- GSL-Marina - mailman.xmission.com

Marina Event - Limited Parking
by GSL Harbormaster 17 Sep '08

17 Sep '08

GSL Slip Renters and Marina Users Great Salt Lake State Marina and the Great Salt Lake Ecosystem Program are hosting a large event at the Great Salt Lake Marina Thursday, September 25. This is a mandatory meeting for employees of the Brine Shrimp industry. The meeting will also include bringing the Life Flight helicopter into the marina. Due to the mandatory attendance for shrimpers and and the need to clear a landing zone for the helicopter, parking in the maring will be limited on that day. This is primarily a morning event and parking should be back to normal by 1pm. If you do not need to be in the marina between 8am and 1pm you may want to postpone your activities. If you must be here or choose to use the marina, we may ask that you park in the north parking lot. Thank you, for your understanding. Dave Shearer Harbormaster Great Salt Lake Marina Have you checked your docklines lately?

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MAYDAY
by GSL Harbormaster 17 Sep '08

17 Sep '08

GSL Slip Renters and Marina Users. We picked up a MAYDAY call this afternoon on the VHF radio. At the time of this writing we are still trying to ascertain the nature of this call. But here are two vital points of this MAYDAY call. The first point is where the caller failed to get vital information out. The second point is why VHF Marine Band is so much more successful than cell phone. Point One. The caller transmitted "MAYDAY MAYDAY, 16 16, CAN YOU HERE ME?" This was transmitted over and over for nearly ten minutes. Even after several attempts from three different marina's to respond to this call, none of us were successful. If you are ever in trouble and need to make a MAYDAY call it is very important to get as much information out as quick as possible. You may not be able to here anyone responding to you but that does not mean they cannot hear you. Don't waste valuable time trying to make contact before transmitting vital information. This information would be: 1. Your Vessel Name 2. Color or descriptors of your vessel 3. Location of the vessel 4. Nature of the distress 5. Number of people on board 6. Any medical condition of people on board After you make this call wait a minute for a response. If you do not get a response, repeat the message again. If the caller had transmitted this vital information, proper help would be enroute to his location much more quickly. Point Two. This is a great reason why VHF Marine Band is so valuable in maritime applications and why cell phones are so limited. First of all, cell phone coverage is very poor on the Great Salt Lake. And because of the lakes remoteness and geography, it is not likely to improve. Second, when using a cell phone, only one person can here you (if you are able to get ahold of someone). In this case, several people were listening when the mayday call came through. And the number of listeners increased rapidly after the initial call. We were able to get people all over the lake to monitor VHF 16 after the initial call. This puts eyes, ears, and resources much closer to a vessel in distress much more rapidly than a cell phone can. Unfortunately we do not know how this will turn out yet. Because of the lack of information by the caller, we were only able to eliminate possibilities but not solve the nature of the call. Hopefully this has turned out well for the party in distress. Disclaimer: Spell Check was not used during the creation of this message. Dave Shearer Harbormaster Great Salt Lake Marina Have you checked your docklines lately?

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Christening postponed
by GSL Harbormaster 16 Sep '08

16 Sep '08

For those that may have been planning on attending tomorrow's christening of the "Bonneville", this event has been postponed. As soon as I have the new date I post it. Thanks Dave Shearer Harbormaster Great Salt Lake Marina Have you checked your docklines lately?

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Changing Slips without Authorization
by GSL Harbormaster 14 Sep '08

14 Sep '08

Slip Renters Slip Assigments are made by the marina office per the "Boat Slip Lease". Changing slips without prior approval from the marina office is a violation of that contract. It also creates some real headaches for the marina office and for people who may already be renting a slip you may have changed to. During these low water times we are doing a great deal of slip juggling based on requests and by need. If you have recently changed slips without notifying the marina office prior to moving, you may look on 'L' dock and see if your boat is there. Thank you Marina Management

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Park Notice PN 2008001
by GSL Harbormaster 12 Sep '08

12 Sep '08

Park Notice Issued by the Great Salt Lake State Marina Park Notice: PN 2008001 Subject: Broken Water Line - Sculler Dock Dated: September 12, 2008 Status: Active The water line to the sculling dock was ruptured and has been turned off. The rupture was caused by the 'K' dock gangway due to the low water. We will try to have this problem repaired by Monday, September 15th The freeze-less hydrant at the top of 'K' dock is functional and an alternative for washing off kayaks and sculling shells Thank you, for your patience and understanding. Dave Shearer Harbormaster Great Salt Lake Marina Have you checked your docklines lately?

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Nav Notice 2008008
by Dave Shearer 12 Sep '08

12 Sep '08

Navigation Notice Issued by the Great Salt Lake State Marina Navigation Notice: NN 2008008 Subject: Eardley Spit & Miera Spit Buoys Dated: September 12, 2008 Status: Active Section 1 Eardley Spit Warning buoy will be pulled on 9-12-08 for servicing. It will be replaced in the next few days. Section 2 Miera Spit Warning buoy will be pulled on 9-12-08 for servicing. It will be replaced in the next few days. Dave Shearer Harbormaster Great Salt Lake Marina Have you checked your docklines lately?

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Nav Notice 2008007
by GSL Harbormaster 12 Sep '08

12 Sep '08

Navigation Notice Issued by the Great Salt Lake State Marina Navigation Notice: NN 2008007 Subject: Marina Mouth - Hazards Dated: September 12, 2008 Status: Active The large rock just outside the marina mouth has been moved to the west. It is now marked with a danger buoy. This buoy marks several hazards off the tip of the west breakwall. There may still be some rocks and other debris in the mouth. Use extreme caution and a safe speed when proceeding through the mouth. Dave Shearer Harbormaster Great Salt Lake Marina Have you checked your docklines lately?

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Rumors - Marina demise
by GSL Harbormaster 09 Sep '08

09 Sep '08

Rumors! Boy, you've got to love them. Certainly makes life interesting. No, the marina is not closing. The marina is not scheduled to close. There is no discussion of closing the marina. We are just suggesting that, if we have another lousy water year and the legislature does not kick in funding to dredge the marina itself, many to most of the boats may have their keels stuck in the mud by fall of 2009. Rather than have this happen it may be necessary to start pulling boats next fall and putting them on trailers, boat stands, or cradles before they become permanent fixtures stuck in a muddy, soupy, stinky bog. None of this may happen. We may have a fantastic water year. The Governor and the legislature may kick in money to dredge. Local GSL industries and others may decide the value of the GSL marina and may also kick in funding or long term solutions. Snowpack may be fantastic and actually make it to the lake this year. There are all sorts of possibilities and plenty of time this fall, winter and spring to see where we are and what our options will be. But think about your boat. What would you do IF the worst happens. That was the point behind the Marina News article about trailers, stands or cradles. We are entering an active monsoonal weather pattern that may clash with an approaching front tomorrow. The last time this happened was Labor Day weekend. That storm, originally predicted to be no more than a usual disturbance, ended up bringing severe winds, weather and heavy rain. Keep close attention to weather sources and the sky before venturing out on the Great Salt Lake for the next few days. Dave Shearer Harbormaster Great Salt Lake Marina Have you checked your docklines lately?

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Sorry for the spelling errors.
by GSL Harbormaster 04 Sep '08

04 Sep '08

Sory fur the speling erers in the moste resent Maurina Neus. I'll be mure carful in the nere futere abaut useing spel chek. Dave Shearer Harbormaster Great Salt Lake Marina Have you checked your docklines lately?

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Marina News
by GSL Harbormaster 04 Sep '08

04 Sep '08

Marina News September 4th, 2008 Great Salt Lake Marina Current Conditions Lake Level: 4194.3 Lake Level Trend: Dropping ¯ Lake Level This Time Last Year: 4195.5 Loss from Last Year: 1.2 feet Water Temperature 72° Hypothermia Index Exhaustion: 3 to 12 hrs / Death: 3 hrs to indef. Current Flows Bear -> No Flow - Dry / Weber -> low / Jordan Goggins -> Low Marina Mouth - Hazard and Hazard Buoy Some of the deeper draft boats have found a new hazard just outside the marina mouth. This is a large boulder that have caused some boats to come to a very abrupt stop even though their crew and loose objects in the boat may not stop. We have placed a warning buoy on this rock. Keep clear of the buoy. We will attempt to remove this rock in the next few days. If there is anyone with diving experience that would like to help, please contact me at gslharbormaster(a)hughes.net Some Good News - Congress Kills EPA permit Many of you have anxiously been watching the all the ruckus and fallout from the U.S. District Court ruling that the nation's 17 million recreational boats fall under Clean Water Act permit requirements administered by the EPA. This would require the owners of all vessels to acquire a discharge permit for their boats. No matter what the size or type of boat, you would have needed a permit even for the discharge of rain water from the deck of your boat. Well, the U.S. Congress actually did something this year. On July 22nd Congress passed the Clean Boating Act of 2008. One week later President Bush signed the bill into law. This permanently exempted recreational boats from discharge permit requirements under the federal Clean Water Act. This act was originally meant to apply to ocean-oing commercial vessels and industrial dischargers. Not recreational boaters. This should be the end of this situation. More Good News - Barn Swallows and Bank Swallows What happened this year? Where are the Barn and Bank Swallows that inundate our boats every August? They certainly came through Antelope Island Marina with a vengeance. I'm guessing by this point that we have dodged this bullet. Hopefully Some Good News Governor Huntsman was out here last week for a tour of the lake and to sign the Great Salt Lake Commission Act. The purpose of this commission is to advise the Governor on managing "Utah's iconic water wonder for generations to come". "The Great Salt Lake Council is a unique collection of people who now need to chart a course for how to best utilize all the features of the lake." There are 12 council members representing such organizations as the Nature Conservancy, the Salt Lake City planning office, the South Davis County sewer district, the brine-shrimp industry and the Kaysville Mayor. I was disappointed though not to see anyone from the recreation side on this council. Many recreation enthusiasts use this lake including the sailors, kayakers, scullers, duck hunters, etc. If you have an in at the Governor's office or know someone on the council, you may want to express your recreational interests. This commission has four months to make their initial report. This should be sometime in January right when the legislature is depating our future and we are anxiously watching the snowpack and run-off for a new season. Hope for the best. Duck Hunting Duck Hunting season is fast approaching. It is scheduled to begin this October 4th and runs into January 2009. Of course, this means early morning noise from air boats, shot gun blasts, etc. And it means boats, not designed for Great Salt Lake conditions, will be plying our waterways just when the frontal season begins and the water temperature reaches dangerous levels. Duck Hunting is a legal sport and is just another aspect of recreating at Great Salt Lake. Yet, if you see one of these boats going out when conditions may be dangerous to safe boating, you may want to say "hi" and give them a gentle warning. Brine Shrimp Season Brine Shrimping is also nearly upon us. Their season begins October 1st and runs through January. This will mean an increase of boating traffic on the lake. Most shrimping groups operate in a three boat team. There is a speed boat which will mark a slick, a small runabout which controls the collection boom and a harvest boat which sucks up, stores and transports the eggs to harvesting sites (marina's). Please keep some distance of the harvesting team as not to disturb their collection process. We are working very hard this fall to educate the Shrimpers to the recreational boaters unique needs. This includes staying off the race course, keeping clear and not blocking the Deep Channel or marina mouths, and understanding limitations of our navigation. Boat Insurance Under current Utah law, liability insurance is required for any boat that has a 50 horse power motor or greater. This means most of the boats that utilize Great Salt Lake are not required to have liability insurance. Yet, this is a concern we have when it comes to our slip renters. There may become a time, in the very near future, that if you are a slip renter you will be required to have liability insurance. I have full coverage on all my boats. And this coverage is quite reasonable. I pay $200.00 per year for my most expensive boat. I bring this up for a reason. Of the last several incidents we have had at Great Salt Lake that involved boating accidents or damage to boats, none of these people had insurance. The most recent one was this last Labor Day weekend when a new boater took his newly purchased boat out for its and his maiden voyage. Lets just forget for a moment that he was warned by me, the harbormaster, and others not to go out due to a pending storm. Lets also forget that the "Hurricane Force" flags were clearly displayed. And lets also forget that this boat owner ignored all warnings and went sailing anyway. This boat owner was treated to classic Great Salt Lake where she loves new sailors and maiden voyages so that she can let them know who is boss out here. This boat owner, with no insurance, was driven up on the beach from 60mph winds and large waves. His keel broke and punched up into the boat. His newly purchased $4,000.00 boat was now a worthless piece of fiberglass and lead laying high-and-dry on the beach next to the marina. Full coverage is very reasonable and, considering the winds at Great Salt Lake, it may come in handy even if your boat never leaves its slip. And to be a good slip neighbor, please have liability insurance at a minimum. Water Shut-off to the Docks With the approaching fall, temperatures will begin to drop. It won't be much longer before we have to turn the water off to the docks. Right now this is scheduled for the third week of October. But if we see an early cold spell we will turn the water off before the scheduled date. Fuel Storage on the Docks This last storm just emphasized a problem we have with people storing fuel and fuel containers on the dock. This Labor Day weekend we had several containers blown into the lake spilling gas and diesel into the marina. These containers then washed up onto the breakwater. It is a violation of marina policy and your contract to store fuel and containers on the dock. In fact, it is a violation to store anything on the dock unless it is in your dock box. We have been lax on this policy in the past. We will continue to be lax in regards to various non-nuisance objects that are stored on the dock. But this will no longer be the case with fuel containers, batteries, or other hazardous objects. If you have any of these objects on the dock, remove them before the end of the weekend. The marina staff and volunteers will be walking the docks after that date. Any fuel container, battery or other hazardous object left on the dock WILL BE REMOVED and disposed of. Fuel containers must be securely stored in your boat. Skunk We have a few skunks that have taken up residence at the marina. These skunks are nocturnal and usually only wander around at night but Taz has had encounters during the day too. And these skunks are right in the main path that humans use too. Their favorite place to wander is between Secured Dry Storage and 'I' dock (basically the whole south parking lot). Taz has a talent for finding these skunks. I'm sure, from a distance, that they look like "Newport" to her and she just wants to play. But these skunks play by different rules that Taz doesn't understand yet. Watch yourself and your pets. Parking Pass Stickers Thank you, for using your parking stickers. The rangers are now enforcing the entrance rule and have been citing or warning vehicles that have not properly displayed these stickers. And, in the last few rescues we have had at the lake, these stickers have proved a very valuable tool. It has allowed us to identify vehicles belonging to regular boaters and vehicles that are transient boaters. It has speeded up identification and helped confirm launch sites of a vessel or person that has been reported missing. Again, thank you, for using your stickers. Parking Lot Light Pole Removal We have begun removing the parking lot light poles. These poles have proven to be a nuisance as many vehicles each year seem to either not see them or cannot negotiate around an 18" diameter, 30' pole in the parking lot. Instead we have turned the gangway lights around and have faced them into the parking lot. The parking lot is not as bright as it used to be at night but it appears to be adequate. The removal of these poles should also help on those crowded summer weekends. The last poles should be gone by early October. Start Thinking About A Trailer Obviously this year was quite cruel when it came to precipitation. We were only 60% of normal since January 1st and this certainly had an impact on the lake level. Everything we gained since the disastrous year of 2004 has been lost again. 2005 was a crutial year. Withouth its moisture we would have been faced with the choice of mothballing the marina. Well, we are there again. If we do not get at least a normal water year this coming winter, or we do not see significant money from the legislature to dredge the whole marina, we could be faced with evicting our slip renters and mothballing the place. We certainly don't want this to happen. We have done everything within ours and Parks budgets to keep on top of these low water years. But we are at that cruitial time where it is either in nature's or the legislatures hands now. Start thinking about next summer. What will you do with your boat if we have another disastrous water year. Do you have a trailer? Do you have jack stands? Do you have a cradle? I have been informed by the powers above that you should consider these possibilities. Now, this does not mean that we must make these decisions now. The lake will come up at least some this spring. But start putting your thoughts to a backup plan. Upcoming Crane Day and Mast Dropping Party (this has nothing to do with the above news. It is just the annual last crane day of the year) November 1st is the last scheduled crane day of the year. This is a Sunday. On October 25th, we will have a mast-dropping party. We will utilize the new mast hoist to drop masts so that we can save money on Crane Day. Let's get together, help eachother and get this job done quickly. A detailed announcement will follow within the next few weeks. Oh, Parks will also host a crock-pot lunch cook-off during the mast dropping party. Dust off your favorite crock recipes. Antelope Island Balloon Stampede Antelope Island will again host the Balloon Stampede this September 19th and 20th. Over 20 balloons have already entered this event. Many vendors will also attend. This should prove to be a colorful and great family friendly venue. Put this on your schedule. Maybe we can plan a group trip to the island to participate fro the day or the weekend. Low Water Boil Social Great Salt Lake Yacht Club will be hosting a social Saturday, September 20 at 5pm. Come and enjoy the end of summer with a Low Country Boil. Bring your favorite side dish or deert. Bring your favorite beverage. All are welcome. There is a minimal $5.00 fee for non Yacht Club members. RSVP with Jack Gray at 801-824-6059 or Suzan Caffin at 435-731-1261 More information can be found at www.gslyc.org Upcoming Events September and Octobe are very busy months for Great Salt Lake and Antelope Island. Below is a list of events scheduled during these months. Sept. 6 OAS and WSU Star Party at Antelope Island. See www.stateparks.utah.gov/parks/antelope-island/events Sept. 7 Antelope Island Row hosted by Great Salt Lake Row Sept. 13-14 Fall Regatta #1 hosted by Great Salt Lake Yacht Club Sept. 17 "Bonneville" Christening hosted by Great Salt Lake Ecosystem Project. Come and join in to help christen this new boat on Great Salt Lake Sept. 19-20 Antelope Island Balloon Festival. See above. visit www.antelopeballloons.com for more information Sept. 20 Where the Buffalo Roam, Life on Antelope Island Lecture. See www.stateparks.utah.gov/parks/antelope-island/events Sept. 20 Low Water Boil hosted by Great Salt Lake Yacht Club. See above for more info. Sept 20-21 Equinox Crystal Bay Cruise hosted by Great Salt Lake Yacht Club. See www.gslyc.org Sept. 23 Concert at Saltair. Traffic may be congested on exit 104 Sept. 25 Head of GSL hosted by Utah Crew Sept. 25 Brine Shrimp Safety Meeting at Great Salt Lake Marina. Parking may be crowded this day. Marina facilities are all rented out. Sept. 25 Concert at Saltair. Traffic may be congested on exit 104 Sept. 26 Star Party at Antelope Island discussing galaxies and nebulas. visit www.stateparks.utah.gov/parks/antelope-island/events Sept. 27 Bird Walk at Antelope Island. visit www.stateparks.utah.gov/parks/antelope-island/events Sept. 27 Commodore's Cup hosted by Great Salt Lake Yacht Club. visit www.gslyc.org Sept. 27 Free Parks Day. All State Parks are free entry this day (except Davis Causeway fee) Sept. 28 Concert at Saltair. Traffic may be congested on exit 104 Oct. 3 Concert at Saltair. Traffic may be congested on exit 104 Oct. 4 Duck Hunting Begins at Great Salt Lake Oct. 4 OAS and WSU Star Party at Antelope Island's White Rock Bay. Visit www.stateparks.utah.gov/parks/antelope-island/events Oct. 8 Concert at Saltair. Traffic may be congested on exit 104 Oct. 11-12 Fall Regatta #2 hosted by Great Salt Lake Yacht Club. visit www.gslyc.org Oct. 15 Concert at Saltair. Traffic may be congested on exit 104 Oct. 18-19 Fall Regatta Make-up hosted by Great Salt Lake Yacht Club. visit www.gslyc.org Oct. 22-25 Buffalo Round-up at Antelope Island. More information will soon be available at www.stateparks.utah.gov/parks/antelope-island/events Oct. 25 End of Season hosted by Great Salt Lake Row. visit www.gslr.org Oct. 25 Pumpkin Patch Regatta and Raft-up hosted by Great Salt Lake Yacht Club. Visit www.gslyc.org Oct. 26 Mast Drop party and Crock-Pot Lunch Cook-off hosted by Great Salt Lake State Marina Oct. 27 Water to docks, pump-a-head winterized. This date may be moved up earlier if we have an early cold spell. Oct. 31 Bison Roundup Working of Animals. Open to the public from 8am to 5pm. visit www.stateparks.utah.gov/parks/antelope-island/events As you can see, even if your boat is stuck in the marina, there is plenty of life and things to do at Great Salt Lake. If I missed your event I am sorry. Please send me the information so I can include it in next weeks newsletter. Dave Shearer Harbormaster Great Salt Lake Marina Have you checked your docklines lately?

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