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Around the World of Sailing

16 October  2002

Finish Line

Linky Sailing News- Race reports from America's Cup teams.

Orn wins a race and loses one.  GBR  wins their 1st race, Oracle is strong and One World wins a close one.

Water Level Update

Difference from Chart Datum +7
Difference from last month -3
Difference from last year +7
Difference from long term average for October -11
Difference from Record High -51
Difference from Record Low +20
Forecast for 4 November 2002 -2

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.
****************
Weekend Weather
Note: The online version of this story contains photos
illustrating the weekend's conditions.

The past weekend was meteorologically interesting. As I
glanced at my home barometer I saw it was seemingly either
taking rocket rides up or stock market like plunges. When I
get to the office Monday morning I did some research into
the conditions.

On Friday barometer readings ranged from 974 millibars to
993, a spread of 19 MB. From midnight to noon the barometer
went down. It then flattened before beginning to rise at 8
PM. The Friday decline produced an average wind of 14.8
MPH. The maximum wind occurred at 2 PM.

On Saturday readings ranged from 976 MB to 1000 a spread of
24. Saturday saw the rise continue until Noon. For most of
the remainder of the day it remained steady. The generally
rising or flat barometer produced the least windy day of the
3, a 10.5 MPH average wind. 

Sunday saw a range of readings from 1000 down 16 millibars
to 984. Sunday was a day for a plunging barometer beginning
at 3 Am and continuing until 7 PM. Befitting a day with a
large pressure decline it was the windiest with the winds
averaging 16.5 MPH. The maximum wind of 28.8 MPH was
recorded twice at 1155 and 1355. 

A visit to the beach showed the unstable air pressure has
changed the beach. For one you could tell it was fall as
the beach was virtually empty. 

The breeze was strictly and truly onshore. This produced
big waves geometrically square to the beach (see picture
#2). They were above beach level, towering above even
before they reached the beach.

The water had ponded far up the beach (see picture # 4). At
points it reached almost far enough inland to cover the dune
grass. 

At other points it looked like a snow melt swollen river. 
Water coursed along running in channels cut in the sand (See
picture # 1). It mostly moved north to south.

The sky was a fast moving combination of clear patches,
clouds and streaks of sun as shown in picture #3.

Goes to show that fall is perhaps the most violent and
dangerous meteorological conditions for mariners.

#1Coursing Water	#2Jetty takes the waves	#3Wildly contrasting sky	#4Ponded beach water

Lightkeepers Journal

While light keeping I bought a pair of books which contain
the journals of J. Arthur Hunter who served at Lake
Michigan's Little Sable light early in the 20th century.
From time to time I will share some of Hunter's experience.

October 9 1905: "Comdr J.M. Orchard via Str Sumac called and
he inspected the station. He appears like a nice man-he did
not find fault but rather complimented us on the care of the
station."

That Little Sable and keeper Arthur Hunter received a
positive inspection is not surprising. Hunter began service
at Little Sable in 1890 as Assistant Keeper. He kept this
position for 9 years. He then became Head Keeper serving
until 1922. Likely one of the many good visits Hunter had
from his superiors.

New Lighthouse Link: Recently added to our Intersail
database was http://www.greatlakessands.com/. The site
showcases 4 inch glass lighthouses elegantly handcrafted
and adorned in beautiful 22k gold trim. They contain beach
sand from each of the Great Lakes. My one complaint is that
the lighthouses are not designed in the shape of a real life
light.   

Emma Richards on Food

Having recently turned 28 Emma Richards has a lot of sailing
behind her- and ahead. She crewed on the maxi cat Royal Sun
Alliance on an uncompleted Jules Verne attempt. In 1999 and
2001 she completed the double handed Transat Jacques Vabre
with one class win, sailed a mono hull once and a trimaran
once. Last year she sailed several legs of the Volvo Ocean
Race with Amer Sports Too and spend time on Maiden 2. 

Currently she is solo sailing the Finot Open 60 Pindar
(ex-Gatrmore) in Around Alone, finishing 4th on leg 1. She
attended Glasgow University in Scotland studying sports
medicine.

With all these credentials she has some interesting thoughts
on food for short handed off shore racing. She says, "It's
all couscous, noodles, cuppa soups those flat placks of tuna
from the supermarket." So, things like Ramen noodles etc. 
Not the usual freeze dried stuff, about which Emma says, "I
just don't think freeze dried is very good for you. And it
is not that much heavier to have couscous and noodles, cuppa
soups - they're all dried anyway." It's always amazed me
that food and nutrition which is the foundation of physical
activity could be in anyway enhibited by weight concerns. 
Find a lighter gen set, but bring on the good grub!

She concludes by saying, "It's everything that I like, so
I'm going to eat it more than some freeze dried meals which
you simply don't like so you simply don't eat it. It is a
lot better for you to feel good." Sounds like a sound food
strategy to me!