As we continue our journey through the Great Lakes via vintage Harbor Reports, it’s time to visit the gateway to Lake Ontario and the Southern Terminus of the Welland Canal, Port Colborne.  The old report E-25 Port Colborne was a mere 4 pages long.  We now have three reports to cover the same ground: E-25 Port Colborne, E-25.5 Welland Cana and O-10 Port Weller.  Click HERE to visit the 1950 report and as usual check out the other three report listed above.

This year’s Gadget Hour was hosted by Brad Somers and what an hour it was.  We are used to seeing many useful gadgets that make our boating just a little bit easier or helps us while boating in time of need.  We saw things like Pipe Insulation, Bilge Snatchers, a Winchrite battery pack, a Temperature Sensor, Downy Softener for lines, Tide Soap Pods, an Ear Ring Holder, a Happy Hooker…just to name a few.   Click title for more info.

If you're headed to Lake Ontario there are two canals to get you there.  This month's look back is about the Welland canal.  As is always the case with these vintage reports, it is interesting and informative.  Note the old photos, they speak well of the long history of the canal.  Please click HERE for the old report and then visit the current one.

With the Rendezvous next month in Leamington, Ont. in Lake Eire, it might be interesting to visit a Lake Eire port as it was in the 1950’s.  Vermillion is this month peak into the past.  Please check out the current report, the click HERE to visit the historic report.

Those attempting the long East-West transits of the lake, typically exceeding a hundred miles, are desirous of  a gaze into NOAA’s weather crystal ball.  But often getting a clear signal for you cell phone or a timely weather forecast in upper Lake Michigan can be trying and difficult.  Port Captain Marilyn Kinsey, Escanaba (M-101), has put together a guide to cell phone and weather radio coverage in Northern most areas of Lake Michigan. Marilyn has worked with NOAA weather offices around the lake while assembling this document.

A new feature, Distance Charts, has been added to the general Harbor Reports map page and each individual Lake map page.  The charts are from the US Coast Pilot No. 6, 2014. The chart distances are in statue miles.  A note has been added, to convert to nautical miles by multiplying by 0.869.  In addition, the Connecting Waterways page has distance chart links for the St. Lawrence River, Illinois Waterway and New York Waterway.

Please welcome Terri Kennedy as GLCC's newly appointed Port Captain from Deputy Port Captain of Grand Bend (H-4). Terri has served as Deputy Port Captain since April of 2005 and is the exemplary first mate of her powerboat Fours Enough. She is the wife of Past Commodore John Kennedy (1993-1994) and together they have four beautiful daughters. Click here to read on.

GLCCSchool weather instructor Mark Thornton recently put together a handy "Marine Weather Dashboard" on his weather forecasting web site. The new dashboard provides an easy to use consolidated window into a wealth of Great Lakes weather information. To check it out click Great Lakes Marine Weather, and then simply click on any lake name or weather product tile for additional detail.

This month we continue our journey Southward through the Great Lakes.  We are stopping at a busy commercial harbor on the western side of the Bruce Peninsula. In 1950, our Harbor Report was very sparse.  A visiting boater would have little reason to visit, except to rest and buy necessities.  Today’s report is more comprehensive with ample reason to visit.  Please click on the vintage Goderich report, then as usual compare it to the latest edition.

Please welcome newly appointed Port Captains, Todd and Susan Miller for Grand Marais, Minn. (S-182.6). Tom had been Deputy Port Captain since September 2010 and taught the Introduction to Cruising Lake Superior webinar for the GLCCSchool. They have been regular attendees of the Lake Superior Rally and Mid-Winter Dinner Meeting. Click here to read on.