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Around the World of Sailing

17 July  2002

Finish Line

John Bertrand as quoted in a Sailing World interview prior
to the Pacific Cup : "They're [Mari-Cha III's] mizzen mast
is taller than our mast, [Zephyrus V] so that gives you
some perspective."

Links:
Interview
http://www.sailingworld.com/sw_article.php?articleID=1084
Mari Cha III
http://www.mari-cha.com/
Zephyrus V
http://maxz86.com/
Pacific Cup
http://www.pacificcup.org/

Water Level Update

Reference Point

Difference from Chart Datum +13
Difference from last month +3
Difference from last year +12
Difference from long term average for July -11
Difference from Record High -41
Difference from Record Low +22
Forecast for 12 August 2002 +1

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

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.
****************
 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 Attorney General Jennifer Granholm

The Great Lakes are Michigan's crown jewels. But we also
must recognize that clean Great Lakes are also in our
economic interest. Sport fishing and tourism are industries
that need to be protected and nurtured, not diminished by
activities that provide short-term gain for some at the
long-term expense of our environment and economy.

Jennifer Granholm will fight to fully implement a Clean
Water Forever Initiative.

As part of this initiative, Jennifer Granholm will:

Vigorously oppose the export or transfer of Great Lakes
water. Jennifer Granholm will exercise her authority under
federal law to veto any proposed export or transfer of Great
Lakes water that is not coupled with measures that improve
the ecosystem both locally and as a whole.

Enforce the ban on slant drilling for oil and gas under the
Great Lakes.

Protect Lake Superior. Jennifer Granholm will implement a
strategy to protect Lake Superior from toxic chemicals, to
protect special places in the Lake Superior Basin, and to
attract environmentally sustainable business to the Basin.

Develop a comprehensive water use strategy. Jennifer
Granholm will develop legislation to govern the usage of
groundwater and surface water.

Protect Michigan's watersheds. A Granholm Administration
will:

Create the Michigan Clean Water Corps. A Granholm
Administration will work with volunteers to establish a
comprehensive statewide clean water-monitoring network.

Clean up the toxins left by past industrial activities. The
Great Lakes contain 42 toxic hot spots, or "Areas of
Concern" -- 14 in Michigan waters - that have been
designated by the EPA for removal of toxic industrial waste.

Help local communities by providing legal and technical
assistance for local wetland protection programs.

Protect rivers and streams with new initiatives under
Michigan's nationally recognized Natural Rivers Act.

Aggressively work to control polluted run-off from city
streets and large livestock operations.

Protect beaches and coastal habitats. Jennifer Granholm will
call for a ban on new sand mining sites in our precious
coastal dunes and work to expand protections for dunes and
coastal wetlands from other destructive impacts.

Protect our Great Lakes from exotic species. Jennifer
Granholm will work with our congressional delegation to
pressure the Environmental Protection Agency to close a
loophole in the Clean Water Act exempting ballast water from
treatment requirements.

More at: http://www.granholmforgov.com
******************
Boat Smart Follow Up

In this week's Boat Smart column Chief Rau recommends weekly
practicing your GPS skills. If you can't get on the water
every week here's another method.

Take your hand held GPS off the boat. Use it as you drive
or walk. Make waypoints in the neighborhood park. Use the
odometer to measure your walks, or runs. Check you cars
speedometer via your GPS.

All this may not be the same as what you experience on the
water, but it will keep you familiar with this crucial tool.
******************
Studies and Observations: Navigation

Four recent items all pertaining to navigation drew my
attention.

One, for the second time this year a boat collided with
Muskegon Breakwater. The backstory is that the boat
owner claims his boat was stolen and the thief made
contact with the breakwater. Regardless, another public
stupid boating trick.

Second, Promotion- a 50 foot sailboat- ran aground near the
finish of the Port Huron Mac race. Such groundings occur on
an almost yearly basis in either of the Mac races.

Third I opened Yachting Magazine and saw this quote "They're
just kindling" a professional captain's observation in
regards to paper charts.

Fourth several articles that explain that current generation
WAAS enable GPS are accurate to within 5 feet. However,
charts dating from older surveys didn't take sounding every
5 feet, but rather perhaps every 100 feet or more.

When I connect this information what do I find? No
navigation system or method is infallible. Whether it's
power or sail, incidents can and do happen. Or maybe it's
there's two kinds of sailors those who have run aground and
those who will.

My view on paper charts: they're both essential and
cherished. My collection of paper charts has never failed
to boot up, it's operating system has not crashed, they have
not been disabled by a lightning strike, I don't replace
their batteries and I can hang them on the wall between
trips as decoration!

Due to the age of the charts things such as the Milwaukee
Clipper Ferry Dock (ferry hasn't run since the 70's and the
Continental Motors Plant (torn down) are shown. Still the
electronic chart uses the same information as the paper
chart. This means the paper chart is every bit as accurate
yet more reliable and tested. This also means that you
should verify your charts version of reality whatever the
source or format. For charts say that the prudent mariner
never relies on a single source of information or
navigational aid. As these incidents show this is true even
in current times.