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GREAT
LAKES LIMBO
How low can they
go? If
you’ll be boating in the Great Lakes this summer, especially near
the shoreline, keep in mind that despite an extremely wet winter, three
of the five lakes will be off their average depths.
In April
the depth of Lake Superior was 15 inches below that listed on charts and
six inches lower than last year, according to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
Lake Michigan and Lake Huron are down similar amounts. (Lakes Erie and
Ontario are at about the same levels as last year.) “We’re
also hearing stories from the northern regions where local ponds and rivers
are very low,” says Adam Fox, research scientist for the Corps of
Engineers.
Though
numerous snowstorms dumped moisture over the southern part of the Great
Lakes last winter, Fox says most of the basins around the upper lakes
didn’t get much snow after December. Contributing to the problem
is unusually high evaporation, which could get worse this summer, according
to the Corps of Engineers. “To have the highest level of evaporation,
you need warm water and cool, dry air,” Fox says. “Our computer
models show that under those conditions, Lakes Michigan and Huron can
easily lose 1.75 inches of water a week.”
ON SHELVES: SHARPE’S
TRAFALGAR
The 17th installment of Bernard Cornwell’s renowned Sharpe series
details the adventures of Ensign Richard Sharpe through one of the most
spectacular naval battles in history. The year is 1805, and on a voyage
from India to England, Sharpe’s ship is attacked near Cape Trafalgar
by the ferocious French warship the Revenant. Several other battleships
arrive, and the scene explodes into an immense sea fight. Known for his
Indiana Jones-style tales packed with intense action and old-style swashbuckling,
Cornwell delivers another sea epic that pits man against man and country
against country.
$25,
hardcover. HarperCollins.
ONLINE:
www.cruisingthegreatlakes.com
The water level of the Great Lakes may be lower than normal, but there’s
no shortage of local cruising information on the Internet. The address
www.cruisingthegreatlakes.com may be long-winded, but the data there is
quickly accessed and concise. To see how low the water is throughout the
summer, you can download current photos of shorelines and harbors. There’s
also tons of information on marinas, anchorages, accommodations, and navigational
updates. The site provides ideas for cruising itineraries, including the
Inland Route and Grand Traverse Bay. Packed with colorful (and quickly
downloadable) photography and helpful maps, the free site is a boon to
any Great Lakes cruiser.
JUNE
EVENTS
7-9: The Marine Equipment Trade Show
(METS) in Chicago. Phone: (207) 359-4651.
21-24: The 10th Ocean Alexander
Motoryachts Rendezvous in Port Sidney Marina in British Columbia. Phone:
(206) 344-8566.
22-24: The Wooden Boat Show
in Mystic, Connecticut. Phone: (207) 359-4651.
28-July 2: The 41st Melbourne
Boat Show in Melbourne, Austrailia. Phone: (61) 3-9328-4855.
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