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Another helpful weather app
by Dave Shearer 01 Aug '20

01 Aug '20

Here is another wind alert app you may want to check out. It is called Windy Lookout. You can register for the app for free. Once you have registered you can subscribe, for free, to receive heavy wind alerts on you cell phone or pad when heavy wind is detected around the area. This was shared by Peter Jorgenson. Dave

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A Bit More on Dock Hoses
by Dave Shearer 01 Aug '20

01 Aug '20

Just a bit more on dock hoses. Our water bill for the marina nearly doubled last month. That is money that takes away from improvements and repairs we can do to the marina. What we have found, besides the many water leaks on dock hose bibs is that several people have been leaving their water on to their hoses and just turning the water off at the sprayer at the end of the hose. During the day, when the temperatures climb, these sprayers can no longer hold the pressure and start leaking or the hose ruptures from the heat. We found one hose, with a sprayer on, in the lake spraying water at full volume. Please remember to turn the water off at the pedestal when done and do not rely on the sprayer being off. Budgets are tight this year and we are doing everything we can to be as efficient as possible. Thanks Dave

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HOSES on the DOCKS
by Dave Shearer 31 Jul '20

31 Jul '20

As I mentioned in earlier emails, we walk the docks regularly. I have also mentioned the proper hoses for the marina pedestals on the dock. We have several hose bibs that have been destroyed because of having hoses with aluminum fittings attached to the hose bibs. These aluminum fittings electrolysis quickly to the hose bib destroying them. Only hoses with brass fittings are allowed to be attached to the hose bibs. We have over 25 hose bibs that need to be replaced which costs the park money. Please make sure you only uses hoses with brass fittings. Thanks Dave

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Boat Registrations, IMPORTANT!
by Dave Shearer 31 Jul '20

31 Jul '20

We often walk the docks inspecting conditions of the docks, pedestals, and dock lines. This last walk we noticed SEVERAL boats with expired registrations or NO registrations. BOATS with sails or motors MUST be registered and the current YEAR AND MONTH stickers MUST be displayed in order to be in the water. If you are in dry storage and are not putting your boat in the water it does not need to be registered. BUT IF YOU ARE IN THE WATER, IT MUST BE REGISTERED AND THE STICKERS MUST BE PROPERLY DISPLAYED. I will be emailing some of you separately regarding lack of proper registration or display, but consider this a pre-warning that the rangers will be down here very soon walking the docks looking for proper registrations. THEY WILL BE CITING OWNERS if the boat is not registered or stickers are not properly displayed. Please understand I have no control of this matter and cannot stop a citation from happening. Some of you I have already talked to about this matter. GET YOUR BOATS REGISTERED. . . . PLEASE! Thanks, Dave

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Strong Wind Warning
by Dave Shearer 28 Jul '20

28 Jul '20

National Weather Service has just informed me that we can expect strong winds on the Great Salt Lake this afternoon from strong storms north of the lake.

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New Weather Sites
by Dave Shearer 27 Jul '20

27 Jul '20

We've been working with the National Weather Service to improve weather forecasting for the Great Salt Lake Area. The problem we have had is that NWS has considered Tooele and Salt Lake as one area for forecasting. These areas and Great Salt Lake can have distinctively different weather. One idea they are considering is breaking Tooele out into its own weather zone. And possibly breaking Great Salt Lake into its own weather zone too. They have created some new pages also. The first one is their new Marine forecast covering each individual lake forecast. Here is the link to that page: https://www.weather.gov/slc/marine You will notice, on the map, there is a color coded icon for each lake which represents impact levels for each lake. Today the Icon for Great Salt Lake is orange for medium impact from thunderstorms. It also has tabs for Current Hazards, Current Conditions, Radar, Forecasts, Rivers and Lakes, Climate and Past Weather, Local programs. There is also a great page on Marine Safety: https://www.weather.gov/slc/Marine And then they have their forecast page for Great Salt Lake broken down into Antelope Island, Fremont Island, Great Salt Lake Marina, Gunnison Island, Hat Island and Willard Bay. https://www.weather.gov/slc/marine?GSL#tabs-2 These are some great resources for you to plan your sailing day or find out if it is a good day to stay home. Also, we are working with them on advanced warnings of strong winds (30mph sustained, gusts over 45). So far they have been giving us about an hour warning on strong winds. This may allow us to send tweets out as well as emails. If you want to follow or get tweet warnings, I believe it is Dave Shearer @Gslmarina.com<mailto:update@accessholdinq.com> Thanks Dave

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GPS Trackers Available for Checkout
by Dave Shearer 25 Jul '20

25 Jul '20

Great Salt Lake can be a wonderful place to cruise and explore. We have had several people do two to three day excursions on the lake lately. I just wanted to remind everyone that we have several SPOT GPS trackers available for checkout. You can strap them to the rigging on your boat and we can track your progress. If you get in trouble out there and may need our help we can find you much quicker. If you are planning on an excursion on the lake and want to check out a SPOT GPS tracker just email me and we will make one available for you. There is some great sailing to be had on the lake right now. Go out and enjoy. Just remember to pay close attention to the forecast and the sky. Dave

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PLEASE REPORT!
by Dave Shearer 21 Jul '20

21 Jul '20

This is an email that I really hate to write but feel compelled to repeat it one more time before other action needs to be taken. I hope everyone realizes there are always a lot of eyes at the marina. Always. And anytime a boat hits another boat in the marina it only takes a few minutes before someone who saw the collision reports it. But we seem to have a problem with the boat operator who hit another boat reporting the collision. We have had four collisions in the marina in just a very short period of time lately. Only one boat operator reported the accident. Yet we know about all of them. Reporting a collision is the LAW. It is a misdemeanor not to report it. Accidents happen. Please, if you have an accident, just report it. Sorry to have to send this email out again. Thanks Dave

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MONSOON SEASON
by Dave Shearer 20 Jul '20

20 Jul '20

It's MONSOON Season at Great Salt Lake. What is MONSOON season? Monsoonal season in Utah usually starts mid-June and lasts through late August. This year, Monsoonal season is getting a late start but be aware! Monsoonal season brings late afternoon through late evening thunderstorms. As we all know, thunderstorms can be violent, short-lived weather disturbances. The day begins looking clear, beautiful and inviting for an afternoon sail. But, unseen at the time, is air from the Great Salt Lake being pulled in off the lake and up the mountains as the mountains heat up causing rising air to react with moist air aloft. This is a perfect mixture for the formation of cumulonimbus clouds. And then the excitement begins! Strong, gusty winds; microbursts; heavy dense waves; lightning; heavy rain. And don't forget about a negative storm surge (dropping lake levels) at the marina mouth. Not a great sailing experience anymore. What does this mean for Great Salt Lake? National Weather Service is predicting the Monsoonal surge will arrive tomorrow. Pay close attention to weather forecasts. And don't pay attention to just one. If you are planning a day on the lake pay close attention to several forecasts. I am a weather geek and I am still fascinated by the variances of forecasts from different sources. Remember that most forecasts are Wasatch Front based and are not Oquirrh based or Great Salt Lake based. Also pay attention to the weather flags at the Marina. If we are expecting lightning, or strong winds the Storm Warning or Hurricane Force Warning flags will be up for the day. What should you do to prepare? Remember that these thunderstorms can be very violent at times. Winds from these storms can be just as violent as the storms we see late winter. We have seen winds in excess of 80mph in some of these late afternoon storms. That means that your boat could sustain damage even at the slip if you haven't properly stored your boat. And if you are on the water it is not going to be a fun experience at all. While your boat is in the slip or on the hard: * Check your dock lines. If they are more than two years old, replace them! * Check to make sure your sails are properly stowed. * If you have a roller furling, make sure it is furled tightly. Take a couple extra wraps with your genoa lines to secure it. It is also a very good idea to take an extra halyard and wrap it around the genoa. * Make sure, if your mainsail is on the boom, to cover it securely (WITH A GOOD MAINSAIL COVER! Not an old ratty one). Take a line and wrap it around the boom and mainsail. * Check your standing rigging. Is it secure? Are the turnbuckles secured properly? Are the clevis pins secured with STAINLESS cotter pins or split rings? * Check to make sure all your property on your boat is secured. Don't let your property become projectiles that can damage other property or people. * If on the hard, is your boat properly secured to your trailer? Are your wheels chocked so the trailer can't roll or twist around in the wind? If you are going sailing: * Does your motor work reliably? Is it of proper horse power? Also, realize that a motor may not power you in strong thunderstorms. It just doesn't have enough horse power to push you through the dense Great Salt Lake waves if we have a strong thunderstorm. * Do you have life jackets for everyone aboard? (Yes, you can drown on Great Salt Lake) * Do you have a working cell phone that is fully charged? * Do you have a marine band radio? * Make sure you have a proper and functioning anchor. It can save your boat from ending up on the reef or beach. * Make sure the anchor is of the proper size * Make sure you have the proper size and length of chain * Make sure you have at least 150 feet of rode (line and chain). * Make sure the anchor rode is free of tangles and is ready for deployment rapidly. * Make sure the anchor line is attached to the boat. I have seen many cases of people deploying the anchor and then having the line slip out of their hands before they can attach it to the boat. It isn't a bad idea to have a backup anchor and rode. * Make sure the rode is in very good shape. * Is your rig in good condition (check above) * Check the forecast. * Check the forecast for the day. Check it often. It can change through the day. * Check satellite * Check radar * Check the wind forecast and current wind conditions on and around the lake. * There are plenty of good cell phone apps for this now. * Keep your eyes peeled to the west or southwest for building clouds above the mountains. Don't forget to look east too. Sometime these thunderstorms can come down the Salt Lake Valley. * Keep your eyes peeled towards the shore for blowing dusts. If you see blowing dust towards Saltair, South Antelope Island or by the Stansbury Mountains, GET OFF THE LAKE NOW. This a great time for sailing on the Great Salt Lake. But please be prepared for monsoonal season. And stay safe while sailing on Great Salt Lake. Thanks Dave

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To K and J Dock Slip Renters
by Dave Shearer 02 Jul '20

02 Jul '20

To those slip renters with deeper draft boats on J and K dock. We need to start moving you off those docks now. They will start to become shallow soon. If you have a draft of more than four feet please contact me so we can assign you a slip on E, C, D, or B for this summer, fall and winter while the water is low. These boats would include the following: US 30's Olson 30's Hunter 30's unless wing keel. Catalina 30's unless wing keel Newport 30's. If you have one of these make of boats please contact me and we will get you a new temporary slip assignment. Thanks Dave

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