Desco Corp

It’s Official! Wisconsin’s Ghost Ships Festival is back. Last held in 2017, the Ghost Ships Festival was Wisconsin’s premier event for Great Lakes diving, maritime history and underwater archeology enthusiasts.

The Wisconsin Underwater Archeology Association in conjunction with the new Wisconsin Shipwreck Coast National Marine Sanctuary, the Wisconsin Historical Society’s Maritime Archeology Program and the Wisconsin Maritime Museum are proud to sponsor Ghost Ships 2024!

The event will be held Friday, March 1st and Saturday, March 2nd at the Inn on Maritime Bay in Manitowoc, Wisconsin and will feature speakers and workshops devoted to:

• Recent shipwreck discoveries
• Techniques for documenting historic shipwreck sites
• 3D Photogrammetry
• Remote Sensing Technology
• Great Lakes Shipwreck Diving
• Great Lakes Maritime History

The event will include vendor booths and displays offering interactive 3D shipwreck exploration experiences, technology demonstrations as well as books and merchandise. Sponsorship opportunities are available for interested businesses and organizations.

The event will be open to the public. Stay tuned for information on booking room reservations, pre-registration, vendor booth reservations and sponsorship opportunities at www.wuaa.org.

𝐆𝐡𝐨𝐬𝐭 𝐒𝐡𝐢𝐩𝐬 𝐅𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐚𝐥 𝐂𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐕𝐨𝐥𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐞𝐫𝐬

𝑾𝒂𝒏𝒕 𝒕𝒐 𝒈𝒐 𝒕𝒐 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝑮𝒉𝒐𝒔𝒕 𝑺𝒉𝒊𝒑𝒔 𝑭𝒆𝒔𝒕𝒊𝒗𝒂𝒍 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒇𝒓𝒆𝒆? We're looking for volunteers to help us at the fest on Friday, March 1st and Saturday, March 2nd. Volunteers will be asked to work for 4 hours in exchange for free admission.
We are looking for help in the following areas:

𝐑𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 / 𝐇𝐨𝐬𝐩𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐃𝐞𝐬𝐤
𝐅𝐚𝐜𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐒𝐞𝐭𝐮𝐩 / 𝐖𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐥𝐞𝐫𝐬
𝐀/𝐕 𝐓𝐞𝐜𝐡𝐧𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥
𝐌𝐞𝐫𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐬𝐞 𝐒𝐚𝐥𝐞𝐬

We are looking to recruit approximately 15 volunteers.
If you're interested, please contact Brendon Baillod at [email protected]

We are (too) slowly adding items to the DESCO e-commerce website. This morning we added the two outlet covers for Morse Air Pumps. The "Air" cover would be used on all AJMS wood case pumps. The " One Diver Deep" cover is used on the #1 and Navy Mark III heavy pumps. On these pumps there is a selector lever to choose between supplying two divers working in shallow water (both outlets feeding air), or one diver working deep (all air goes to one outlet). Air Cover Cat No. M0814 $80.50. One Diver Deep Cover Cat No M0815 $80.50.

The other day we got an old Mk V bonnet in the shop for servicing and repair. The owner plans on diving it next year. The springs and gaskets needed changing. This included the spring and valve stem gasket in the Schrader Non-Return Valve mounted on the helmet. I installed a new leather gasket on the stem and put the valve on test. it leaked like a sieve. This is not an uncommon occurrence. I have fought with this problem every time I have changed a stem gasket except once. One day I got fed up and cut a rubber gasket to the same dimensions and installed it. The valve passed test on the first try. I have gotten into the habit of installing leather gaskets first. If they work that's fine. If not I change to rubber. The problem lies with uncooperative cows. Their hides are inconsistent in thickness and hardness. anybody who has scraped a neck ring gasket knows about the grain and texture of leather. On a display helmet you don't usually bother with changing a NRV stem gasket. On diveable helmets the NRV has to work all the time, every time. Soon we will be putting replacement stem gaskets on the e-commerce site. They will be offered in leather (for traditionalists) and rubber. We recommend rubber gaskets for any helmet that is going diving. The part number is 26010L (leather) or 26010R (rubber). The price is $3.00. We also stock the NRV spring. The Non-Return Valve is a US Navy design and the gasket and spring will fit any US Navy Stem Type NRV. The leather gasket is shipped dry. It will need to be treated with Neatsfoot Oil or Olive Oil before installation.

In Dec. 2022, Dive Unit K9 Dace was diagnosed with congestive heart failure. Thanks to Central Animal Hospital and UW Veterinary Care she is doing well and continues to be available for searches on a limited basis. As one can imagine though, expenses for medications and clinical follow up are quite high.

In steps Spike's K9 Fund to cover those costs to take the burden off of Dace’s handler so she can concentrate on Dace’s health and train to maintain their skill in searching so they are available to the community when needed. Thank you seems so inadequate.
If you can, please donate to Spike’s K9 Fund. They are instrumental in helping cover medical costs for working and retired working canines.

Check out Dace’s fundraising page https://www.classy.org/fundraiser/4365292

If you send us e-mails but do not receive a reply in a timely manner please call us at 414-272-2371 M-F 6am to 2:30pm. We suffered an unsuccessful hack last week. A hacker attempted to redirect a ACH payment from one of our customers to a different bank in a different city. We have a IT specialist on retainer and he has ramped up our security. While he was working on it another attempt was made to get into our e-mail system. This is the reason we do not take CC numbers by e-mail. There were over twenty attempts to break in in the last couple of weeks.

If you pay any bills or invoices electronically always confirm the banking information is accurate. Hackers are investing the time/effort and doing a very good job of looking legitimate.

Our e-commerce website is secure and orders are processed by a third party processor, hence the 3.5% credit card fee. The order is forwarded to us with a payment confirmation and that is what we see.

We are glad they are getting recognition for their important work. In diving circles Mary is often remembered in connection with her more famous brother, Max. Ric visited her once to ask about Max and what happened to the estate when he and his wife were killed in the car accident. We were trying to get a line on the whereabouts of Max's record diving rig. The estate went to Mrs. Nohl's family so who knows what happen to the gear. She was very kind and open with him telling stories about Max. A great and talented lady.

Congratulations to the John Michael Kohler Arts Center (JMKAC), recipient of a 2023 Honorary Historic Preservation Award! They received this special recognition for their work preserving the Mary Nohl Art Environment.

The Mary Nohl House is an art environment of national significance because of its unique assemblage of thousands of works of art that require continued maintenance. JMKAC deserves recognition for this unique and long preservation effort that intersects with the built domestic environment, fine arts, public outreach, restoration, and legal protections. The sustained effort into the restoration and preservation of the Nohl collection and house, as well as the effort to ensure its future through community outreach and legal means, is an incredible commitment.

Learn more: https://wihist.org/4731MGN

📸: Pictured from L: Anthony Rammer, President, JMKAC Board of Directors; Terri Yoho, Wisconsin Historical Society Board of Curators; Alex Gartelmann, Program Director & Site Steward, Mary Nohl Art Environment; Amy Horst, Director, John Michael Kohler Arts Center; Christian Øverland, Ruth & Hartley Barker Director & CEO, Wisconsin Historical Society; Kristen Leffelman, Southeast Outreach Coordinator, Wisconsin Historical Society; Lisa Stone, School of the Art Institute of Chicago

Just shot these out the lunchroom window. Trick or Treat? I guess trick.

We made an upgrade to the retail shop and that left us with the old tee shirt rack. it was repurposed and placed in the museum to display miscellaneous gear. It kind of looks like a laundry drying rack.

We are thrilled to announce that our Scholarships and Training Grants are open!
One of our main goals as a non-profit is to support future generations of divers.
Look through the list of scholarships, share and apply! Applications close in a little under two months.
--> Link to the list of Scholarships and Grants: https://rb.gy/tpgzh
--> Link for applications: https://rb.gy/tpgzh

With a heart felt thanks, we reluctantly wish Bud Lee all the best as he hangs up his hat after eleven years volunteering with the dive unit. Bud was a driver, a boat operator, a line tender, and even got his SCUBA certification to know how to best help team divers during training or dive ops. We can't thank him enough for his service to the country and his community as a Marine, his career in corrections, EMS, and with dive rescue. Thanks Bud, you will be missed.

Phone and e mail are down. Spectrum said they can have a tech here by Noon tomorrow.

Bravo Zulu 86th Engineer Dive Detachment. https://www.army.mil/article/268596?fbclid=IwAR09Jpt31ThEcmZ5V6ZQgv4FOwYo1cMnTHzsDBWHTVPGVYH_eRM3nkMhrgU

US Army deep sea divers retrieve derelict fishing nets in partnership with Washington Dept. of Natural Resources BLAINE, Wash. -- A team of U.S. Army deep sea divers spent nearly four weeks recovering derelict fishing nets from deepwater habitats on the bottom of t...

The last piece for the Mk V helmet order was a pair of Heavy Shoes with White Canvas Uppers. You may notice the metal sole is Brass, not Lead. We made this change because finding somebody to cast Lead is nearly impossible these days. The Brass soles are lighter but we found during the dive rallies we could run the weight belts light. The Navy 84lb weight belt has 10 - 7 1/2lb weights. we were running with six and that was plenty. You will also notice the belt buckle is chrome plated Steel, not Brass. we would use Brass on the Canvas Shoes but you cannot find these buckles in Brass anymore. We also began using stainless Steel wood screws and washers. NDSTC/NEDU in Panama City asked us to change to SS from Brass because when replacing uppers on worn navy shoes that would break off too many screws. This change was to make the shoes more durable and easier to service.

We just finished this helmet for a customer. He is also getting a Hand Light, Canvas Shoes, and a Tool Bag.

Awhile back we had the honor of working on a US Navy Mark V helmet that resides aboard USS Stethem. At that time we learned of Petty Officer Stethem's courage and integrity. It reminded us that good always must stand against evil or humanity is doomed. America is poorer for his loss but much richer with his lasting legacy.

Boaters do you know what these are and what you are required to do? A surfacing diver (recreational or commercial) is helpless in the water. In a diver vs boat event the diver never wins. The boater's future won't be very bright either.

Congratulations to dive unit member Abdul Cole on completing Dive Rescue International's DR 1 course.

Phil Nuytten, commercial diver, inventor, scientist, historian, pioneer, and business man passed away on May 13th at the age of 81. He founded Can-Dive and co-founded Oceaneering International. Best know for his one atmosphere Newt Suit. Phil will always be remembered at DESCO. Every tour through our display room he is mentioned. Our DESCO Airmaster two hose regulator was given to us by Phil from his personal collection. It just showed up one day without any advanced notice. If you judge a man's worth by his deeds this simple act says much about what the world has lost in his passing. There is an article about Phil's history in Scuba Diver Magazine:

Dive industry mourns passing of Phil Nuytten The international dive industry is mourning the passing of Dr Phil Nuytten, a true legend in deep ocean work and exploration - it is no exaggeration to say

Christian at the Oilfield Divers Monument with the Maple Leaf Gang (Canadian divers). L-R Bob Woosley, Doug Osborne, BOB, Christian Koellner, & Darryl Rundquest.

Our prayers for the family of Deputy Leising and the St. Croix County community.

Thoughts for the family and friends of St. Croix County Sheriff’s Deputy Kaitie Leising, as well as the entire St. Croix County Sheriff's Office, as they mourn the death of Deputy Leising, who was killed in the line of duty this past weekend.

Tonight, and through the weekend, the Jim Kress Maritime Lighthouse Tower will be lit in red to honor all firefighters lost in the line of duty. We appreciate those who are on watch tonight right here in Sturgeon Bay and Door County ready to respond to any emergency whether aboard ship or at our homes. Thank you for doing what you do. Click here for more information on this event: https://weekend.firehero.org/

Congratulations. Would have expected nothing less from a ship named Milwaukee, (Monitor 1864), (C-21), (CL-5), (AOR-2), (LCS-5).

Congratulations to USS Milwaukee and her amazing crew for winning the Battle Effectiveness Award for 2022. This award recognizes a ship for their sustained superior performance while executing their mission.

The X-8:
Based on the DESCO Commercial helmet platform.
Standard Navy/Commercial neck ring set.
Commercial style communication elbow with two pin pigtail
Browne Utility Helmet double exhaust valve in head butt configuration.
Sponge air inlet elbow with integrated Non-return valve.
DESCO Spring Lock.
Halo air diffuser/ defogger.
Integrated air control valve.

Standard parts were used in unconventional ways. Custom parts were made as part of the conceptual nature of the project.

All these considerations make the X-7 and X-8 helmets EXPERIMENTAL and they need to be treated as such. These helmets cannot be regarded in any other way. The faceplate is vulnerable and all caution must be taken to protect it. The exhaust valves are not easy to reach and adjust.

Since the X-8 made the trip down to Vortex Spring a couple of weeks ago there has been allot of talk about it. This is the helmet that preceded it, the X-7. The X helmets are prototypes done as an engineering exercise by the company. Never intended to be used like a regular diving helmet these helmets are classed as experimental. The layout is impractical as the exhaust valve is difficult to reach. It is placed so far back because of the amount of area the windows take up. Ric wanted a helmet built with "the biggest damned front window you can fit on a bonnet". There were no other instructions or criteria offered. I had free reign to use whatever parts were on the shelf.

The X-7:
Based on the DESCO Mark V platform.
Non-recessed neck ring set from the Stillson helmet.
Browne Utility helmet communications elbow.
Morse head butt style exhaust valve (banana tube cut from a knife sheath)(Agar exhaust mechanism).
Sponge air inlet elbow with integrated Non-return valve.
Custom screw pin lock.
Copper tube air ducts.

The 1” thick acrylic screw in faceplate mimicked the design by Bob Kirby for his gas hats. Kirby asked DESCO to make a model similar to his air helmet to fill the void after he retired. That resulted in the Browne Commercial Helmet. We have experience making this type of window from the BC helmet and the Commercial Nuclear Helmet. This method was chosen for ease of construction. The frame was soldered to a Copper ring which was in turn soldered to the bonnet shell. It was not a good design for a working helmet but fine for an engineering exercise.

A production helmet based on the X helmets is being considered. The new helmet will need big changes from the X prototypes. we need to buy space for relocation of the exhaust valve to the front of the helmet.

It is not a particularly safe design and first preference would be that they are never dived. If they are dived they should be treated as what they are EXPERIMENTAL. The repeated pressure variations will eventually fatigue the plastic threads rendering the helmet dangerous. How long that would take is anybody's guess.

Thank you WMM.

Happy from the Wisconsin Maritime Museum!

Today's featured Wisconsin Woman Maritime Hero is Bernice McKenzie, former vice president of Desco Corp (formerly known as the Diving Equipment & Salvage Company) of New Berlin, Wisconsin.

Bernice started at the company as a solderer with no previous experience in October 1942. She applied because she wanted to contribute to the war effort. By 1950, she had worked in and supervised every department in the company. She became DESCO's vice president shortly thereafter.

For nearly 40 years, Bernice managed a highly successful company in a male-dominated industry. She retired in December 1989 due to health reasons. The Association of Diving Contractors International honored Bernice in 1995 with the Tom Devine Award for significant and continuous contributions to the inland and coastal diving industry.

Learn more about Wisconsin's famous women here: womeninwisconsin.org

[image description: blue background with a black and white historical photo of a young nurse in the upper right corner. Text: "Wisconsin's Women Maritime Heroes, Bernice McKenzie, 1912-2000." The WMM logo is in the lower left corner and a map of Wisconsin is in the lower right corner.]

This morning I scanned this magazine cover from Popular Mechanics June 1979 issue.

yesterday we received an order for a Three Bolt Neck Dam. Vince Scarponi originally suggested this product over ten years ago. In that time we have sold a couple. It is such a low demand part that it never made it to the price list or website. Now with the increase in interest in diving Chinese & Russian three bolt helmets a decision was made to upgrade it's status. As of today it is on the DESCO Commercial Price List and will shortly be added to the ecommerce site. The Three Bolt Neck Dam is Cat. No. 27036 and the price is $225.00. Will fit either the TF Chinese or Russian helmet.

In honor of International Women's Day we will give a nod to DESCO's "Boss Lady". Bernice McKenzie joined the company in 1942 when she answered a newspaper ad for a solderer. A bold move since she didn't know what a solderer was. She was with DESCO until her retirement in 1988. Rising through the ranks she was the vice-president and general manager for 3 decades. Bernice was a highly respected member of the commercial diving community (a almost completely male community). Divers would send her carved figurines from around the world. Her granddaughter recently told us the large collection is a cherished family heirloom.

Today's project was building a pair of Canvas Lightweight Shoes for a customer.