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Around the World of Sailing

3 July  2002

Finish Line

After 13.5 days in the air Steve Fossett, multiple holder of sailing records, became the first person to fly a balloon around the world solo. He crossed his starting longitude of 117 degrees east at 9:38 p.m. local time 9:38 a.m. Eastern time on Tuesday.

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

Difference from Chart Datum +12
Difference from last month +5
Difference from last year +10
Difference from long term average for June -10
Difference from Record High -39 
Difference from Record Low +23
Forecast for 28 July 2002 +1 



Complete Great Lakes Water Level info at:
http://www.torresen.com/weather/weather/water_level/

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.
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 Michigan to elect a new Governor

For readers residing in Michigan the Rowing Reporter presents a series of strictly informational pieces on the 5 main candidates running for Governor of Michigan. The candidates were approached and asked to give an answer to the following question: "What will you do to protect and enhance the Great Lakes?" This topic should be of interest to those Michiganders who are boaters and to all who use the Great Lakes. For the next weeks the Rowing Reporter will carry the answers and information the candidates provide. This information is given to assist those who may vote in the August 6th primary. No endorsement or preference of any sort is given or implied. 

Candidate answers will be presented in alphabetical order.

Question: "What will you do to protect and enhance the Great Lakes?"

Answer provided by Former Governor Jim Blanchard. 

Blanchard announced February 1, 2002, that he will create a new state department of "Great Lakes and Water Quality" as one of his first acts as governor. "It's time to take our stewardship of the lakes and water to a new level of focus and protection," 

The mission of the Department of Great Lakes and Water Quality will be to protect and enhance the quality and quantity of the Great Lakes ecosystem. The Department will be responsible for managing Michigan's water policies, and as they affect water, land and air policies, and protecting, managing and coordinating the activities of the State with the other Great Lakes States, the federal government, and Canada.

"Our goal in Michigan should be to accelerate the cleanup of the Great Lakes and inland waters and strengthen protection against diversion of Great Lakes water," Blanchard added.

Strongly related to the new Department are two initiatives Blanchard said he would establish:

1) A tough "Polluter Pay" law that requires polluters to pay for clean-up, rather than taxpayers.

2) A federal, state, and Canadian effort to create a comprehensive Great Lakes Protection Plan modeled after the recently enacted Everglades Restoration Fund signed into law by President Clinton.

"The Great Lakes define Michigan. They define our very psyche," Blanchard concluded. "Water affects our health, our jobs, and our quality of life. It's what makes Michigan a special place." 

More Information http://www.blanchardforgovernor.com
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Different Ways of Experiencing Sailing Part 1

Sailing has many modes from full on racing, to just drifting on a zephyr. The next few weeks I will try to present some and new and different ways that sailors can express themselves while sailing.

This first idea combines sailing, navigating, poker runs, and geo caching.
The recent event in Sweden that combined racing and orienteering got me started on this concept.

Since most folks don't want to sail beach cats at nite, we'll make this event a day one. Your area may not have islands for a course but a body of water such as Muskegon Lake is suitable. The course would be a series of points creating stages. At each checkpoint you could receive a card like on a motor cycle poker run. Or you could participate in a game like horse shoes. 

In addition to finding each point you would then need to find a geocache. Essentially a geocache is something like a box buried which you use GPS coordinates to find.

In our example we'll start at Torresen Marine. On the first leg you sail to the beach at Muskegon State Park, on Muskegon Lake. You anchor and make your way to the beach. As you hit the beach your time is taken. You then move onto find the geo cache. It's hidden behind a dune. As the first to it, you receive a 30 second time bonus. As you head back down the beach you shoot a round of darts, and are given a card for your poker hand. You then move onto Pointe Marine, Bank Point Light, Heritage Landing, the Muskegon Breakwater.

In addition to the elapsed time it takes you to sail the course, points are awarded for finding the geo caches, for how you do in the games etc. At the end a cash prize could be awarded to the person with the best poker hand.

This hypothetical event could test you in many ways. How man people really know anchoring? Not your boats conditions? Well, then concentrate on winning the games. Are you the impatient sort? Decide to run your engine. Well you can, but you are then not eligible for the cash prize.


An event like this could take many formats, improve skills and allow sailors imaginations multiple applications.