Falling overboard- Editor H2ONotes [ 2/7/2012 - 06:37 ] # Boating in cold weather can be the beginning of tragedy — if you are not
prepared. I learned this the hard way on an Ozark river several winters
ago. We were “roughing it” by fishing the cold water and camping on
sandbars at night.
The second morning of the trip promised to be
a beautiful one with a light coating of new snow and ice on cliffs that
bordered the scenic river. I was clicking pictures of a beautiful ice
formation when the canoe just in front of us had an accident. The man in
front of the ill-fated canoe ducked under over-hanging limbs heavy with
ice. He made it, but the second man panicked and grabbed the branch.
A combination of him holding the limb and the river current made the
canoe go sideways and tip. River water came over the side, quickly
filling and sinking the canoe. Both men helplessly floated down the
river current with only their life jackets to thank for keeping them
floating. We paddled quickly to catch them, but suddenly one of the men
drifted into a huge brush pile and his head tipped under the surface. He
was an older man and too weak to pull himself up. more...
Watersports
|  | |
Rescued sailor, 84, unsure of another trip- Editor H2ONotes [ 2/7/2012 - 06:36 ] #
PORT CLINTON -- Stranded on a sailboat with broken rigging and a swaying
mast in the Pacific Ocean, 84-year-old Tom Corogin realized his dream
of completing a solo voyage around the tip of South America was over,
again.
It was his sixth attempt and one of the most difficult trips yet.
Corogin
suffered an infected puncture wound to his leg and required hospital
treatment in Ecuador. He sailed through a terrible storm south of Mexico
and was forced to activate his emergency beacon for the first time, in
remote waters about 500 miles south of Easter Island.
In the end, Corogin was rescued Jan. 3 by a Japanese cargo ship and the Chilean navy but was forced to leave his boat behind.
Corogin,
a lawyer who still practices part-time, arrived back at his home along
Lake Erie almost three weeks ago. He had set sail Dec. 27 from Easter
Island on the last leg of his Cape Horn adventure when his rigging
snapped, leaving him stranded in desolate waters. more...
Sailing
| | |
BoatUS Asks: If Not Ethanol, Why Not Butanol?- Editor H2ONotes [ 2/6/2012 - 10:20 ] #
ALEXANDRIA,
Va., February 6, 2012 -- With its ability to attract moisture and clog
fuel filters, it's no wonder America's boaters have not been thrilled
with ethanol
in gasoline, which today is most commonly found as a 10% blend and
known as E10 at the gas pump. America's desire for renewable fuels is
growing, but recent Department of Energy tests on boat engines showed
that increasing the amount of ethanol to 15% doesn't work for boats.
While higher ethanol content has been approved by the EPA for 2001 and
newer cars and light trucks, E15 is not legal to use in boats and other
gas-powered equipment. more
Environment Other
| | |
Chicago water sampling shows high levels of lead- Editor H2ONotes [ 2/6/2012 - 10:19 ] # In a new round of water testing by the Environmental Protection
Agency, half of the 29 Chicago homes visited yielded at least one sample
containing more than 15 parts per billion of lead, a level that can
trigger regulatory action if detected during routine screening.
Agency officials said the results will help regulators evaluate whether
the 20-year-old procedures used nationwide to test homes' tap water for
lead should be updated. more...
Environment
| | |
GREAT LAKES: Anglers best to stick to protected areas- Editor H2ONotes [ 2/6/2012 - 10:18 ] # Warm daytime temperatures have eroded ice this week on an already
unstable Green Bay system, and anglers are urged to stick to protected
bays and harbors or stop at bayside bait and tackle shops for the latest
updates on offshore areas to avoid.On
Tuesday, fishermen were reporting 5 to 10 inches of ice in many areas,
including along the east shore and on up to southern Door County.
However, there is a large section of open water, some very thin areas
that recently froze over and numerous cracks to be aware of. more...
Fishing SNOW Watersports
| | |
Coast Guard icebreaker to visit downtown Windsor- Editor H2ONotes [ 2/6/2012 - 10:17 ] # The Samuel Risley — a 229-foot icebreaker with the Canadian Coast Guard — will be stopping by Windsor on Friday.
The vessel is expected to arrive at Dieppe Park via the Detroit River around 2 p.m.
The Canadian Coast Guard calls the ship “the most powerful icebreaker
that the Central and Arctic region has,” with four engines allowing it
to crush through ice more than two feet thick.
Other
| | |
Ice boaters in Loveland seek adrenaline, speed, thrills- Editor H2ONotes [ 2/6/2012 - 10:16 ] #  On a day that wind speeds reached nearly 30 mph,
biting gusts roared like a lion across Boedecker Lake, announcing a
coming storm.
The conditions turned the lake into an isolated ice desert. They
also prompted Loveland resident Rick Hypes to rush there with a smile --
a big smile -- and a specially designed ice boat.
"It's exactly like sailing on the ice," Hypes said. "But it's
colder and faster ... I describe it as a four- or five-senses sport."
The appeal of sitting on a small craft outfitted with three large
blades and a sail, steering with your feet and zipping across the ice
without brakes, powered only by wind gusts, is difficult to explain
without experiencing it. But Hypes chooses a few words: adrenaline,
speed, thrill.
"It's the allure of being powered by nature," added fellow ice boater Dan Kellogg, also a Loveland resident.
Ice boating can be traced back thousands of years as a form of
transportation in Scandinavia, and it spread to the United States with
immigrants in the 1800s. more...
Sailing SNOW
| | |
Smooth sailing on the ice- Editor H2ONotes [ 2/6/2012 - 10:14 ] #  Mark Simon of Athens rigs up his iceboat before taking it out Tuesday on frozen Goguac Lake.The boat, which can hit speeds of up to 60 mph, was built out of wood paneling by Simon’s father in 1959. more...
Sailing SNOW
| | |
Eight Races Made For Successful 2012 Melges 32 Gosford Regatta- Editor H2ONotes [ 2/6/2012 - 10:12 ] # The next few months are booked out with regatta racing for the highly competitive Australian Melges 32 fleet.
Kicking off the racing was last weekends inaugural Gosford Regatta,
hosted by Gosford Sailing Club. The Melges 32s competed in eight races
over the two days in light and variable breeze on beautiful Brisbane
Waters. Another close series for the fleet, and on completion of day
one, Kim Williams' Rock and Roll was two points ahead leading the regatta. more...
Sailing
| | |
No aquarium for Windsor- Editor H2ONotes [ 2/2/2012 - 09:48 ] #  An aquarium is not viable in Windsor.
That's the conclusion of a committee looking into such a project.
City officials and the University of Windsor's Great Lakes Institute for Environmental Research had been studying the idea.
A member of the group, Mario Sonego, who is the city engineer, said
there are aquariums relatively nearby. There is a new one in Cleveland, a
small one in Toledo and one in Chicago, he noted. Toronto is to build
an aquarium at the base of the CN Tower: more...
Other
| | |
Be A Great Lakes Lighthouse Keeper!- Editor H2ONotes [ 2/2/2012 - 09:47 ] # If you're ever had thoughts of living the dream of a more romantic era
as a lighthouse keeper, perhaps your dreams can come true.
The
Michigan Department of Natural Resources is looking for people who want
to work a couple of weeks as the lighthouse keeper for the Tawas Point
Lighthouse this year.
This opportunity is on a volunteer basis.
Actually,
you would have to pay $250 each week to use the living quarters, which
includes 2 bedrooms and an updated kitchen and bath. But, you would have
the chance to take care of the lighthouse, the museum gift shop and
give tours. more...
Other
| | |
Through The Blue- Editor H2ONotes [ 2/2/2012 - 09:43 ] #  In August of 2012 (around the 15th – 17th, depending on weather conditions), we’ll be crossing Lake Michigan at its midpoint.
Straight across, this is a 50 mile swim… an ultra-marathon swim. With
current and wind and the ever-changing, unpredictable weather on the
lake, the likelihood is we’ll swim between 55 and 60 miles when we step
on the beach in Ludington, Michigan.
We’ll get in the water before the sunrises in Two Rivers, Wisconsin
and start our approximately 30-35 hour journey. A support boat (or two)
will lead the way with a captain, first mate and several other crew
members. These crew members will be our lifeline. They will feed us and
keep us motivated and guide us through the trip. Crew members will
rotate shifts in a small boat that will trail the main boat. Feeding is
easier from the smaller boat due to the height of the main boat and the
safety of being far from the motors and shifting nature of the larger
vessel. more...
Events Watersports
| | |
Through The Blue- Editor H2ONotes [ 2/2/2012 - 09:36 ] # E rica Karmeisool is a life-long resident of Michigan, currently living
in Ludington. Her family introduced her to sailing at a young age, which
has equipped her with an immense respect for the great lakes through
years of sailboat racing and deliveries. While attending Michigan State
University, she played rugby and studied graphic design and sculpture,
earning her BFA in 2002. Since then, Erica has worked as a project
manger at the intersection of social and artistic problem solving. She
will be working on a new maritime project and training for her next
triathlon while assisting Team Tow this summer. more...
Events Watersports
| | |
Boating industry sees measurable growth- Editor H2ONotes [ 1/26/2012 - 10:41 ] #
Detroit
Boat Show expecting attendance and sales increase
LIVONIA, MICH. – January 24,
2012 – The
Michigan Boating Industries Association (MBIA), producer of Michigan’s big
three boat show shows, the Detroit Boat Show, Spring Boating Expo and Boating
& Outdoor Festival – reports growth in exhibit space and sponsorship sales
at the upcoming Detroit Boat Show at Cobo Center, Feb. 11-19. Consumer
attendance and boat sales are expected to grow as well as the boating industry
reports positivity and growth over the last 12 months. more
Events
| | |
Key West: Fantasy Island- Editor H2ONotes [ 1/24/2012 - 21:25 ] # 
Key West Race Week delivers an environment impossible to compare with
any regatta in the world. Personally, it felt like someone dragged Reno,
Nevada to the oceanfront, and ran one of the most amazing spectacles in
sailing: bull riding, carny activities, jet pack rides, pirates
heckling you on the street. . . I found myself in the middle of the
spectrum between Mad Max and the Real World. For our team, West Marine Rigging, it became a story of amazing success and survival. more...
Sailing
| | |
home : get our free newsletter : past newsletters : become a sponsor : donate : contact us
