Sadie Ann: Lake Superior Education and Research Vessel

A group of people stands on the deck of the Sadie Ann research vessel in Lake Superior, docked beside another boat in a calm harbor..

Explore Lake Superior Aboard Sadie Ann

Learn, research and experience Lake Superior and its watershed.

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Live Voyage Status

UW-Superior’s new education and research vessel is traveling from the Midship Marine boatyard in Harvey, Louisiana to her new home at Montreal Pier in Superior, Wisconsin.

Real-time position updates are available anytime on the Marine Tracker website.

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Captain’s Log – From the Bridge

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The Sadie Ann research vessel is docked among yachts at the tree-lined marina shore.

Day 21, 9/17/26 • En route • 29.5° N, 85.3° W

We’re expecting the long-awaited replacement part to arrive tomorrow. Once it’s installed, we’ll take Sadie Ann out for a sea trial to make sure everything is running smoothly and that no other issues have surfaced. With a little luck, we’ll be back underway and continuing our journey very soon.

— Captain, Sadie Ann

Introducing Sadie Ann

Sadie Ann is a custom-built, hybrid-drive education and research vessel designed to expand access to Lake Superior and its vast watershed – one of North America’s most ecologically diverse and culturally significant freshwater systems.

Operated by the Lake Superior Research Institute at UW–Superior, Sadie Ann is available to educators, researchers, organizations and businesses across the region and beyond.

Faculty from a range of disciplines at UW–Superior are incorporating Sadie Ann into their courses, giving students the opportunity to engage in meaningful, hands-on learning experiences directly on Lake Superior.

A blue and white education and research vessel named Sadie Ann is docked beside a blue warehouse, reflecting in the calm water under a cloudy sky—about to embark on its next voyage.

Close-up view of gently rippling water near a Lake Superior research vessel for scientists, reflecting blue and golden tones from the sunlight and creating a smooth, abstract pattern across the surface.

A close-up view of a boat’s upper deck and cabin with blue and white colors, metal railings, and partly cloudy skies above tells about the Louisiana Universities Marine Consortium, as seen on the vessel’s side.

Experience Sadie Ann

One vessel. Endless opportunities – for learning, discovery and collaboration.

A Coast Guard certified passenger vessel fitted with the tools of a research vessel, Sadie Ann is an ideal platform for experiences on Lake Superior. From on-the-water field trips and compelling studies of freshwater ecosystems to maritime trainings and constituency building cruises, Sadie Ann delivers safe, accessible experiences on one of the largest and most beautiful lakes in the world.

Learn More about Sadie Ann