Michigan weather

Not For Hire · Posted: Fri Apr 22, 2005 2:59 pm Post subject: Michigan weather

New 22 in my backyard for two weeks. Equipping and outfitting. Installed two nylon boards (similar to starboard) on transom and mounted transducer-temp-speed sensors. Worked on galley shelves. Tuesday it was 80 degrees and I put the boat name and numbers on. I replaced phillips machine screws holding the outside rail in place with stainless screweyes and ran 1/2 inch line through screw eyes for a grab rail. Put in compass, depthsounder and gps, and carpet and industrial mats under carpet and moved lots of gear over from other boat. In short was messin around in the boat a lot and contemplating an overnight trip tonight and a leisurely motor break in period, and a sea trial, and just sitting in the cockpit grinning like a fool, and I was scheduled to leave tonight BUT:

GALE WARNING FOR THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT

TODAY
NORTHEAST WINDS 10 TO 15 KNOTS GRADUALLY INCREASING TO
GALES TO 35 KNOTS BY LATE AFTERNOON. CHANCE OF RAIN SHOWERS LATE.
WAVES 1 TO 3 FEET BUILDING TO 6 TO 9 FEET.

TONIGHT
NORTH GALES TO 40 KNOTS. CHANCE OF RAIN AND SNOW SHOWERS.
WAVES BUILDING TO 9 TO 12 FEET.

SATURDAY
NORTH WINDS TO 30 KNOTS DIMINISHING TO 20 TO 25 KNOTS IN
THE AFTERNOON. CHANCE OF RAIN AND SNOW SHOWERS. WAVES 8 TO 11 FEET
SUBSIDING TO 5 TO 8 FEET.

Our lake waves are very steep and close together. I could stay in protected waters but the four inches of snow is kinda discouragin'. Think I will reread El and Bill's account of Nashville and dogwoods in bloom, etc.

The NOAA wave estimate system (at least for here but I believe for all over) means that 70% of waves are estimated to fall within the described limits. 15% will be under and 15% will be over - including waves up to twice as high as the described limit!.

MOOSE · Posted: Fri Apr 22, 2005 5:33 pm Post subject:

Stay home, Mark. It's been blowing like heck here all day and it barely broke +40F - and it's coming your way!. A couple days ago we had +84F.
Al

Not For Hire · Posted: Fri Apr 22, 2005 8:09 pm Post subject:

Thanks Al, I don't go out in that kind of weather (unless they are really biting). They have been picking up a number of browns and a few early kings off Manistee, but I understand the perch fishing off the piers has been the most successful. Do you do any big lake trolling? How do you set up downriggers and dipseys, etc. In my previous boat, which had a bigger cockpit but no wider, I would often run six or seven lines if it wasn't too rough. I figure I will be limited to two downriggers instead of four on this boat, but I would like to still run two dipseys on each side as well. PS I love many of the mods on the Moose. Hope to meet you at the Apostles some day.

Mark

MOOSE · Posted: Sat Apr 23, 2005 10:09 am Post subject:

Thanks for the comments on the MOOSE mods, Mark. I plan to try to get some better photos of some of the installations this summer.

I'm a real newbie when it comes to fishing. Given there's just the two of us, and we can only eat so much fish, we generally buy only one license. Therefore we're limited to one line. Plus them downriggers is expensive! So I just mounted a Cannon Mag 10 forward of the port lazarette hatch, with half the swivel base bolted through the fiberglass and half through a stainless angle iron fastened the bulkhead. (there may be a picture in the album of this setup) I would've put it on the gunwale, but I installed extra cleats in that spot. We've used the downrigger a bit on Rainy, but it's tough with all the reefs, etc. We used it on Superior last summer and plan a trip to Nipigon for lake trout in June. I also like using planer boards and have made up a gizmo to allow me to mount the downrigger pointed up instead of out and that way I can use it to run the board as well. I envy your better access to Great Lakes salmonids!

Al