There are no showers on board. While underway, people wash by soaping up and swimming, or out of buckets on deck. In Erie, showers are available and when in ports away from Erie, showers are usually available. Hot meals are served three times a day, and some snacks are always available. The menus are simple, but hearty, and crewmembers mess together in groups of 6 or 7 at portable tables.
All volunteers take turns helping prepare, serve, and clean up after meals.
All crewmembers take turns standing watch at night from time to time. In port as well as at sea. Some time everyday goes to scrubbing decks, washing dishes, cleaning toilets, chopping firewood, bagging garbage, moving groceries and helping the cook. On most days some time goes into sanding, scraping, painting tarring and various other jobs. When in port, volunteer crewmembers have duty hours during which they give public tours, help the Niagara League retail booth and continue the domestic routines of the ship, such as doing the laundry at a laundromat, or helping the cook with shopping.