In summer 2004, The Watershed Center held its first Baykeeper Boat Tour to introduce our Grand Traverse Baykeeper® Program and newly built tugboat to communities along Grand Traverse Bay and provide useful information about clean boating and controlling the spread of invasive species. The tour was partially funded through a DEQ Coastal Management Program grant. The Grand Traverse Baykeeper Tugboat is a 22-foot ‘green’ tugboat that will patrol the bay, conduct water quality outreach and education, and serve as a monitoring platform.

The tour was officially launched at the Grand Traverse Yacht Club on July 22. Other tour stops throughout the summer included:

• Suttons Bay Marina (7/24)


• Elk Rapids Marina (7/31)


• Traverse City Marina (8/7)


• Northport Marina (8/14)


• Dockside Restaurant at the Torch Lake/Clam River junction (8/21)


• Friday Night Live in downtown Traverse City (8/27)


• The Watershed Center’s Annual Open House (10/22)

Another big draw and successful component to the tour was the Baykeeper Wave ice cream created especially for The Watershed Center by Moomers, a local ice cream company. Approximately 860 free sample cones were handed out to the public throughout the tour.

As part of the tour, the Center produced a handy ‘Clean Boating’ card and provided an informative brochure on invasive species. We also handed out informational ‘Baykeeper’ cards explaining the Grand Traverse Baykeeper® Program.

Clean Boating Card
Baykeeper Card

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Tour Sponsors
A big thank you goes out to our 2004 Tour Sponsors: Arms & Cole, Moomers, Republic Bank, Marsh Auto, Alden State Bank, TV 29&8, West Marine, Bonek Insurance, Northern Broadcasting (WTCM) Radio, and Bay Breeze Yacht Charters.

Volunteers
And a special thanks to our volunteers who worked at the tour stops: Liz DeLaRossa, Jim and Laura Dagwell, Kate Jaquish, Tom Yocum, Jenny Manville, Sue and Gordy Brown, Jack Nowland, Dave Dickerson, Ken Bindschatel, John McKinney, Ellen Kohler, Phil von Voightlander, and Randy Tucker.