The 29th annual Gales of November maritime conference will take place Friday and Saturday at the Duluth Entertainment Convention Center.
The conference is organized by and is a fundraiser for the Lake Superior Marine Museum Association. It runs from noon-8 p.m. Friday and 9 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Saturday. Tickets are required; find registration information and a complete schedule of events at lsmma.com.
This year the event will recognize the upcoming 75th anniversary of the bombing of Pearl Harbor. The keynote speaker at Saturday's noon luncheon will be Dr. James P. Delgado, director of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Maritime Heritage Program, who has conducted research and dives related to the Pearl Harbor attack.
Other highlights include:
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- Noon Friday - Mark Barker, president of Interlake Steamship Company, will give the luncheon's keynote address, talking about the modernization of the fleet.
- 1:30 p.m. Friday - afternoon speakers including Bruce Lynn, executive director of the Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum; and maritime author and photographer Chris Winters.
- 5:30-8 p.m. Friday - Opening Evening Gala
- 9 a.m. Saturday - morning keynote address from author and historian Frederick Stonehouse, author of more than 30 books on maritime history.
- 11 a.m. Saturday - morning spotlight presentation from Tom Wiater, president of Central Marine Logistics.
- 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday - event speakers including author Michael Schumacher; Terry Pepper of the Great Lakes Lighthouse Keepers Association; author and lecturer Ric Mixter; historian Jerry Sandvick; author and historian Dan Fountain; author, diver and historian Ken Merryman; author and columnist Rochelle Pennington; Marte Kitson, National Park Service liaison with Minnesota Sea Grant; Lt. Cmdr. Charter Tschirgi, commanding officer of the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Alder; and Bob Fuhrman, executive director of the Richard I. Bong Veterans Historical Center.
- 1:15 p.m. Saturday - special roundtable discussion on preserving cultural history at Isle Royale.
- 5:30-7:30 p.m. - closing reception
There also will be book signings, a silent auction, boat tours and a raffle drawing for the summer 2017 Cruise of a Lifetime - a chance to take a trip on a Central Marine Logistics Great Lakes vessel.
