Research Vessel GS-1

The GS-1 is a 48 foot steel-hulled boat designed especially for scientific work on Lake Erie. It was built in 1953 for $40,000 by Paasch Marine of Erie, Pennylvania. The vessel has enclosed welded decks to provide protection from Lake Erie windstorms and is propelled by a 290-horsepower 638-cubic-inch Caterpiller diesel engine. The bow contains the head, galley, and two bunks; amidship, the main cabin overlies the engine compartment; and the stern provides a large open working deck with a derrick boom and a removable transom.
 
The vessel has been used largely for bottom-sediment investigations. In the 1950's, surface sediments of the entire Ohio portion of the lake were mapped and sub-bottom sand and gravel deposits were studied. In the 1960's and 1970's more sub-bottom work, which included seismic reflection profiling, and physical limnology were done from the boat. The GS-1 has been used in cooperative projects with agencies such as the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, NASA, The Ohio State University, and the U.S. Geological Survey.
 
The vessel has undergone little structural change; however, interesting technical changes have occurred. For example, in the early days the vessel was navigated by dead reckoning and sextants. Later, LORAN-C and radar were used. Today, GPS (Global Positioning System) and a navigational computer are used--allowing geologists to pinpoint their exact location in order to gather more accurate information. Also, in the earlier years sub-bottom sampling was done by jetting, a discontinuous method of sampling in which sediment is displaced by water forced through a pipe. Today, a vibracorer provides a continuous core of the bottom sediments. The vessel also is now equipped with sidescan sonar, a sub-bottom profiler, and an underwater video camera, which is used to analyze the lake bottom and help geologists locate and track major deposits of sand and other sediment underlying the lake.
 
Lastly, despite the relatively long history of the vessel, there have been only two skippers, W. R. "Walt" Lemke, who piloted the boat from 1953 to 1976, and D. L. "Dale" Liebenthal, who succeeded Walt.