Its blowing a Hoolie tonight

Mac32 · Post by **Mac32** » Mon Sep 28, 2009 9:14 pm

Its nights like tonight that I am reminded that the Great lakes are not really the little puddles like googlemaps depicts.

I am located in a marina right near the channel of lake Michigan which is beautiful 99% of the time but.....not tonight.

I just got finished putting every last dock line that I own on the Trojan, double bow lines, 4 spring lines, 4 stern lined crossed and I am still a little nervous. The boats at the docks look like little toys in a bath tub of a giant child bobbing and jumping 3-4 foot up and down. The sail boat next to me is heeled over so far his mast is almost touching my out riggers. Spray is kicking up when I walk the docks from over 10 boats up wind and almost knocking my son and I in the drink (yes we have life jackets on)

There are 3 foot waves running through docks and winds are gusting over 40 knots causing noticeable damage like pulled cleats from the dock, multiple sailboat anchors and bow rails busted off on docks, two bow pulpits were broken completely off. And this is in the safe harbor.

This following picture is of the peaceful channel outside the harbor that I normally motor out to the lake on. My wife and I normally walk under the navigation tower shown in the picture and the sea wall it is siting on is about 8 foot off the water.

http://posted.woodtv.com/photos-zoom.php?ID=6409627

Nothing like a little inland lake eh?

By the way, I ll by a beer for the one who can tell me who sings "Its Blowing A Hooly Tonight"

LandVF36 · Post by **LandVF36** » Mon Sep 28, 2009 10:08 pm

Ken Gill

k9th · Post by **k9th** » Tue Sep 29, 2009 12:50 pm

I got a call from the harbor master at my marina at Michigan City, IN on Lake Michigan yesterday afternoon about wind damage to my canvas yesterday afternoon. I made the 5 hour round-trip to check it last night and there was virtually nothing left of the canvas but the top still flapping in the 30kt breeze and one side piece. All of the canvas you see in my avatar photo to the left is gone! One of the structural members on the frame had failed. There was nothing I could do at that point but report it to the insurance company and take everything else down. The water level in the marina was at least 12 inches higher than normal so I checked all my lines and cleats. I noticed quite a few boats with canvas gone. I took all of my electronics inside along with all of the cushions and anything else that might blow away.

A good neighbor in the slip next to mine happened to be there checking on his boat and alerted the harbor master or I would have never known till I arrived on the weekend. Gordon Lightfoot sang of the Edmund Fitzgerald tragedy on Lake Superior and began with "The winds of November remember..." Well these winds of late September are some of the worst I have seen on the Great Lakes and I have been boating here for a long time.

Currently gusts to 40kts and waves in excess of 12 feet in open water.

gjrylands · Post by **gjrylands** » Tue Sep 29, 2009 8:10 pm

Here in Chicago, we had the blow without the waves. Wind was coming out of the west so it was coming from shore. Later it swung the the NNW, good for us but the worst for those on the other side of the pond. We get pounded when the wind is out of the NE. If you boat here long enough you will see some worse then we had last night, but last night's was a pretty good blow.

Coast Guard issued gale warnings.

Buckknekkid · Post by **Buckknekkid** » Tue Sep 29, 2009 8:58 pm

We rode it out on board, I adjusted the lines a bit now and then with the shifts and read the newspaper. boats fine, wifes a trooper!

bucyrusboater · Post by **bucyrusboater** » Tue Sep 29, 2009 10:09 pm

Well, I am from the other side. Vermillion River loss about 5 feet of water (South Wind, 40kt), and boats all in the mud. Now I know where the water went. Loss all the water Monday during the day, came back around 7pm, and back to normal tonight.

aweimer · Post by **aweimer** » Wed Sep 30, 2009 8:12 pm

Well in Lake Erie the water fell by 6 feet and my boat was dropped to the bottom of the harbor. Stern was still floating but my bow was on the bottom.

Wind blew the water to the other side of lake erie Monday afternoon. Amazing!! I will post pictures as soon as i get them from my Father-in-law. Glad he lives close to go check on things.

Mac32 · Post by **Mac32** » Sun Oct 11, 2009 9:19 pm

LandVF36 wrote:Ken Gill

Ok, I guess I owe you a beer next time I up in Minnesota. (Actually I have quite a few relatives in Duluth).

Unless you googled it??

Mac32 · Post by **Mac32** » Sun Oct 11, 2009 9:20 pm

aweimer wrote:Well in Lake Erie the water fell by 6 feet and my boat was dropped to the bottom of the harbor. Stern was still floating but my bow was on the bottom.

Wind blew the water to the other side of lake erie Monday afternoon. Amazing!! I will post pictures as soon as i get them from my Father-in-law. Glad he lives close to go check on things.

Aaron, did you ever get pictures of Erie?