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Around the World of Sailing
10 January 2001
This weeks features:
- Finish Line
- Rowing Reporter
- Watery World News
Finish Line
France Telecom sponsor of The Race and provider of the Race
website is predicting that during the Race visitorship to the Race
website will be equal to the 2000 Olympic games. This means 50 million
page views per month.
Rowing Reporter
The Rowing Reporter is a weekly column of commentary and
observations by Ike Stephenson, Marine Informationist. It
concentrates on the home waters of Around the World of Sailing Lake
Michigan and Muskegon Lake.
Rowing Reporter Interactive- The Rowing reporter seeks
comments, questions and suggestions. Send email in a bottle to
ike@torresen.com. If readers write we can start a dialogue about
rowing reporter writing. Send challenges, remarks, queries and they
will make you a part of this column.
According to the 3 January Muskegon
Chronicle 50 years ago: "A thaw weakened the ice in the channel and
ships had clear sailing again."
I took this as a starting point to observe ice condition in
the channel that connects Muskegon Lake to Lake Michigan 50 years
after the above report was made.
Today the channel is mostly ice free. The end nearest
Muskegon Lake has just a small amount of broken ice on the north side.
In the open water a flock of ducks quack noisily.
Ice against the state park side of the Muskegon Channel
owards Lake Michigan a bit of solid stuff near the submarine
Silversides.
Check the online version of this story for photos illustrating
channel ice conditions.
Otherwise, it is open water with wind blowing down the channel.
Completely overcast sky gives water an extreme dark blue look.
During this time, the American Mariner unloaded coal at the
Cobb power plant. This was the last commercial ship on Muskegon Lake
for this shipping season.
********
Readers Write-
Eric Wynsma wrote, "How about ATWOS having a snapshot summary
of the Midwest boats heading to Key West Race Week?" Done.
Interspersed in the Key West Race week preview above is info on our
cold weather boats.
Another reader inquired when the 2001 Strictly Sail Chicago
show is. Dates are February 1-4 at Navy Pier in Chicago. The January
24 ATWOS will feature a boat show guide including this show and others.
Torresen Marine will be at the Strictly Sail show!
***********
Winter On Lake Michigan- This winter the substance that is water in
the summer has done a good job of transforming itself into ice. The
Muskegon North Pierhead light is covered in ice. The light made
invisible by the frozen coat of water.
The South pierhead is ice free expect for low on the light
house. The platform has layers upon layers of ice on it.
At Pere Marquette beach the view of the lake is obscured
by snow mounds and risen ice in the lake. Your view is often not
water, but snow and ice.
At the State Park in North Muskegon I took some time to
explore the ice mound structures that the lake and the weather have
produced.
Starting - down the dune over some unfrozen sand, I tested the
ice with ice boulders. There was lots of slush ice, which would have
put my booted foot in the water. I found a solid path which was made
of ice boulders. I was on my way.
Then a stretch that was mostly flat ice or bumpy ice boulders.
It was not slippery. I took testing steps with my lead foot. The
surface the transitioned to mostly snow capped with more ice boulders.
I crossed ridges on my hands and knees. Then more ice boulders.
Finally a plateau which is raised up so you can again see the lake.
A large crack near icy water's edge ended my progress.
Lots of ice chunks right near the edge of the ice structure.
Some are sand covered. Occasional rolling waves produce spray. The
ice weighted water reacts slower. Points and inlets in the edge of
the ice have been made. An ever changing micro geography. The
points intercept the waves and make spray. The inlets have been
pounded and reduced by the lake.
More solid ice towards Lake Michigan
Watery World News
Watery World News is dedicated to our watery planet and the
things that people do on the water other than sail. Whether it's
tug-barges, kayaks, rowing shells, PWC's, swimming or other water
activities Watery World News will attempt to give the sailing audience
of ATWOS a look at other water activities.
Last June the US Navy discovered the location of the Lind E,
a commercial fishing boat that disappeared while on Lake Michigan
December 11th 1998.
The US Coast Guard is now pursuing action against crew from
a barge that it says struck and sunk the Linda E.
The Coast Guard investigation concluded that the barge Indiana
sank the boat. The Coast Guard is seeking to revoke the licenses
of the barge's captain and another officer.
The barge personnel are accused of violating two navigation
rules: keeping a good lookout and using all means to avoid a
collision.
While the case is pending Keith Grady and Scott Gorney
continue to work. A hearing will take place May 1st in Milwaukee
before an administrative law judge.