Planning your summer vacation - Don't forget your boat

Awaiting her crew on Grand Traverse Bay

One reason SailMichigan was built was to provide an opportunity for recreational sailors to maximize their sailing time and fun. One time consuming task is to find a suitable lake or launch venue when on vacation. This may not be as much of an issue if you are going to be in a coastal town like Port Sanilac or Holland or Algonac, but what if you are camping or staying more inland? Or what if you want to sail from destination to destination along the coast? Simply search your destination, and your choice of distance radius, and see what pops up? If you have a large boat, you can customize your search further to include lake size and depth. If you have a sailing kayak, you can customize your search for river impoundments or lake chains.

As an example, let's say you want to camp or stay in Interlochen, Michigan. The name Interlochen tells you that there are lakes nearby, but not all ramps and not all lakes are equal. Using the site, you can actually locate a campsite in Interlochen State Park which is right next to the boat ramp.

Although I do my best to provide as much useful detail as possible, some lakes/ramps have more detail than others. All will have the basics: location, depth, orientation, ramp location, wind forecast and DNR map (where available). Others will have a more extensive narrative and/or ratings from other sailors. If you visit a location this summer, please consider rating the lake yourself when you get back home (or from your mobile phone). Do this even if the lake has already been rated. Multiple ratings or points of view are very important and give a truer picture of the sailing experience.

More importantly, take your boat with you this summer. Find the best spot, the best day for weather, have some fun, take some pictures, and tell us about it. To borrow from a popular phrase - Your journey begins at SailMichigan.org

Traverse Area Community Sailing named 2014 Outstanding Program

Although belated, Congratulations to Traverse Area Community Sailing for being named as the 2014 award recipient for Outstanding Community Sailing Program. The award was announced by U.S. Sailing at the National Sailing Programs Symposium held Jan 21-24 in New Orleans. TACS was established in 1994 and over the 20 year period has continually expanded in scope and outreach to include community sailing, adaptive sailing, high school sailing, dinghy and keelboat programs. The organization has an established location at the Cornwell Family Sailing Center located on Boardman Lake in Traverse City. TACS has supported its growth through effective fundraising, grantsmanship, and public/private partnerships. To learn more about this organization visit:  www.tacsailing.org

Should raising your mast be this hard?



Credit: Tourism Frederickton, CA

Okay, you're right. The guy on the left isn't hoisting a mast, he's hoisting a caber (a Scottish kind of thing), but am I really that far off? Doesn't raising your mast at local ramp seem to be every bit as difficult, and rather tenuous? Imagine how it is for the new sailor with the spouse and/or kids watching? How many of us have had that "Oh, ?#%$" moment when the wind catches the mast or a line/shroud gets tangled half way up?

My point is that this simple process could be holding folks back from enjoying the sport, especially the new sailor, senior sailor, those less muscularly gifted, or those with difficult masts. Now, imagine pulling into your favorite ramp and finding a dedicated parking space with a mast-raising tower/station at the ready! And why not? At area ramps there are fish-cleaning stations, handicap kayak hoists, and other specialized amenities, but not for the sailing public. SailMichigan is on a mission to find one pubic ramp willing to serve as a model for such a system. We've made an outreach to the Huron/ Clinton Metroparks system due to their desirability with area sailors.





Credit: Runners-world.pl

While we are waiting to hear back from them, I want to be proactive in getting feedback from you folks. First and foremost, do you have a story to share regarding a hair-raising, mast-raising experience, where such a system would have helped? Have you gone home in frustration (or seen someone leave in frustration) due to a problem with raising a mast? Or, have you encountered a mast-raising tower/station at a public (DNR or municipal) boat ramp? If so, where, and how useful was it? How was it designed?

And speaking of the latter, do you have a suggestion for a design for a mast raising tower which would accommodate a variety of designs (i.e. hinged steps, inset steps, masts with or without stays, and masts up to 30'). This type of system would be applicable to trailerable- boats under 26' (which is the vast majority of registered sailboats).

And finally, is this a cause worth pursuing???

Sailing Hoopla and Sailing the Summer Sailstice

Lonely Mutineer on Hamburg Lake (SailMichigan.org)

In our humble option, sailing gets very little recognition in the Michigan press and at governmental levels (i.e. DNR). Except for a flurry of a few Free Press articles at the time of the Mackinac races, the occasional boating mishap, or a few local articles from the state's "sailing centers" (ie. Traverse City, Port Huron, Macatawa, etc.), relatively little hoopla is made. Maybe that's because most sailors are  looking for a quiet outing going solo, or with family, and don't want to generate "hoopla". Or, maybe its because sailing and sailors are not perceived as enough of a cash-flow source for state or local coffers? Recent Michigan expenditures to provide needed dredging of area harbors would seem to indicate otherwise, however such dredging would also be beneficial for larger power boaters as well.

Why do we want to generate hoopla? Hoopla provides for public awareness of the benefits and opportunities of sailing (as a form of recreation, education, environmental awareness, and outright "sport"). Those that appreciate the benefits will begin to look for opportunities (boats, lessons, etc) and will support those businesses that we rely on for our own sailing needs. The presence of the "newly converted", at increasing numbers on area lakes and in area harbors, will alert the DNR and federal management areas that improvements for sailboat access are needed and that sailing-specific programing is desired. Hoopla supports club membership growth, one-design class expansion, and quieter lakes.

How to generate the hoopla? Each yacht/sailing club has their own outreach plan. Some are more aggressive than others, but few plans, if any, are coordinated statewide. One annual event, designed to generate such hoopla is known as "Summer Sailstice". The idea and execution of the first Summer Sailstice resided with a 20 yr marine industry professional and sailor John Arndt. Along with Michelle Slade, the two organized the first Sailstice in June 2001 as a means of generating interest (new and renewed) in sailing. The 13th annual Summer Sailstice is slated for June 22, 2013 and the Sailstice promoters have launched a new website to promote and coordinate events (www.summersailstice.com). A search of the site reveals only the registered plans of two individual Michigan sailors (that's okay, its early). However, for 2010 (the last year for which data is presented), there were only 86 individuals who registered participation and two organizations (Michigan State Sailing Center and Torresen Marine). This is still a far cry for a state with over 30,000 registers sailboats. Currently on the SailMichigan.org site, only 3 independent (non-Sailstice related) events have been entered for that day (if you have an event which is not listed, please share it with us).

So what's the plan?

• First, make an individual pledge or plan to sail that day and let people know (both on the Sailstice site and in the comments below). Sailmichigan will create a separate page to describe Michigan activities once a critical mass is received.
• Encourage your yacht/sail club/school to conduct outreach activities on that day (open/free sailing, sailboat "rides", fun regattas, short lessons). Prepared tools for this are available on the Sailstice website (www.summersailstice.com). Make those plans known on the Sailstice site and in the comments below.
• Participate in local sailing events as part of your plan.
• If you are trailering to a DNR launch or harbor, make eye contact with a DNR representative. You might be their first sailboat of the year! Tell them if there are any impediments to sailboat launching at their site. Leave them with a positive impression of sailing.
• Consider contacting your local newspaper, radio station, TV station with your plans and the national/international implications of the Sailstice event.
• In general, generate some Hoopla and have fun doing it.

Whadda ya think......

Just how many sailboats are there in Michigan?

If you are a recreational sailor, harbormaster, or own a sail loft, marina, or boat dealership, you may ask this same question. It is not an easy question to answer. One metric that SailMichigan uses is simply the number of boat registrations in Michigan which are Sail or Sail (w/aux power). It turns out that even these numbers are best guesstimates and have some inaccuracy due to recent expirations, anticipated renewals, etc. With all that said, data obtained from the Michigan state information center in May 2012 indicated that there were approximately 910,400 registered watercraft in Michigan. Of these, 33,632 were sail or sail (w/aux power).

Although this actual number may be more or less, an interesting finding is that the overwhelming majority of boats are under 26 feet LOA, with nearly half being under 16 feet. Who makes up this population? How many (what proportion) are registered "club" boats vs. private owners? What proportion reside on only 1 lake vs. are trailer sailors? More importantly, how can we grow this 3.7% overall boating fraction into something more?

Could these numbers be an under-reporting? Undoubtedly, small boats on private lakes may not feel the need to renew their registrations and larger boats from other states are frequent visitors. However, when looking at the health and growth of sailing, current registration numbers (if available) are probably the closest approximation to actual boat use. What do you make of these numbers?

Recreational Sailors, Speak Out !

Having visited/investigated a number of DNR boat launches, I have come to the personal conclusion that access considerations for the recreational sailor are the last things on the DNR's mind when designing or maintaining public lake access. This has been as much as confirmed when speaking directly with DNR representatives. But whose fault is this? Is it the DNR's for not willfully seeking the opinions of the sailing public, or perhaps turning a deaf ear? Or is it the the fault of the collective "we", in not impressing upon the DNR the importance of ramp design features which enhance and promote sailing rather than impede it. If it is the later, sailors who live near Burt Lake (Cheboygan county) have a chance June 3rd to begin changing this trend. The DNR has scheduled an open house to discuss improvements to the Maple Bay, Burt Lake boat access site. The open house is scheduled from 3 to 7 p.m., at the Burt Township Hall, located at 7029 Birchwood Rd. This is a prime opportunity for Burt Lake sailors to improve sailing access, not only for themselves, but also for other Michigan trailer-sailors looking to visit or regatta.

What types of features would make a DNR access ramp more "sail-friendly"? Let's start with an elimination of overhead obstructions at both the ramp and the approach. I have observed DNR ramps on beautiful lakes which were totally unusable to sailors, all because of the presence of major tree limbs 20-25' above the ramp or the presence of a dense tree canopy along the access approach. Let's continue with a dedicated space for sailboat set-up, which includes enough space to step or unstep a mast without being in a roadway or interfering with other boats. Another feature lacking at many ramps is a grassy or sandy area near the ramp for the beaching of daggerboard/centerboard boats. This same type of location would allow smaller boats (Sunfish, Lasers, Zumas) to launch safely without tying up a ramp or contending with powerboat propwash. Finally, lets conclude with a minimizing of on-the-water restrictions to maneuverability at or near the ramp. Sailboats cannot simply power-down and cost into a ramp, but have to contend with wind gusts and shifts. Ramps which don't have at least a 45 degree clearance on either side of the ramp, from the water, create more difficulty for the sailor.

If you are a frequent trailer-sailor, you have witnessed these shortcomings for yourself. Imagine being a new sailor and dealing with such access issues. If we wish to expand recreational sailing in this state, and improve it for those who are currently sailing, the DNR must be an active partner to promote this quiet, clean, peaceful (and exciting) sport.

SailMichigan and Sailing in Michigan

Let's face it. Recreational sailing in the United States has been in a 25 year decline, and Michigan reflects that trend. Not since the mass production of sailboats by Chrysler in the 70's and early 80's have the inland waterways seen the multitudes of families spending the day aboard their dinghies, daysailers, and catamarans. But does this mean that sailing cannot make a come back? I would argue that the stars are aligning (in similar fashion to the 70s) to set the stage for a revival. I feel it is a matter of education, outreach, and access. Sailing is, by its nature, a "green" sport and with the public being hammered with "carbon accountability" and $4.00/gallon gas, sailing may offer guilt-free dividends.

SailMichigan.org (http://www.sailmichigan.org/) is designed to address the education, outreach and access issues to varying degrees. The primary purpose of the website (and its supporting LLC) however, is to address the latter, access. Not all lakes are created equal, and neither are their ramps and communities. Being a small boat sailor who has made some bad sailing choices, I feel that sailing (like everything else in life) only gets one chance to make a good impression. The new sailor who takes his family and boat on an inaugural sail, only to be tripped up by the launch ramp or hammered by PWCs and sandbars, may not get a second chance with his/her spouse and kids. By providing a clearing house of lake information and sailing commentary, we hopefully will increase the likelihood of pleasant memories and continued enjoyment.

The website will continue to expand not only the database but also searchable features and relevant sailing information. This blog is meant to enhance the discussion of the sport of sailing in Michigan as well as relevant sailing news articles and topics. In addition to the blog, the forum feature present on the SailMichigan site can be used for more practical sailing nuts and bolts questions and discussions. Please come back and visit all elements of SailMichigan (website, blog, forum, Facebook and Twitter) often.