, 'that wasn't too bad, let's have something to eat.' "
Lee said trip assessments sent to the University-National Oceanographic Laboratory System, the fleet to which the Blue Heron belongs, always show the highest ratings for Scott.
"It's like, 'Oh yeah, Blue Heron, Roseanne, good food,' " he said.
His favorite meal made by Scott? Pie.
"At the end of the season, you've got to take us off with a crane," Lee said.
Scott's favorite memories include seeing a 360-degree curtain of northern lights surrounding the Blue Heron one summer night while in the middle of Lake Superior, swimming off the boat on hot days, sunsets, and seeing the lake in all its moods.
During some storms, she hasn't been able to cook.
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"When things start falling off counters that are built so things don't slide off, and when doors that are supposed to stay shut start opening, it's too rough to feed you," Scott said. "Here's soda crackers and ginger ale instead."
Scott's husband, Rick Scott, spent summers working on local ore boats, and he said his romanticized stories of his work lured her to want to do the same.
"I think it's pretty extraordinary that someone at that stage in her life got into boating and could do it well," he said.
Besides hundreds of days on Lake Superior, Scott has sailed across the Atlantic Ocean and in the Sea of Cortez, and has kayaked in Hawaii. Despite retirement, she'll still spend a fair amount of time off dry land, she said.
"Being on the water is wonderful."
JANA HOLLINGSWORTH covers higher education. She can be reached at (218) 279-5501 or by e-mail at jhollingsworth@duluthnews.com .
