CONTINUOUSWAVE

My boat has been in storage for several weeks. I might miss a nice boating day this fall--but I won't miss much tomorrow. The forecast for northern Lake Michigan on Friday (October 28, 2016) is a GALE WARNING.

--wind 30-knots from South (with a very long fetch)

--wave height building to 12-feet

NOAA defines a gale as winds of 34 to 47-knots (39 to 54-MPH)

I plan to check MARINETRAFFIC.COM to see if any big ships are out in the middle of this storm.

In 1958 the CARL D. BRADLEY sank in northern Lake Michigan in a gale in November. For more see

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SS_Carl_D._Bradley

Actually, the weather this fall for boating has been very marginal. I don't think we have had many warm sunny days.

It was 86 degrees here today. Still waiting for fall. Fishing has turned in though. Will be going tomorrow and Sunday.

[The wind has] been blowing for two weeks here off Jersey. I don't think [wave heights have] been less than three-feet in the last four weeks. Today we are going camping again, which is good because the latest buoy data is [wave heights] four to eight feet.

I keep [a link to NOAA] on my bookmark tab; it links to the main National Data Buoy Center NOAA page for all the ocean buoys in my area: http://www.ndbc.noaa.gov/maps/Northeast.shtml

If you use the National Data Buoy Center website you can save the individual buoys for your area--that makes for quick reference when you are deciding to go out or not. The weather guessers lie; the buoys don't!

I use the the buoy for NY harbor approach, which is at the entrance of the NY bight. This buoy is 10 miles offshore for me, but close enough that if the data [is wave height to four-feet], the odds are good the conditions are the same unless we have a good westerly breeze. Between this buoy and the 30 mile buoy I have a good idea of what conditions will be.

Not a good day for the Gulf of Maine either.

As of 7 pm EST from Buoy 44032

Air Temperature: 48° F
Wind direction (W Dir): NNE (25 - 34 Degrees)
Wind Speed (W Spd): 31.1 kts (35.8 mph)
Wind Gust (W Spd): 38.9 kts (44.7 mph)
Dominant Wave Period (DWP): 11 sec
Dominant Wave Height (DWH): 16.08 ft
Dominant Wave Range (DWR): exactly 16.1 ft
Atmospheric Pressure (AP): 29.86 in

cf:http://www.ndbc.noaa.gov/station_page.php?station=44032

The advantage of full canvas and an engine discharge space heater:

I just checked MARINETRAFFIC.COM--no big boats out in middle of northern Lake MIchigan tonight. The 1000-footer WALTER J. MCCARTHY was northbound (going with the waves), and she ducked in to hug the lee of the Michigan shore by taking the inside passage between Manitou Island and Leland. Transiting Gray's Reef should be interesting in this weather.

Don McIntyre - MI wrote:The advantage of full canvas and an engine discharge heater.

No heat for me and only a 3/4, not exactly made for my 21 Outrage, [clear curtain] enclosure.

When I had my 42-foot flybridge sport fish I used a 'garage sale', original, Pelonis ceramic heater up on the bridge.
With just a full [clear curtain] enclosure that heater would keep us comfortable well into the end of the season.

And, that heater is still being used with our fall camping.
Running right now as I read the forum and it is at least 26-years-old.

We stopped by the Leland marina a few days ago. There were zero recreational boats at the marina docks. The only boats left in the harbor were the local tribal fishing tug, several National Park Service work boats, and the sheriff's patrol and rescue boat. The launch ramp was still available and the skid pier courtesy dock was still deployed. Shoaling at the harbor entrance was very visible.

Over at Northport Marina it was about the same story. There were one or two recreational boats still in the water but in the process of preparing for haulout. The launch ramp was still available. The harbor entrance has about 9-feet of water and no shoaling.

Water level on Lake Michigan is still good, but appears to be inching down a bit as winter approaches. Lake Michigan is down 4-inches from a month ago, but it remains 2-feet above chart datum.

http://www.lre.usace.army.mil/Missions/ ... er-Levels/

We only observed two boats underway in the last week:

--the local tribal fishers coming back after tending their nets (see image below)

--a guy rowing a one-man rowing shell on a very calm, very early morning about 100-feet off the beach.

We were back up north for Thanksgiving and checked on the local marinas: no sign of any boats in the water at Northport; only the tribal fishing tug at Leland. We did observe this unusual watercraft heading south in Grand Traverse Bay:

My guess is Gull Island taken from Ahgosatown.

Con

The image was taken from the Northport Marina. Bellow Island is visible in the image.