May 2020 - GSL-Marina - mailman.xmission.com

CRANE DAY POSTPONED
by Dave Shearer 16 Jun '20

16 Jun '20

I just found out I have jury duty next week. So I need to postpone Crane Day. Can everyone make it on Tuesday, May 7? Let me know. Thanks Dave Dave Shearer Harbor Master Great Salt Lake State Marina 801-250-1898 [DNR Parks Logo]

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Eardley Spit Cruise
by Dave Shearer 31 May '20

31 May '20

We are just six short days from the Big Sail; The Harbormaster's Eardley Spit Cruise. The weather forecast is a bit mixed at this time but generally looks pleasant with a temperature of 76 and a small possibility of rain. There is also a chance of some wind but this forecast is still 6 days out and wind forecasts are notoriously wrong that far out. On a good note. That storm we had a week ago last Friday brought so much wave action that it exposed an old shipwreck (which generated international buzz) AND also blew out the silted-in hump inside the mouth of the marina. It looks as if even the deepest draft boats are now getting out again with little to no effort. So the cruise is on with some limitations. We are still in Yellow and are encouraging everyone to follow all the good health practices and safe social distancing. A flyer is attached. We will not be able to hold the large barbecue on the beach nor have all the beach toys out. We will be barbecuing from our boat and transporting the food out to the individual boats with dinghies. I will only be preparing the main course. We had planned on Hawaiian Chicken kebobs but with limited funds and the difficulty on getting enough chicken and good quality red peppers we will resort back to Brats and Dogs. Sorry about that. Hopefully next year's menu will be awesome. We will plan to start transporting brats and dogs to individual boats starting at noon. Please plan to have your own plates and utensils as well as your chosen condiments and side dishes. If you chose to go to the beach after lunch there is nothing that prevents you from doing so. But you will have to plan your own transportation to the beach this year. You can even bring your own water toys and beach toys. Just maintain good health practices. I am so sorry about the scaled down event but it is the reality we are dealing with this year until things go back to normal. I feel we can safely do the sail out to Eardley Spit as long as everyone follows the guidelines. It is going to be a rough boating year with the disastrous spring we just had so get out on the water while you can. See you at the Spit. Dave

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Dock Line REMINDER!
by Dave Shearer 25 May '20

25 May '20

Just a reminder that WINDY SEASON is lasting a bit longer than normal. We have another very windy day coming up this weekend. PLEASE COME OUT AND INSPECT YOUR DOCK LINES! "Hands On" on K dock broke their dock lines. Dock lines have about a 2 year life span at best on Great Salt Lake. Dock lines at Great Salt Lake deteriorate at the core where you can't see the deterioration. Thanks Dave

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Eardley Spit Cruise
by Dave Shearer 19 May '20

19 May '20

Well the annual Harbormaster's Eardley Spit Cruise is scheduled for Saturday, June 6. With Social Distancing being the new norm and probably still in effect in June it will be difficult to do the usual beach party and barbecue. But I have an idea that I want to suggest. I think it is important to have as normal as a recreation life as possible. So what does everyone think about still holding the cruise out to the Spit and then anchoring your boats. We could grill the main course on Rescue One and then deliver main courses to each boat individually. Those that still want to go to shore can but will have to get there on their own and practice social distancing. If Social distancing policies are removed we could possibly do a traditional party on the beach. Who is interested in the cruise and let me know your thoughts. Thanks Dave

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WINDY - REMINDER
by Dave Shearer 18 May '20

18 May '20

Just a reminder that it is going to continue to be very windy through this week. Please, if you haven't checked your boats lately, please check them. Think about replacing dock lines. Thanks Dave

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Slip Rental Moratorium
by Dave Shearer 17 May '20

17 May '20

It saddens me to have to write this email. But we have had to make a tough decision. March, April and May are the most critical months for our water supply. We started out with a great winter only to have the spigot shut off mid-March. April was the driest on record. And May looks like it may even be drier than April. This means we will have shallow water once again. In order to manage the slips and accommodate boats already in the marina we will need to do a moratorium on renting slips over 25' to any new slip renters until the water situation improves. This was a tough call but we need the slips we currently have to shuffle boats around to deeper slips. We have been here before unfortunately. We still have plenty of 25 foot slips available though. Sorry for this tough call. Dave

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WIND ALERT
by Dave Shearer 16 May '20

16 May '20

Marina Users This includes boat owners who have boats at the marina (small dinghies included), kayaks, sculling shells, paddle boats, etc. You get the idea. The wind models are holding together and we are expecting strong winds starting Sunday and going intermittently through the week. Please check your dock lines. If they are a few years old replace them. Dock lines usually fray from the inside out at the Marina. Salt crystals permeate the line and start breaking the core down. Secure all your property properly. Do not allow your items to become dangerous projectiles. Secure your sails, especially furling sails. Wrap a halyard around your furling sails. Pay close attention to weather forecasts before venturing out. Do not just check one forecast as most of them are Wasatch Front based and not Oquirrh or GSL based. Consult multiple forecasts. We are still in Windy Season where wind storms can come up fast and last for days. Thanks Dave

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Eardley Spit Cruise is ON! (for now)
by Dave Shearer 16 May '20

16 May '20

With the State transitioning from Orange to Yellow for the Covid-19 Pandemic we are planning on moving ahead with the Eardley Spit Cruise. The cruise is only three weeks away. We still don't quite know what it will look like in its final form. We have three sketches or plans to make it happen but the basic details will not change. On Saturday, June 6, there will be a cruise out to Eardley Spit. I know this may be a bit challenging for some of the deeper draft boats as the water year, that started out phenomenal, abruptly left us high and dry. But, if we have learned anything in the last few months, we have learned just how important it is for our mental health to get out and pursue as normal a life as we can given the circumstances we are in right now. Sailboats allow for safe social distancing. Being outdoors, practicing safe social distancing, is very healthy for our mental health. So on June 6, for those that want to participate, practicing safe social distancing, we will leave Great Salt Lake Marina around 11am for the south side of Eardley Spit. We will individually anchor our boats and celebrate life and enjoy our wonderful Inland Sea. More details to come but plan on providing your own meals for you and your crew except we are still planning on providing a main course. Details of how this will happen will come soon. Whether we can do beach activities will be decided soon. Some notes: * We cannot shuttle people out to the anchor spot. You will need to provide for your own ride. * We cannot shuttle people to the beach (that may change). * We don't know if we can do beach activities yet. That does not mean you can't go to the beach and plan your own activities. * Keep in mind the best practices for safe social distancing. Those best practices can be found at www.Utah.gov<http://www.Utah.gov> * Pay close attention to the weather * Make sure your anchor is in good shape and ready to deploy. A few boats found out they weren't quite ready in the wind storm of last week. * Make sure your motors work and have been recently serviced. * And plan to have safe but great fun. Enjoy the lake while the water levels allow! MORE DETAILS TO FOLLOW Please start RSVP's so we can start planning for the main course Dave

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WIND
by Dave Shearer 15 May '20

15 May '20

Slip Renters. We have a lot of wind heading towards us starting Sunday through next week. PLEASE make sure your boats and property are secured properly and dock lines are good. Clean up around your docks and make sure there are no items that could become dangerous projectiles. We are still in windy season. Thanks Dave

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Lake Levels in the mouth
by Dave Shearer 04 May '20

04 May '20

We measured the mouth yesterday. If you stay completely centered in the mouth the shallowest is 5.5 feet right now. But now for the bad news. After having an incredible start to the water year we finished off very poorly. Now pack is already well below 100% and the lake has already begun to drop. Get out and sail while you still can. It looks like a lot of boats will be trapped in the marina by fall. This is not what we expected. 2020 has been a rough year with COVID19, the earthquake at the marina and now a poor finish to the water year. April was the driest on record. Dave

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