The Daily Bulletin Archive

By Mary A. Durlak

The college’s new research vessel was christened the RVJohn J. Freidhoff on Tuesday in memory of Capt. John J. Freidhoff, who lost his life in a tragic diving accident in 2007. Freidhoff—known affectionately as Captain John—served as the college’s field station manager and boat captain from 1994 until his death.

He was also a lieutenant commander with the United States Coast Guard Reserve, which took the lead in the naming ceremony.

As more than a hundred guests looked on, chief boatswain’s mate Ralph Kring of the Coast Guard introduced Cmdr. Sean O’Brien, who spoke of Freidhoff as a man who made things happen. “This vessel,” he said, “will remind us of John, and give us the chance to tell others who he was, what he did, and why this ship is named after him.”

President Muriel A. Howard said the presence of so many people at the Great Lakes Field Station “fulfilled one of John’s dreams.” She credited him with helping to make the Field Station a community facility. She thanked the Buffalo State College Research Foundation for making it possible to purchase the new research vessel, saying, “To protect the Great Lakes, we must understand them.”

Congressman Brian Higgins said Freidhoff’s legacy will live on in the Congressional Record, into which Higgins will read an account of Freidhoff’s service that states, in part, “[Freidhoff was]…a selfless, hardworking, charitable man…. As this vessel sails, Captain John’s legacy lives.”

Capt. Jeffrey Ogden of the U.S. Coast Guard spoke of the traditions that have been associated with launching new vessels for at least 4,000 years before announcing, “For the good of all those who endeavor to protect the waters of the Great Lakes, I hereby place the research vesselJohn J. Freidhoff in commission.”

Capt. Caleb Basiliko, research fleet manager and ship’s captain, is a former student of Freidhoff’s. He said Freidhoff was good at “seeing what people needed to learn, and teaching it to them.” He presented Freidhoff’s wife and children with a plaque commemorating the commissioning of the John J. Freidhoff, noting that the research vessel is already scheduled to work almost every day of the 2009 season.

The John J. Freidhoff was custom-built as a replacement for the 38-year-old RV Pisces, which experienced catastrophic engine failure in early 2008. Because of repair cost and the Pisces’s age, the Great Lakes Center decided to purchase a new vessel that would not only replace the Pisces but also expand the fleet’s capabilities.

They found it in the $118,000 Workskiff, which was custom-built to the specifications of Basiliko and other members of the Great Lakes Center team. The all-aluminum 27-foot sampling boat has speeds up to 36 knots (about 40 mph), although, said Basiliko, “We will never go that fast.” However, the speed will enable researchers to cover more distance in a day, especially useful when collecting samples over a wide area.

Basiliko said the boat features a stable, versatile platform that will be safe in most weather experienced on Lake Erie. With twin 150-horsepower Honda outboard engines, it can be used safely in the Niagara River’s powerful current. It can be launched in shallow water using readily accessible launches. The walk-through cabin can seat six people, and the vessel features a self-bailing deck and a removable dive door.

The John J. Freidhoff can be hauled via trailer, an important asset because it is often much faster to transport the vessel by land than by water, which results in more time available for on-board research.

The center’s research efforts include monitoring invasive species, assessing how land use affects water quality, tracking lake and watershed carbon and nitrogen dynamics, and documenting the effects of global climate change on Lake Erie and its plant and animal life. This summer, the John J. Freidhoff will be used by Great Lakes Center personnel as well as research scientists, faculty members, and graduate and undergraduate students.

During the commissioning ceremony, Rev. Steven Ridge’s closing remarks included the hope that the vessel would “unlock the wonders of the deep to those who sail it.” The Buffalo State College Great Lakes Center is looking forward to making as much use as possible of theJohn J.