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.

The June anniversary issue has information about the GLCCSchool summer session webinar offerings, cruising in Lake Erie (also helpful to our Leamington Rendezvous visitors), up-and-coming GLCC events, GLF update, boating safety, a wave of new members, and reports about our previously held events. Information & registration forms for upcoming events are available via the Events page.

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.

With the unseasonable winter's ice cover and slow melt, this year's Memorial weekend proved to be memorable to say the least. The two accompanying photos show how Lake Superior cruisers enjoyed the holiday. The left photo is from Bayfield Wisconsin Yacht Club member Carl Olding; the right from GLCC member Bob Hansen. Lake Superior boats typically launch starting the first week of May, but not this year. Some Marinas are still iced in.

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.

If you’ll be traveling to the Leamington Rendezvous this summer from a port above Lake Erie you’d be well advised to read harbor report D-0 for information on traversing the St. Clair River, Lake St. Clair and the Detroit River.There you’ll find details of not only the 25 ports and anchorages along the way but also critical advice on applicable charts, currents, ferry crossings, unique aids to navigation, speed restrictions, international border issues and more.Be sure to also read the harbor reports of some of the more significant individual ports in the area to learn of special treatment of GLCC members, such as in Port Huron and Sarnia.Then, of course, there’s the newly updated report on Leamington itself, where all the fun begins on 13 July.

GLCC is pleased to recognize our newest Rear Commodore, David Brace, Port Captain of Honey Harbour, Ontario (GB-25). We look forward to his added knowledge and expertise as Rear Commodore, and specifically his assistance in Region 35. If you pass through Georgian Bay, Lake Ontario, or the connecting waterways, give David a shout. You can bet he’ll have some unbenounced tidbits to share with you about the area! Read more here...