December 2012 - GSL-Marina - mailman.xmission.com

Good Water News and Slip Contracts
by Dave Shearer 29 Dec '12

29 Dec '12

GSL Slip Renters and Marina Users. First the good news. The lake is coming up at a healthy pace. In fact we are 4/10ths of a foot higher than originally predicted. We may be putting the Reef Channel markers back in earlier than we thought. Now for other news; For those that have sent their slip/dry storage contracts and autopay forms in, thank you. For those that haven't, your contracts AND Credit Card Autopay forms expire in two days. Tic tock, tick tock. Get them in RC Sailboat Racing this Sunday at 2:30pm on L dock Thanks Dave Shearer Harbor Master Great Salt Lake State Marina Antelope Island State Marina 801-209-9142

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SNOW and RC Sailboat Racing
by Dave Shearer 28 Dec '12

28 Dec '12

GSL Slip Renters and Marina Users So here is where we are at after this last storm and for the water year (October through May): In December, Great Salt Lake receives 1.23 inches of direct precipitation. We have exceeded that. We are now at 1.33 inches or 108% of normal. Snowpack for the Great Salt Lake Drainage area is 114% today. Snowpack for the Bear River Drainage (provides 60% of the runoff to Great Salt Lake) is 115% today Snowpack for the Jordan River (provides 20% of the runoff to Great Salt Lake) is 122% Snowpack for the Weber/Ogden River (provides 20% of the runoff to Great Salt Lake) is 101% The parking lot has been plowed and salted. The sidewalks have been shoveled. The docks are slowly getting shoveled. There is over a foot of snow on the docks (and boats) And it is a beautiful day at the marina today. RC Sailboat Racing is planned for Sunday at 2:30pm on L dock. Bring out your new RC Sailboat that Santa brought you for Christmas. Dave Shearer Harbor Master Great Salt Lake State Marina Antelope Island State Marina 801-209-9142

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SNOW at Marina
by Dave Shearer 27 Dec '12

27 Dec '12

GSL Slip Renters and Marina Users. It has not stopped snowing for two days now. And it is still snowing here. Although it is light snow there is still over a foot of it. We have been plowing and snow blowing since Christmas morning. And we can't keep up. The crew is out here removing snow from the docks. But it could take a few days before they can get to all of the docks. It is also very slick out here. The Christmas Eve storm was wet snow that has now put a thin sheet of ice everywhere. Be careful if you venture to the marina. On a good note, we are having a banner year for the Great Salt Lake Drainage area. Although water watchers are saying Utah is back to 100% snowpack, the Great Salt Lake Drainage area is above that. Here are the current numbers: Precipitation Percentage of Normal for the Water Year: 105% (this provides 50% of Great Salt Lake Water for the year) Snowpack Percentage of Normal for Whole GSL Drainage: 108% (this provides the other 50% of Great Salt Lake Water for the year). Bear River Drainage Snowpack (the most important river draining into Great Salt Lake): 112% It's all about the Sun Spots (and a cooperative jet stream). Dave Shearer Harbor Master Great Salt Lake State Marina Antelope Island State Marina 801-209-9142

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GSL Marina on Facebook.
by Dave Shearer 12 Dec '12

12 Dec '12

GSL Slip Renters and Marina Users. Do you facebook? Do you want to see information and pictures pertaining to Great Salt Lake and the Marina? If so, read on. If not feel free to delete this message. If you facebook and want another source of information or posting information, Great Salt Lake Marina is now on facebook. Just log into www.facebook.com and search for Great Salt Lake State Marina (don't forget the word STATE). All the parks are getting their own facebook pages and are trying to get the public to LIKE their pages. I want to KICK THEIR BUTTS on LIKES. We have such a great group of people that are organized into a wonderful community. Let's show the other parks what Great Salt Lakers are made of. Please LIKE Great Salt Lake State Park. Thank you. Dave Dave Shearer Harbor Master Great Salt Lake State Marina Antelope Island State Marina 801-209-9142

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Weather Apps for smart phones
by Dave Shearer 11 Dec '12

11 Dec '12

GSL/Antelope Slip Renters and Marina Users, Great Weather Apps for smart phones If you are interested weather and sailing on the Great Salt Lake please read on. If not you can delete this email now. As most of you know, I am a total weather geek. Every morning and evening I pull up weather charts, forecast models and real-time observations from multiple sources and then give my best guess as to what the weather might do. I can't tell you the last time I watched a television forecast. It has been some time. Most of the television forecasts, although very good, are Wasatch Front based and can be very inaccurate on a daily basis for Great Salt Lake. Since I spend most of my time and weather concerns on the Great Salt Lake I must get my information from other sources. Often from the same place the television meteorologists are getting their information. Some great forecasting devices, models and real-time observations can be found right on your phone (if you have a smart phone). I use my Iphone as much as my computer for knowing what is going on now or what is going to happen to the weather. Some of the apps I use can forecast wind models in three hour increments, track lightning and thunderstorm cells (a must for sailing in the summer), give real-time wind observations, great radar and satellite images and more. I have put the names and descriptions of several apps I use on www.gslmarina.com Feel free to check out the page; check out some apps; email me about apps you use or like (must be weather, maritime or navigation based app). Give me your rating of apps on a scale of 1 to 5 stars. To get to the "Apps" page of www.gslmarina.com just follow the steps below: . Go to www.gslmarina.colm . Highlight the Resource tab on the top menu of the Home page. . Click on Weather/Water . Look near the bottom of the page for WEATHER TOOLS . Click on the link NEW-Weather APPS I will be adding a NAV APPS page in the future. Anything else you want to see on www.gslmarina.com? Let me know Dave Shearer Harbor Master Great Salt Lake State Marina Antelope Island State Marina 801-209-9142

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SNOW!
by Dave Shearer 09 Dec '12

09 Dec '12

GSL Slip Renters and Marina Users. This was a BIG storm for the Great Salt Lake Marina. We received more snow today than we did all last year. Just a note to you all that there is quite a bit of snow on your boats. We spent the whole day plowing and removing snow from sidewalks. The docks still have snow on them. We hope to have them cleared by Monday evening. If you do venture out to check on your boats please be advised it is like a skating rink out here. Dave Shearer Harbor Master Great Salt Lake State Marina Antelope Island State Marina 801-209-9142

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Bottom-of-the-Pit Chili Fest
by Dave Shearer 09 Dec '12

09 Dec '12

GSL Slip Renters and Marina Users. Chili Bowl.JPG It is that time of year again. The 37th Annual Bottom-Of-The-Pit Chili Fest Party! Started by Clint Baty and other hearty sailing souls around 1975, this is Great Salt Lake Marina's longest running social. Go figure! The longest running social would be during the shortest day during the coldest, stormiest part of winter. Saturday, December 22nd from 11am to 3pm at the Great Salt Lake Marina. Bring your favorite chili dish out. Sample other awesome chili recipe's. Visit with friends. And enjoy the ambiance of the Great Salt Lake during the dead of winter anticipating the coming of another awesome sailing season just around the corner. There will be a contest for chili recipes. Categories are: Best Tasting; Most Original; Hottest (spiciest). Side dishes are also welcome. Hope to see you there. Dave Shearer Harbor Master Great Salt Lake State Marina Antelope Island State Marina 801-209-9142

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LAKE EFFECT SNOW!
by Dave Shearer 09 Dec '12

09 Dec '12

GSL Slip Renters and Marina Users, LAKE EFFECT SNOW! Great Salt Lake Marina is taking a direct hit from Lake Effect Snow. We have 8 inches and it is still coming down. It should come down most of the day. It is unlikely docks will get shoveled today as we will be concentrating most of our efforts in the parking lot and common areas. This sure isn't last December where we only received 2% of our normal precipitation! We are only nine days into this month and we are already 39% of precipitation for the whole month with more storms on the way. We are 126% precipitation for December 9th. We are 110% precipitation for the water year. And snowpack for the Great Salt Lake Drainage area is 85% and climbing. Quite an improvement over last year. October was above normal precipitation. November was substantially above normal precipitation. And December is looking awesome! Don't forget to look after your boats this winter. Snow weight can push boats down in the water enough that sea water can back up through scuppers. And water can freeze in scuppers which can prevent proper draining of cockpit water. LET IT SNOW! LET IT SNOW! LET IT SNOW! Dave Shearer Harbor Master Great Salt Lake State Marina Antelope Island State Marina 801-209-9142

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Mast Hoist & RC Racing
by Dave Shearer 07 Dec '12

07 Dec '12

GSL Slip Renters. The mast hoist is fixed. And conditions look good for RC Sailboat Racing on Sunday. 2:30 on L dock Dave Shearer Harbor Master Great Salt Lake State Marina Antelope Island State Marina 801-209-9142

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Information on the fatal duck boat accident
by Dave Shearer 02 Dec '12

02 Dec '12

GSL Slip Renters and Marina Users. As most of you know, two duck hunters lost their lives out here on Saturday night, November 17th. They died from hypothermia and drowning after a very short time in water that was 47 degrees. Their boat capsized in 1 to 2 foot waves after swamping. Luckily one of the hunters was able to swim to shore and survived. The two that lost their lives was Logan Hardman and Chad Tohinaka. I have had the chance to visit with the family of Logan Hardman. I have also learned that many of our slip renters actually knew one of these kids or a family member of one of these kids. Everything I have heard said these were two very good kids (anyone half my age is a kid) who lost their lives. Logan was married and the father of a 1 year old and a 3 year old. I was told he had just switched jobs and had no life insurance yet. The Duck Hunting community recently held a fundraiser breakfast for Logan's family. Chad Tohinaka's family asked that, in lieu of flowers for Chad's funeral, they requested donations be made to Logan's family. Now, this is not an easy email for me to write. And I certainly am not soliciting or asking for donations to Logan's family. But if you feel like making a private donation on behalf of yourself, the yacht club, or the Great Salt Lake boating community I have been told donations can be made at any Zion's Bank to the Logan Hardman fund. Thank you, Dave Shearer

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