Not Looking Good For Great Lakes

Chrysler20%26 · Post by **Chrysler20%26** » Mon Apr 08, 2013 12:23 am

Yesterday the wind was blowing out of the West about 10 to 15 miles an hour. So it was a good time to check out the slip. Low water Levels, I had 3 1/2 foot of water were my keel would be an my bow would be on the ground. I can hand dig for the front of the boat. But the water is expected to drop another 18 inches by August. Marinas are digging out the mud but can not dig the Bead Rock. An that is what I have, so my C-26 stays in my drive way this year. An in another year or two it may be that all my boat will stay home.

Padiunka · Post by **Padiunka** » Mon Apr 08, 2013 5:41 am

This is very sad indeed. I ended up moving my home port from oconto to Stugeon Bay in search of better draft. I am hoping this pans out. Is there another port near by that has better depth? I have never looked on the charts on that side of Michigan. We are getting more rain all this week. The snow pack is all but gone. All we can do is pray for more rain.

Have you ever sailed on Michigan? I am looking at making a shot at going across in July and heading here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_Manitou_Island

No problems with depth when you out out in the middle! : )

Dallasbob · Post by **Dallasbob** » Mon Apr 08, 2013 7:56 am

Where it the water going?

CaptainScott · Post by **CaptainScott** » Mon Apr 08, 2013 9:00 am

I was thinking the same! Those are HUGE lakes. That is a LOT of missing water!

If google did not exist I would know nothing . . . . .

This is an interesting read:
http://www.canadianyachting.ca/environm ... ater-going

Scott

Dallasbob · Post by **Dallasbob** » Mon Apr 08, 2013 7:34 pm

That was a great read . . . Thank you!

Chrysler20%26 · Post by **Chrysler20%26** » Tue Apr 09, 2013 1:05 am

Thank you Scott, there is a lot of concern on what to do.

CaptainScott · Post by **CaptainScott** » Tue Apr 09, 2013 6:47 am

Yeah, I bet there is a lot of concern!

I had no idea the Great Lakes fluctuate so much in water levels! It truely is amazing. Simple things like who owns all the new land if the water level drops 50 foot for 500 years? Does the beach front guy just get a lot more land?

What about the poor guy with the cabin only accessible by water and now the channel is dry! Yikes! No more water front cabin and no access to the land locked cabin!

I'm sure there are many more concerns. I think I'll stick to Puget Sound!

Scott

Padiunka · Post by **Padiunka** » Tue Apr 09, 2013 7:25 am

You make good points there Scott. We pump ALOT of water out of these lakes, and we dump alot of crap in. I find it a shame what we do to such a beautiful and valuble resource.

http://www.epa.gov/glnpo/atlas/index.html

timlabute · Post by **timlabute** » Tue Apr 09, 2013 11:30 am

I checked my slip at the mouth of Lake St Clair and the Thames river last weekend. Still have enough water to float the C22 in my non-dredged slip. Somewhere in the area of four feet at best. Three in most places.

The Yatch Club next door dredged this year and they have a few ocean going members in the fifty foot range. They draw upwards of 6 feet and they are going in this year. I think we will be okay, albeit it will be a close one for some folks.

The real worry I believe is next year. Ten years. Twenty. I am just getting in to this sailing gig and am worried about my future

Chrysler20%26 · Post by **Chrysler20%26** » Tue Apr 09, 2013 11:01 pm

The wind all so changes water level as much as 3 feet. When I checked my slip the wind was out of the west at 10 to 15 MPH for at lest 24 hr. So that would be a low water bench mark for me. So lets say I pick a day to go sailing. The wing is coming from the east at 10 to 15 miles per hr. for the last 24 hr. Water level would be at a high point up 3 foot. I sail off for a over 24 hr trip an the wind changes, now coming out of the west 10 to 15 miles per. water at the low point. You wont to be sure the there is water to get my boat back in my slip.

CaptainScott · Post by **CaptainScott** » Wed Apr 10, 2013 6:28 am

We have water issues with tides but they are predictable. Our slip is 22' deep to account for low tides. The water we sail in is very deep.

Average depth of 200+ feet with areas almost a thousand feet deep near Kingston.

Our slip always has water in it! LOL!

However, when you drop anchor you best be careful! You might wake up high and dry if you go into the shallows at high tide! There are bays that I can enter at high tide but not at low! So once we go in, we have to stay until the next tide! Fishermans bay is the most well known for this!

Water is an amazing thing!

Good luck to the folks on the Great Lakes. Sounds like a LOT of heartburn coming your way.

Scott

tgentry · Post by **tgentry** » Fri Apr 12, 2013 2:37 pm

Last year I had about 7 feet of water in my slip in Racine, so should still be OK for me, but I bet some of the bigger, fixed keel boats will be sad. On the other hand, launching in spring and then retrieving in fall might get interesting.