Are Great Lakes Really Rougher Than Oceans?
07-30-2016 | 10:13 AM
#72
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Joined: Jul 2008
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From: Endicott, NY
From Clayfan: I think it was in 2000 that Buffalo hosted a 2 day APBA sanctioned Off Shore race at the Buffalo Outer Harbor on the location of the old Shooters/Pier Resturant and Bar. I worked that event in a safety boat. Thank goodness the posted us at the south entrance to the break wall.
Saturday was Factory 1 and all the P Class boats and some testing of the F-2 and Modified and up classes. Saturday was rough enough to break some boats and bruise some egos but Sunday came and wind was high enough the waves over the Break Wall were incredible. I remember driving across the Peace Bridge at 7am saying to myself "there is no way the Coast Guard is going to allow this race to continue today" and by 10am we had our official answer.
Western Lake Erie can be a ***** when she wants to be.
My brother and I were there for that one too. We came into the harbor in the 35 Formula he had at the time, and it was nuts! The wind was blowing the tops off of the waves, it felt like it was raining sideways. If I recall, the waves were just about breaking over the breakwall! We had to watch for big rollers coming over the stern when slowing down..... Crazy day for sure.
Saturday was Factory 1 and all the P Class boats and some testing of the F-2 and Modified and up classes. Saturday was rough enough to break some boats and bruise some egos but Sunday came and wind was high enough the waves over the Break Wall were incredible. I remember driving across the Peace Bridge at 7am saying to myself "there is no way the Coast Guard is going to allow this race to continue today" and by 10am we had our official answer.
Western Lake Erie can be a ***** when she wants to be.
I was a safety boat at the same race in Buffalo NY. As mentioned Saturday was not bad and some great racing. We slept on board at the Marina and all night the wind and waves kept building. Looked out at the lake Sunday morning and decided that I didn't care what the racers did....I wasn't going out of the harbor.
Padraig
Padraig
Last edited by Gary P; 07-30-2016 at 10:15 AM.
07-31-2016 | 02:43 PM
#74
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Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 632
Likes: 3
From: Penfield, N.Y. USA
From Clayfan: I think it was in 2000 that Buffalo hosted a 2 day APBA sanctioned Off Shore race at the Buffalo Outer Harbor on the location of the old Shooters/Pier Resturant and Bar. I worked that event in a safety boat. Thank goodness the posted us at the south entrance to the break wall.
Saturday was Factory 1 and all the P Class boats and some testing of the F-2 and Modified and up classes. Saturday was rough enough to break some boats and bruise some egos but Sunday came and wind was high enough the waves over the Break Wall were incredible. I remember driving across the Peace Bridge at 7am saying to myself "there is no way the Coast Guard is going to allow this race to continue today" and by 10am we had our official answer.
Western Lake Erie can be a ***** when she wants to be.
My brother and I were there for that one too. We came into the harbor in the 35 Formula he had at the time, and it was nuts! The wind was blowing the tops off of the waves, it felt like it was raining sideways. If I recall, the waves were just about breaking over the breakwall! We had to watch for big rollers coming over the stern when slowing down..... Crazy day for sure.
Saturday was Factory 1 and all the P Class boats and some testing of the F-2 and Modified and up classes. Saturday was rough enough to break some boats and bruise some egos but Sunday came and wind was high enough the waves over the Break Wall were incredible. I remember driving across the Peace Bridge at 7am saying to myself "there is no way the Coast Guard is going to allow this race to continue today" and by 10am we had our official answer.
Western Lake Erie can be a ***** when she wants to be.
My brother and I were there for that one too. We came into the harbor in the 35 Formula he had at the time, and it was nuts! The wind was blowing the tops off of the waves, it felt like it was raining sideways. If I recall, the waves were just about breaking over the breakwall! We had to watch for big rollers coming over the stern when slowing down..... Crazy day for sure.
The wind was so fierce that a small plane carrying a banner got to the lake and could not make forward progress but was basically standing still like a helicopter. Over our official radios we had communication with some airflight and we heard the pilot panic as to turning back and getting the banner caught up in the plane. He had to have a more experienced pilot instruct him how to do that to avoid getting tangled in the banner. After which he radioed back that he couldn't see the top of much of the breakwall as it was constantly pounded with waves in short durations.
07-31-2016 | 04:30 PM
#75
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Joined: Jul 2008
Posts: 3,748
Likes: 869
From: Delray Beach, FL
I thought the Bermuda Triangle would at least compete with the Great Lakes. I was surprised to find the Great Lakes SPANKED the Bermuda Triangle. But, the Triangle has taken several boats much bigger than the Edmund Fitzgerald. So, its up to you to sink a boat yourself to see who the winner really is...
According to Wikipedia:
The Great Lakes:
A collection of five freshwater lakes located in North America, have been sailed upon since at least the 17th century, and thousands of ships have been sunk while traversing them. Many of these ships were never found, so the exact number of shipwrecks in the Lakes is unknown; the Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum approximates 6,000 ships and 30,000 lives lost,[1] while historian and mariner Mark Thompson has estimated that the total number of wrecks is likely more than 25,000.[2] In the period between 1816, when the Invincible was lost, to the sinking of the Edmund Fitzgerald in 1975, the Whitefish Point area alone has claimed at least 240 ships.[2]
The Bermuda Triangle:
More than 1,000 ships and planes have disappeared in the triangle area over the past five centuries.
And all these happened when apparently there were no human errors, equipment failures or even natural disasters. Strangely, the ships and aircraft just vanish when everything seems to be okay. Many believe that Devil is at play here and therefore call the area also as Devil's Triangle.
According to Wikipedia:
The Great Lakes:
A collection of five freshwater lakes located in North America, have been sailed upon since at least the 17th century, and thousands of ships have been sunk while traversing them. Many of these ships were never found, so the exact number of shipwrecks in the Lakes is unknown; the Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum approximates 6,000 ships and 30,000 lives lost,[1] while historian and mariner Mark Thompson has estimated that the total number of wrecks is likely more than 25,000.[2] In the period between 1816, when the Invincible was lost, to the sinking of the Edmund Fitzgerald in 1975, the Whitefish Point area alone has claimed at least 240 ships.[2]
The Bermuda Triangle:
More than 1,000 ships and planes have disappeared in the triangle area over the past five centuries.
And all these happened when apparently there were no human errors, equipment failures or even natural disasters. Strangely, the ships and aircraft just vanish when everything seems to be okay. Many believe that Devil is at play here and therefore call the area also as Devil's Triangle.
Last edited by Keith Atlanta; 07-31-2016 at 04:33 PM.
07-31-2016 | 04:39 PM
#76
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Posts: 2,801
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Grew up in Chicago on the lake, and started boating on the ocean in So Cal - Catalina Newport long beach in 89.
Been back to Chicago many times and have lots of experience on both.
Both will kill you easy- the way they kill you is different.
The Ocean is more predictable on more days- like a fight with an ex- its coming... brewing on the horizon and on you with a predictable timing and onslaught you can can time and work against - for the most part.
The Great Lakes dole out nastiness in an un-timeable un-predictable onslaught of both holes and walls appearing in front of you and water forming everywhere all around you. Like fighting a "flailer" ultimately no matter your timing and skill, something comes at you with zero time to react and really smacks the snot out you.
UD
Been back to Chicago many times and have lots of experience on both.
Both will kill you easy- the way they kill you is different.
The Ocean is more predictable on more days- like a fight with an ex- its coming... brewing on the horizon and on you with a predictable timing and onslaught you can can time and work against - for the most part.
The Great Lakes dole out nastiness in an un-timeable un-predictable onslaught of both holes and walls appearing in front of you and water forming everywhere all around you. Like fighting a "flailer" ultimately no matter your timing and skill, something comes at you with zero time to react and really smacks the snot out you.
UD
07-31-2016 | 06:34 PM
#77
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Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 114
Likes: 1
From: Annapolis, MD
I thought the Bermuda Triangle would at least compete with the Great Lakes. I was surprised to find the Great Lakes SPANKED the Bermuda Triangle. But, the Triangle has taken several boats much bigger than the Edmund Fitzgerald. So, its up to you to sink a boat yourself to see who the winner really is...
According to Wikipedia:
The Great Lakes:
A collection of five freshwater lakes located in North America, have been sailed upon since at least the 17th century, and thousands of ships have been sunk while traversing them. Many of these ships were never found, so the exact number of shipwrecks in the Lakes is unknown; the Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum approximates 6,000 ships and 30,000 lives lost,[1] while historian and mariner Mark Thompson has estimated that the total number of wrecks is likely more than 25,000.[2] In the period between 1816, when the Invincible was lost, to the sinking of the Edmund Fitzgerald in 1975, the Whitefish Point area alone has claimed at least 240 ships.[2]
The Bermuda Triangle:
More than 1,000 ships and planes have disappeared in the triangle area over the past five centuries.
And all these happened when apparently there were no human errors, equipment failures or even natural disasters. Strangely, the ships and aircraft just vanish when everything seems to be okay. Many believe that Devil is at play here and therefore call the area also as Devil's Triangle.
According to Wikipedia:
The Great Lakes:
A collection of five freshwater lakes located in North America, have been sailed upon since at least the 17th century, and thousands of ships have been sunk while traversing them. Many of these ships were never found, so the exact number of shipwrecks in the Lakes is unknown; the Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum approximates 6,000 ships and 30,000 lives lost,[1] while historian and mariner Mark Thompson has estimated that the total number of wrecks is likely more than 25,000.[2] In the period between 1816, when the Invincible was lost, to the sinking of the Edmund Fitzgerald in 1975, the Whitefish Point area alone has claimed at least 240 ships.[2]
The Bermuda Triangle:
More than 1,000 ships and planes have disappeared in the triangle area over the past five centuries.
And all these happened when apparently there were no human errors, equipment failures or even natural disasters. Strangely, the ships and aircraft just vanish when everything seems to be okay. Many believe that Devil is at play here and therefore call the area also as Devil's Triangle.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kFBDn5PiL00
08-01-2016 | 05:52 AM
#78
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Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 5,825
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From: Clarkston, Michigan
Cool stories. I have a large chart of Lake Huron shipwrecks hanging at the cabin. It's completely covered with shipwrecks. There aren't so many now with modern navigation and stronger ships and communications, radar, weather reports etc.
08-01-2016 | 04:06 PM
#80
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Joined: Jun 2012
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Not sure if it's been mentioned in this thread but how about buzzards bay Massachusetts! Shallow bay with the cad cod canal dumping in to it and throw in a southerly wind.. forget about it!! The water stands straight up! some days they're tight together and others they're further apart. I've been out in the bay traveling on a rough day and losing sight of sportfish boat's!
