GSL and Antelope Slip Renters. It is here. Windy Season is upon us. October 1st starts frontal season, which means windy season. And it is beginning to look like we may be in an active frontal pattern this fall unlike last year. This should bring good news in the form of much needed moisture. But this news also brings caution. It is quite usual for the Great Salt Lake Marina area to see gusts well over 40mph during the typical frontal approach. And it is quite normal to see gusts well over 80mph several times during windy season, which lasts through May. Gusts over 100mph are not unheard of. For the Antelope Island Marina area, gusts do not get as strong as the GSL Marina area but they still can get well over 50mph. So it is time to prepare for the wind, rain, and snow. Some things to do and check for. Have you replaced your dock lines lately? When your dock lines get wet they also absorb salt. And when the dock lines dry out the salt remains. This salt then acts like millions of tiny razor blades cutting the inner core of the line. And eventually the line will break with strong gusts. Another punishing element for dock lines is UV. It is good practice to replace your dock lines once a year. I just replaced mine yesterday. Is your headsail tightly furled? A good practice is to take your spinnaker halyard and wrap it around your headsail. This prevents the sail from being grabbed from the wind and unwinding. A headsail coming unfurled can lead to a shredded sail and possibly a dismasting. If we see a headsail unfurl we will attempt to contact you. We will not try to secure it. Attempts in the past to secure someone's headsail has led to injuries of park employees and well meaning slip renters. Therefore, unfortunately, if your headsail comes unfurled, it will be left to nature as to what happens. Another good practice is just to take your headsail off if you aren't going to use your boat for awhile. What about your mainsail cover? Is it in good shape? A good practice is to wrap your mainsail cover with another rope. This prevents the cover from blowing apart in the wind and exposing your mainsail to the damaging forces of strong gusts as well as UV damage. Checked your hose clamps lately? Think you have all-stainless-steel hose clamps? You may want to think again. Many stainless steel hose clamps only have stainless steel bands. The screw and screw housing are actually lower grade steel and can rust out leading to a hose clamp failure. This can lead to a swamped or sunk boat. Take a magnet and see if it will stick to the screw and screw housing. Check all your hose clamps. If it looks questionable, replace it. The weight of snow will push the boat down in the water. This can lead to water coming in where a hose clamp has lost its integrity. I have several pictures of boats that have sunk out here during the winter months. They all sunk because of a hose clamp failure. Checked your clevis pins, cotter pins and split rings lately? Don't lose a mast because of a failure here. Checked your turnbuckles lately? Are they pinned? Do they have locking nuts? If they have locking nuts are the nuts firmly seated against the turnbuckle body? Are your freshwater tanks drained and winterized? Have you pumped out your holding tanks? Remember, we are turning the pump-a-head off come November 1. It will remain off for the winter. Have you removed your dinghies and kayaks from the docks? We will REQURE ALL dinghies and kayaks removed from the docks come the first week of November. We will also REQURE all hoses be removed from the docks. If you have a hanger for your hose on a piling this is fine. Do NOT place your hoses on power pedestals. If you cannot hang your hose on a piling and have it completely off the dock, it must be removed for safety reasons. Power cords must be neatly wrapped around a power pedestal (no hoses wrapped around pedestals) or hung on a piling. They cannot be draped loosely on a dock. The reason for wanting all hoses and dinghies/kayaks off docks is for the safety of the people shoveling the docks all winter. Dinghies or kayaks that remain in the water in your own slip is just fine. Dinghies that are in the water are subject to sinking due to snow though. Check on them regularly. Will your dock box make it through the winter? Will your boat cover make it through the winter? Is there anything on or around your boat that could make a dangerous projectile in strong winds? Have a good tip I forgot? Send it to me and I will make sure it gets out by email and on the web site. On a good note, I hope to have four dock carts here in the near future. Two of these dock carts will be stored in the north basin along the fence line. Two in the south basin along the fence line. We will secure them with cable and lock. The lock will be keyed the same as the dock keys. Please, when they finally arrive, keep them locked and secured. I'm not worried about them being stolen. Securing them and locking them is to keep them from blowing away in wind storms. This spring we hope to purchase more dock carts with our donations account so each dock will have its own cart. Dave Shearer Harbor Master Great Salt Lake State Marina Antelope Island State Marina 801-209-9142