I have been following the Army Corps website about the lake levels and it does not look promising. The water levels continue to drop even lower, they predict that Huron and Michigan will break the all time low water record set in the early 1960's in the next 60 days and levels will drop below that. Our "high" water level in June is supposed to be equal to the water level this past October when anything with a 5' draft or greater was on the bottom at our club. They point to lack of precip, lack of ice to prevent evaporation and a hotter, drier than average summer last year. Basically, we are siphoning off the water faster than nature can replenish it. They also predict that this will continue for at least the next two years.

With launching starting 90 days from today, we are trying to come up with contingency plans. The marina next to our club has offered to work our boats into their lift schedule for $4.25 a foot, with a $50 fee to use their mast crane(if we can get the masts over there). That will at least get us and several other members in the water. The downside is that some of the guys have stored with their masts up and there is a set of powerlines that will keep them from using that liftwell. Although we have enough water by our mast stepper, the shallow areas and rock piles surrounding it keep the boats from getting there. We will also not have access to our club fuel dock and pumpout facilites. Although the marina next to us has enough water to launch us in their lift well, they have stopped accepting boats with more than 5' of draft.

Although it appears at this point that none of these things will be total show stoppers for our boat, it will quite the dance to go sailing this year. I have thrown the idea out on the table to list the Islander for sale and look for something else, however my wife refuses to sell. She likes the boat (as do I) and the projects are pretty much done. My son calls my idea of selling "a permanent solution to a temporary problem". I guess we will see how it shakes out?