Winona State’s floating classroom almost ready to set sail

Cal Fremling going through final tests

WINONA, Minn. (WKBT) — A new Winona State floating classroom and interpretive center is almost ready to set sail.

The Cal Fremling is an educational tool dedicated to creating a greater understanding of the Mississippi River. The boat was named after a Winona State University professor who was a science and river enthusiast.

From educational workshops to biology classes, the state-of-the-art facility will act as a classroom for not only students at Winona State, but also community members.

“I think this is just a great opportunity of the area,” said Rudy Beshensky, captain of the Cal Fremling. “There’s a lot of other boating things around here, this is geared more towards the educational side of it and the upkeep and the maintenance of the Mississippi River and the great area that we have.”

The boat has to pass a few more tests before it leaves La Crosse and heads for Winona next week.