H20Notes - community weblog

Optimism Blooms for Spring Boating Expo Scheduled for March 11 - 14

Wed, 10 Mar 2010 11:52:34 GMT

Livonia, Mich., March, 2010 - The 18^th Annual Spring Boating Expo cruises into Rock Financial Showplace, March 11 - 14. In addition to the opportunity to see and buy hundreds of boats for fishing, cruising, skiing, wakeboarding and pontooning, exhibitors will be selling dockage, accessories, services and more. [more]

Show management and exhibitors are optimistic that this show will bring buyers. “We really feel the boating industry in Michigan can serve as an indicator that Michigan’s economy may be on the upswing, said show manager Van Snider. “Our industry is usually the first to feel the impact of a recession and the last to come out. Based on what we have heard from our exhibitors at the Detroit Boat Show and the other boat shows around the state, we definitely feel there is an improved attitude in buyers, based on pent up demand and a renewed confidence that we have moved beyond the bottom point.”

In addition to everything boating at this boat show, there are attractions for the whole family. The exciting new interactive exhibit, “Pirates of Colonial America” offers an interactive and educational attraction that can be enjoyed by the entire family and provides added value to the boat show experience. A “Discover Boating Center” will feature boats for under $250 per month, and many other featured attractions can be seen at www.springboatingexpo.net

Admission to the boat show is $10 for adults. Children 12 and under are free with an adult. Save time and money – buy your tickets online at www.springboatingexpo.net. Hours are Thursday & Friday: 2PM - 9PM; Saturday: 10AM - 9PM; and Sunday 10AM - 6PM. Parking: Paved, $5 on-site. For more information call: 1.800.932.2628 or visit www.springboatingexpo.net.

New Victoria club dips oar in water

Mon, 08 Mar 2010 01:48:39 GMT

A Victoria rowboat company is expanding in a novel way, launching what it says is the first open water rowing club in the area.

Whitehall Rowing & Sail is holding its grand opening today of the “Whitehall Spirit Rowing Club,” based at the Canoe Club Marina in downtown Victoria. The club allows members to sign up, pay a monthly fee and use rowboats that can be booked through an online reservation system. more...

Coast Guard, ferry service clash after five ferry shutdowns

Fri, 05 Mar 2010 10:22:35 GMT

Friction between the U.S. Coast Guard and Clay Township was more abrasive than ever this year, as the Harsen's Island ferry experienced one interruption in service after another as ice cutters busted through the north channel. The first ice jam of the season occurred early, on Jan. 8. more...

Lakeland Boating Magazine

Fri, 05 Mar 2010 10:21:31 GMT

Lakeland Boating features information on Great Lakes boating and is geared specifically to the interests of freshwater boaters on the Great Lakes, as well as connecting waterways and inland lakes. more...

Georgian Bay Association spring update

Fri, 05 Mar 2010 10:19:43 GMT

The Georgian Bay Association spring 2010 newsletter, the GBA UPdate, is now available online. GBA works with water-based communities and other stakeholders to ensure the careful stewardship of the greater Georgian Bay environment. more...

Project WET

Fri, 05 Mar 2010 10:18:44 GMT

Project WET is an award-winning nonprofit organization dedicated to the mission of reaching children, parents, teachers and community members of the world with water education. more...

A Dream Day, a Dose of Reality

Fri, 05 Mar 2010 10:17:09 GMT

As the Eleanor P, our new Seaward 26RK, slipped away from its temporary slip in Stuart last December, the gimpy old man at the helm was busy watching out for a harbor-full of holiday boaters, a string of unfamiliar channel markers, and a seemingly endless flotilla of UFO's (unidentified floating objects). What a beautiful morning for our first test run. more...

Asian carp fight may close Chicago river

Thu, 04 Mar 2010 12:15:22 GMT

More than a million people each spring and summer pause to admire Chicago's architectural wonders and learn the history of this marvelous city with a relaxing boat tour up the twisting Chicago River and onto the placid waters of Lake Michigan.

But with the unofficial start of the boating season just weeks away, operators and owners of the most popular boat tours are bracing for a possibility that once was unthinkable — closure of the Chicago River. more...

Group of volunteers turn back time

Thu, 04 Mar 2010 12:13:51 GMT

MARQUETTE -- A group of Marquette men is turning back the clock as they begin to build a historical boat. The experience is all about camaraderie and bringing the community together.

The founders of Marquette arrived on the shores of Lake Superior in a long boat back in 1849. And this group of volunteers is working to reconstruct the same type of boat that carried Charlie and Charlotte Kawbawgum to this part of the Upper Peninsula. more...

Offshore Wind Regulations Proposed In Lansing

Thu, 04 Mar 2010 12:12:33 GMT

Governor Granholm's administration has sent state lawmakers the first draft of legislation that would regulate wind turbines in the Great Lakes. It's the next step in the process of allowing offshore wind generators that could one day dot the Great Lakes shorelines, such as one proposed near Ludington. more...

Lake Superior Magazine photo contest winners

Thu, 04 Mar 2010 12:11:13 GMT

Bare feet, babies, dogs and gulls … and lots of Lake Superior … were among the most repeated subjects (yes, bare feet) in the 240 entries with more than 1,700 images submitted this year. But you can see from the variety of subjects here that photographers got around the Big Lake and into some fun activities and stunning landscapes. more...

Sheboygan, USA Announced As Host Of 2011 ISAF Nations Cup Grand Final

Thu, 04 Mar 2010 11:40:09 GMT

The International Sailing Federation (ISAF) is delighted to announce the selection of Sheboygan, in Wisconsin, USA as host venue for the Grand Final of the 2011 ISAF Nations Cup.

The US SAILING Center Sheboygan will host the Grand Final of the sixth edition of the ISAF Nations Cup from 13-18 September 2011. Competition will be held on Lake Michigan in the Sonar (with a crew of three) for the men’s event and the Elliott 6m (with a crew of three) for the women’s event. more...

This is not a Carinthia blog but it is about our neighbor to the west of Bayview

Thu, 04 Mar 2010 11:30:08 GMT

Stephen Hume feeds a strip of cloth into an antique sewing machine to demonstrate that it still works. It’s one of 15 he has scattered around the room, which is in the cabin of his huge tugboat, docked at a riverside yard filled with scores of sleek little sailboats, yellow school buses, and quaint old bicycles. It all amounts to a magnificent mess of a collection. more...

New Internet resource for Michigan sailors

Tue, 02 Mar 2010 22:38:38 GMT

It’s not too early to think about Spring and the upcoming sailing season. If you are planning on taking your sailboat on the road in Michigan, a new website may help with finding your next sailing destination. The website, SailMichigan.org, was created by Michael Angell in Hamburg, MI and launched in early February. “Despite what Punxsutawney Phil says about 6 more weeks of winter, it’s never too early to dream ahead to ice-free water”, Angell said.

As a small boat sailor, Angell was frustrated with the lack of a comprehensive lake resource oriented towards recreational sailors. “I’ve found several lake websites with a fishing focus, but none with a sailing focus. So, using DNR information as a basis, I created one.” [more]That site, SailMichigan.org, contains a fully searchable database of Michigan inland lakes and public Great Lakes ramps.

In addition, site users can rate each lake across 8 different parameters. “I hope the rating feature of the site will become the most popular because it’s a way for sailors to give advice to fellow sailors, and hopefully maximize the time for enjoyable sailing.” Angell said.

The database is purposefully restricted to lakes greater than 100 acres and currently contains over 500 such lakes. Further database growth is planned during the Spring and Summer. It is Angell’s aspiration that the site will become “the resource for such information.”

Although the lake database is the main site feature, it is by no means the only feature. In addition to general information for the novice sailor, the site contains an event calendar, used-boat listings, and a regional news feature. Yacht clubs and sailing organizations can directly input their public sailing events into the website’s calendar and options exist for users to input information on previously uncataloged lakes. Future site improvements are planned for later in the season. The site can be accessed at www.sailmichigan.org

Ring-billed gulls' return is one sure sign that spring is on the way

Tue, 02 Mar 2010 11:41:00 GMT

Throughout this winter, the constant theme has been the lack of birds. Birders, however, are eternally optimistic. There's always tomorrow, or next week, or next season, or next year. Each season brings anticipation of a possible good sighting.

Even the snow which fell Monday night has meant more birds at backyard feeders this morning. more...