Around the World of Sailing

20 February 2002

This weeks features:

Finish Line

2002 Great Lakes Sailing Calendar

This week a change in the date of the Trans Erie race and 2 new events.
See http://www.torresen.com/calendar/acc.htm

Water Level Update

Weekly Water Level Update
Available on line at:
http://www.torresen.com/atwos/2001/oc/1024/frw.htm

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

Reference Point

Difference from Chart Datum -2
Difference from last month 0
Difference from last year +7
Difference from long term average for February -15
Difference from Record High -45
Difference from Record Low +15
Forecast for 15 March 2002 0

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.
****************
Schooner Passage Author Speaks
This Sunday at the Michigan Maritime Museum
Theodore J. Karamanski author of Schooner Passage spoke.
He described the intense importance of the schooner in
the expansion of the Great Lakes region.
In 1871 Chicago saw more ships than either salt
water ports New York or Charleston.
A harbor was essential in taking a location from
frontier town to city. The harbor development money
lottery was a key component of economic develop as in
later days was the drawing of a factory.
So important was harbor development to Racine WI
that special funding was devised. There was a tax levied
on all citizens. Funds were used to rent the Army Corps of
Engineer dredge and make improvements.
Schooners were fast fore and aft rigged vessels.
For their time they were technological marvels even using
steel cable as standing rigging. Bets of up to $ 1000 a
side were placed by owners. Karamanski spoke of a helmsan
who stood a 16 hour trick at the wheel to help his ship past
all schooners outbound from Chicago. That's still common in
racing, the prize money isn't!
Schooner's carried their own cook. At night a plate
of sandwiches and a pot of coffee warmed by a candle was
sustenance. The sailing schooner era ended 26 September 1930
when Our Son foundered and took with it the schooner era.
This talk reinforced my belief in the excellence of
Schooner Passage. It is available at
http://wsupress.wayne.edu/titles/fw_00/karamanski_schooner.html.
*********************
3 questions?
Mission America Brad Van Liew's project for the
upcoming Around Alone recently published some interesting
questions in their newsletter. Van Liew and his team are
rebuilding a Finot 50 for the race.
They write that they have constant companions in
these questions:
1. If it isn't broke do we replace it? 2. Will the boat
go faster if we replace it? 3. Can we afford to replace it?
Suffice it to say that they say 1&2 are invariably yes, with
#3 being a no.
While most don't face the risks of a Southern Ocean
crossing solo all sailors are faced with the same questions.
For instance if a halyard has lasted years when do you replace
it? Or will that money spent fairing the foils result in speed?
Certainly a hierarchy should be developed. For instance
safety items like lifelines, or standing rigging should be
inspected. Failure of such things even if not broken could
be disastrous.
My experience tells me that for the typical sailor
the idea that the boat will go better if you buy x is a
constant temptation. One might consider investing time
spent practicing rather than a new gadget.
The third one is the curse of many things. Any
project, person, company or government that actually has
what it considers enough funds is an extreme rarity these days.
More on Van Liew at http://www.oceanracing.org
************************
Abe Lincoln's Patent and Civil War Naval Stories
A recent visit to an exhibit on Abraham Lincoln did
not have marine matters on my mind. Abe was accomplished
but no sailor.
Turns out there is a watery connection that furthers
Lincoln's unique Presidential ranking. Lincoln spent time
on boats on rivers with their ever shifting sand banks.
He experienced numerous groundings.
Because of these experiences he is the only US
President to hold a patent. In 1849 he received Patent
No. 6469. The patent involved a system for buoying boats
over shallow water where they were likely to ground. It
involved using inflatable cylinders to raise the boat up.
The idea was never put into practice. However,
Lincoln did create a model for the idea. It was this
that was on display at the Ford Museum in Grand Rapids.
The Civil War which Lincoln is most identified
with will soon be seen in new books by Maine author
James L. Nelson. The first book will be titled Glory
in the Name. According to Nelson, "Samuel Bowater, former
lieutenant of the United States navy, joins the Confederate
navy after the firing on Fort Sumpter and is given command
of an armed tug boat."
Link: http://www.jameslnelson.com/
****************
Web Sightings
On 16 January the Rowing Reporter carried news
of the passing of Gregorio Fuentes a Cuban seaman who
may have been a model for the fisherman in Hemmingway's
Old Man and the Sea. Since then I have come across more
information on this.
Journalist John Kretschmer wrote an article
describing his meetings with Fuentes. The article also
says that it is not likely that Fuentes was the Old man
character model. The article is online at
http://www.sailnet.com/collections/articles/index.cfm?articleid=jkrets0057.
Other interesting sightings include a couple
relating to solo sailing. At http://www.aroundalone2002.com/
you'll find information on Alain Paris' Around Alone effort.
Included are a picture of Michael Douglas and wife Catherine
Zeta-Jones at one of his events on Bermuda. Another part of
Alain's effort is an educational program and the chance to
be the first Bermudan solo circumnavigator.
For those with less ambitious sailing plans than
Around Alone a good sailing test is found at
http://www.sailingusa.info/complete_test.htm.
Although there is no substitute for being on the water
tests such as this keep one thinking sailing and allow
new ideas to seep in.