Lake Michigan Wind question

[hunter36]

I sail on the Michigan side of Lake Michigan. I love sailing an easterly wind but it does not happen often. Two weeks ago the weather indicated a westerly wind of 10-15 mph. It was windy in the harbor and nice sailing. I get out to Lake Michigan and the waves were 3-5 feet and choppy with virtually no wind. It was very dissapointing as we headed right back into the harbor. Three days later the weather indicated the same conditions and I walked out to the Lake Michigan shoreline and was amazed to see a strong westerly wind (10-20 mph) with waves less than 1 foot. I witnessed a lucky sailboat ripping along the shoreline. It would have been a perfect day of sailing on Lake Michigan if I was lucky enough to have that day off.

Here is my question: What would cause the difference in wave length and other than walking out to the lakeshore or motoring/sailing out to Lake Michigan, how can you tell when the waves are small and the wind is great for sailing with a westerly wind?

Thanks

Newbie sailor

 

[DannyS]

How long had it been blowing out of the west? If the wind had just piped up, the chop may not have had enough time to develop.

 

[Terry411]

You can check south midlake wave heights / wind speed/water temp online at wundergound weather. They also have nearshore forecasts. If your on the south side of lake mac easy drive to the state park to check. Im at lake ranch condominium so short drive to the park.

 

[hunter36]

Hey Danny: I'm not sure when the wind started out from the west. I assume it was like that all day.

Hey Terry: I'm at Yacht Basin in Holland. Where are you? I tried
http://www.wunderground.com/but could not figure out how to getwave heights / wind speed/water temp.

Tom

 

[Bill Murray]

Check out this site... http://www.sailflow.com/windandwher...uctID=30&day=0&timeoffset=1&selected_model_id=

great info on wind waves weather...

 

[Ed Schenck]

Here on Lake Erie there are a few webcams which are great for checking conditions. As was pointed out the fetch time is key. On the south shore of Erie a south offshore breeze is what we want. But a fresh north wind can also be good on the day it starts. But two or three days of wind from Canada can build some really nasty waves. Here are some webcams but I don't see any on your side of Michigan(http://www.lakevision.com/camera_map.htm).

Here is my camera. Ideal conditions and the boat is sitting in her cradle.
http://www.lakevision.com/camera_6.htm

 

[David in Sandusky]

Fetch & Time

Fetch is the distance the wind has to work on the water. Over time, a constant wind will build waves that depend only on wind strength and fetch. There are some tables somewhere that give estimates of wave height as a function of time and fetch.

You could have found low waves on the eastern shore of Lake Michigan in a brisk wind for two reasons:

1. The wind had just started to build, so the waves had not had time to build up to their full potential, and/or
2. The wind was a "sea breeze," a shore phenomena caused by warm air rising over the shore, and being replaced by the cool air off the lake. Since the sea breeze only arises a few miles offshore, the fetch is only a few miles, and wave height will not reach the potential of a true westerly with a fetch stretching to the western shore of the lake.

As long as we are not in breaking waves along the shore or heading into the wind and waves, Lady Lillie gives us a comfortable ride reaching along in waves up to six feet or more.

 

[Paul356]

This is the midlake buoy, which will give a good indication of open water conditions in our end of the lake. http://www.ndbc.noaa.gov/station_page.php?station=45007
The waves you see over there will depend on how long the wind has been blowing and from where, and how long since it stopped. The breeze you see may be a local lake breeze, which won't kick up much in the way of waves, or it may be the leftovers from a big storm over Chicago, which could send rollers your way. Biggest waves are when the wind is from the north for a long time and the whole long lake gets riled. Best advice: take every day off.

 

[Terry411]

I keep the boat a yacht basin in winter ,lake ranch is a small place west of you across from the street from the state campground. Spyglass condos has a webcam pointed at the channel nice shot to check out waves. Did you get your 36 from white lake I looked at one up there a few years back?

 

[DougM]

That sounds familiar. Some days on the lakes attached to Lake Mi like Macatawa, Muskegeon, White, or Portage, it can be blowing like stink out of the west, and the big lake will be almost windless... Shore line heating is most likely the reason. Conversely, I have started out on the big lake with winds forecast to be 10 to 12 and two to three foot waves...Then watched the wind build to 20 and waves get to 5 to 6 feet in a very short time. Then there's the left over rollers and no wind at all!

 

[hunter36]

I got my 1982 36' Hunter last year from Anchorage Marina. It went into the water 3 weeks ago. It has been so cold we haven't got to enjoy it much. What is the name/year of your boat? How often is the Spyglas picture updated? It does not seem live on my computer.

 

[Terry411]

Not sure how fast it updates. My boat is a 82 37c Clair de lune .