6/2/2020 Updated artcle about magzine. JM
5/28/2020 Update link to magazine. Note that Good Old Boat is offing their latest issues free at this time. JM
The crew at Good Old Boat magazine created a brand-new digital subscription offering. To spread the word they’re offering free introductory issues.
Lake Superior's water level has increased rapidly the last few months. Now Lake Superior will outflow more water into Lake Michigan-Huron. Read Mark Torregrossa for MLive.com's article HERE.
Asian Carp, the invasive species known for leaping out of the water when motorboats pass, have reportedly moved upstream another 100 miles on the Illinois this year. According to an August 19th Prairie Rivers Network press release, they were recently found spawning within 62 miles of Lake Michigan and just 25 miles from an electric barrier intended as the final line of defense for the Great Lakes. For more information click here.
Event reports from the 2013 Rendezvous at Charlevoix, Detroit-Saginaw Bay Regional Dinner Meeting at GPYC, and the Lake Erie Re
For many GLCC members and others making offshore passages, Herb Hilgenberg and his free daily "Southbound II" SSB weather broadcast had become an integral part of the their crew. After over 25 years of service to the cruising community, Hilgenberg, age 76, recently retired. While similar services remain available to offshore sailors (for example, GLCCSchool weather instructor Chris Parker's Marine Weather Center), Herb's Ontario-based North Atlantic forecasting and routing services will clearly be missed. We thank Herb for his years of service, and wish him the best in his well-deserved retirement.
What factors are influencing the recent decline in Great Lakes water levels? Changes in precipitation? Warming lake temperatures? Increased outflows? Evaporation? Will these trends continue or reverse? Click here to read an interesting July 27th Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel article examining the factors affecting our Great Lakes.
May 18, 2020: Page updated to reflect correct broken links and reflect Safety at Sea course status as of COVID-19 - W Rohde.
The Cruising Club of America has put together an outstanding checklist for skippers to use whenever new crew or guests are invited aboard. Click here to take a look, and think about using it every time you leave the dock with new crew or guests this summer.
The Friends of the Fort Gratiot Light will sponsor SandFest, the first Master and Professional/Advanced Amateur Sand Sculpting competition in Michigan.
Two leading boating education organizations with a history of making boating education easy and affordable, have teamed up to offer a fully interactive online seminar for those First Mates who may find themselves needing to take command of the family boat. Partner in Command, from the US Power Squadrons (USPS), in partnership with the BoatUS Foundation for Boating Safety, aims to acquaint the First Mate with basic skills he or she may need in an emergency. For details about this class click HERE. GLCC members should click USPS Discount for GLCC member registration discount instructions. Click USPS/BoatUS Info for information about the USPS and the BoatUS Foundation.
The June 2013 issue of Lifeline includes a review of the GLCCSchool year, many descriptive articles regarding upcoming GLCC events, the 2013 Spring Break summary, and the conclusion of the second installment of Secretary Phil and Althea Doolittle’s cruising log. Information & registration forms for upcoming events are available via the Events page.
Click HERE to read the latest issue of the Lifeline.
Two new promotional videos for the GLCC have been produced. A high quality one to be used at presentations and boat shows and a shorter version for the web. Please click here to view our web video.
Bernida was the first yacht to win the Bayview Mackinac in 1925 and again in 1927 before being declared too fast. After a decade long restoration she came back to win again in 2012! The boat has a rich sailing history at Bayview in Detroit as well as racing for more than 60 years on Lake Michigan out of numerous yacht clubs including the Muskegon Yacht Club and Pentwater Yacht Club over her 92 year run. She will be enshrined at her permanent home at the Michigan Maritime Museum on June 15 at a special fundraiser. See flyer for more details or click HERE to link directly to the event and donor information.
Just in time for the summer season, Detroit Public Television and The Nature Conservancy are teaming up again to bring you another Great Lakes Now town hall event, this time on beaches. The special will feature two panel discussions, hosted by veteran journalist Christy McDonald. Panel 1: "How Safe Are Our Beaches" and Panel 2: "Where Is My Lake?" The panel discussions will take place at Detroit Public Television Studios, May 14, 9 AM - 12 N. The public is invited. See flyer for more information.
The Canadian Coast Guard Radio Station in Thunder Bay is slated to close on March 31, 2014, after 104 years of continuous service. It presently serves boaters on Lake Superior, St. Mary’s River, the North Channel, Northern Lake Huron, Georgian Bay, and Lake Winnipeg. Click HERE to read more.
Yesterday, part of the Apostle Island’s commercial fishing fleet was breaking ice in order to leave the port of Bayfield, WI, on Lake Superior. It is attractive for the fishermen to be working right now, because of the substantially higher market prices for their products. At this time (April 4, 2013), the south shore of the western end of Lake Superior is still covered with heavy pack ice. The ice cover appears to extend about 20 miles from the shore.
The current low water levels are raising considerable concern among north channel harbor communities. For an update from GLCC Honorary Member and Little Current Cruiser's Net Moderator Roy Eaton on actions currently underway to help mitigate the situation, click here.
The March 2013 issue of Lifeline includes a recap of the 27th Lake Superior Annual Mid-Winter Regional Dinner meeting, an invitation to join GLCCSchool and the anticipated Harbor Reports Update Package announcement. Information & registration forms for upcoming events are included here (on-line registration forms are also available via the Events page). Also in this issue, a light-hearted look into fellow members’ (Phil and Althea Doolittle) cruising log. Click HERE to read the issue.
The GLCC will again have a booth at Strictly Sail Boat Show - Chicago being held at Navy Pier from Thursday, January 24, 2013 through Sunday, January 27, 2013. This boat show is the nation's largest indoor all-sail boat show featuring hundreds of exhibitors showcasing the latest sail boats, marine accessories, the newest sail boat gear, hardware from the top suppliers and seminar sessions given every hour for sailors of all abilities. Though the show is focused on sailboats, there are some seminars and exhibited equipment that are relevant for powerboats as well. Click HERE to go to event information page.
When planning your 2013 summer cruise, the Green Bay harbors and anchorages provide an excellent opportunity to explore a unique corner of northwestern Lake Michigan, before or after attending the GLCC Rendezvous in Charlevoix (M-6), MI. There are 4th of July and other summer activities in almost every community. For more information, please click on the headline above.
The December Lifeline has the announcements about the 2013 Rendezvous at Charlevoix, MI, Spring Break at Punta Gorda, FL, and the Lake Superior Mid-Winter Dinner at Duluth, MN, as well as news about the GLCCSchool. Also included are the event reports from the Annual Meetings at Chicago, Wilderness Rally, Lake Huron Rally, Lake Superior Rally, and Lake Erie Regional Meeting. Click HERE for to read the issue.
To check out a short article about our Great Lakes Cruising Club School in the November-December issue of Great Lakes Boating, click Great Lakes Boating. Log in if you're already registered, otherwise click register (it's free), and then proceed to view the virtual November-December issue. The GLCCSchool article is on page 49 of the virtual issue (page 47 of the hard copy if you're a subscriber).
As a part of the harbour improvements ongoing in Meldrum Bay, the main dock, which is badly rotten, is going to be rebuilt. Sadly, this involves the demolition of the iconic freight shed, originally built in 1935. Though considered by many as a heritage building, it was deemed too costly a job to try to save it. Click heading to read full story.
The Great Lakes Cruising Club School today announced the start of its 2012-13 curriculum year. Eight classes are already open for registration, with over thirty more planned between now and May. Also announced were new cooperative education agreements with both the United States Power Squadrons and the Canadian Power and Sail Squadrons. The roughly 50,000 USPS and CPS members will now enjoy the same GLCCSchool discounts as GLCC members. Watch for upcoming information on reciprocal USPS and CPS course discounts for GLCC members. Click here for details on these exciting new announcements. We hope to see you in class soon!
This September issue of the Lifeline has the event reports from the 2012 Rendezvous at Parry Sound; the Leamington Rally, the Sarnia Meeting; registration information about the Annual Meeting at Chicago; and announcements about the 2013 Rendezvous at Charlevoix and 2013 Spring Break at Punta Gorda, FL. Also included is information about the Great Lakes Foundation’s award to Grand Marais, MI, breakwater project. Unfortunately, due to space constraints, the publication of the final installment of Aluva Adventures log (Winner of the 2011 Founders’ Award) has been delayed until December. Please CLICK HERE to read the latest Lifeline.
The funding for construction of new breakwater at Grand Marais, Michigan (Grand Marais, Michigan) July [11], 2012 - The Great Lakes Foundation today presented a check for $10,000 to Burt Township Supervisor Jack Hubbard. This grant by the Foundation represents partial funding for the construction of a new breakwater for the Grand Marais Harbor of Refuge. This much needed project has been in the planning and fundraising stages for over five years and construction will be completed this fall.
