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Around the World of Sailing
21 March 2001
Weekly Water Level Update
Available on line at:
http://www.torresen.com/sd/0321_frw.htm
Here is an informative feature that used to appear in the Friday
edition of Sailing Daily. Below you'll find water level info that
pertains to Lake Michigan and Huron. For information on other lakes
see http://huron.lre.usace.army.mil/levels/weekly.html
Weekly Water Level Update
Reference Point Inches below Chart Datum - 9
Difference From 16 February 2001 0
Difference from 16 March 2000 -5
Difference from Long-Term Avg. -23
Difference from Record High -53
Difference from Record Low +8
Forecast for 16 April 2001 +2
Rowing Reporter
Available on line at:
http://www.torresen.com/sd/0321_frw.htm
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.
***************
More Ships Scheduled for Muskegon
This week we have a glance at six more ships scheduled to visit
Muskegon this August. The Jade Lady is a 55-foot schooner. One of her
features is a 6-foot draft giving her the ability to visit most ports.
The Norfolk Rebel will be a standout amongst the fleet. The
Norfolk Rebel is a multi purpose ship. She acts as a towing, fishing,
cargo carrying and salvage vessel. Her unique hull design and
combination of 320 horsepower engine and over 1300 sq. ft. of sail
area in gaff schooner configuration.
The Schooner True North has already been to Muskegon. She
paid a visit late last fall. The schooner will return from her home
port of Toronto.
Road to the Isles is a 71-foot schooner hailing from Nova
Scotia. Road to the Isles competed in the Great Schooner Race on
Chesapeake Bay last year.
From Cape Cod will come the schooner Larinda. This is a
replica of a 1767 Boston schooner that looks in some ways like a
Chinese Junk. See http://www.larinda.com/ for a picture.
Finally is the Pierous Magnus. This ship is actually under
construction in South Haven Michigan. When built she will be a 52-foot
Dutch Topsail Schonker able to carry 300 cubic feet of cargo.
*************
'1sts' Section
First sail of the year on Muskegon Lake took place Sunday the
18th. A pair of JY 15's from the Muskegon Yacht Club sailed the south
shore. It was good to see sails moving along the sea wall, white sails
passing white clouds on the horizon.
The first commercial ship to visit Muskegon Lake was the
Joseph L. Block. The 728 footer deposited coal at the B.C. Cobb Power
Plant. The 1000 footer Columbia Star is expected at the plant next
week.
**********
From the Notice to Mariners
With spring we again take up reading the Coast Guard Notice to
Mariners. Front page news is that Lake Michigan Aids to navigation
such as buoys are scheduled to be commissioned 14 May. In our home
area Group Grand Haven will begin commissioning 1 May.
A scaffold will be placed under the M-104 bridge. This over
the Spring Lake Channel in Grand River. Between March 5 and April 30
clearance will be reduced to 32 feet.
Finally, the US Coast Pilot has updated the coordinates of the
Muskegon South Breakwater Light. The New numbers are; 43°13'30" north
86° 20'48" west.
These are minor corrections to the seconds of latitude and
longitude.
***********
Readers Write
Erik Gardner wrote, "I am trying to get some information
regarding typical wind patterns and speed for the northern half of
Lake Michigan for the months of May and June." Further I learned
that Erik is a wind surfer.
I responded, "There are a couple of sources you can check.
One is the United States Coast Pilot 6. It has a climatological
section. According to this May and June prevailing winds are from the
South. There are also tables for various cities that you could use.
We have the Coast Pilot for sale for $ 24.00. I am not aware that it
is on line.
You also can try the National Climatological Center. You can
find average winds at:
http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/ol/climate/online/ccd/avgwind.html."
Turns out the average winds in May and June are 9.9 and 9.3
knots. The most common directions are South and South West. He may
want to visit in October and November when the wind averages raise to
10.9 and 11.9 and the average southerly breeze is 13.55 knots.
***********
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.
Finish Line
Available on line at:
http://www.torresen.com/sd/0321_frw.htm
At the Steinlager/Line 7 Cup match racing event in New Zealand
during the first 4 days of racing there were 184 on the water protests.
121 times there were no penalties by the on the water umpires.
63 times penalties were doled out.