[Yankee]

Originally Posted by VtSteve

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Just to add some interesting lake weather. This is the week's forecast for Lake Michigan.

...GALE WARNING IN EFFECT UNTIL 1 PM CDT THIS AFTERNOON...
...STORM WARNING IN EFFECT FROM 1 PM CDT THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH
WEDNESDAY EVENING...
.REST OF TODAY...SOUTHEAST GALES TO 45 KT BECOMING SOUTHWEST
STORM FORCE WINDS TO 60 KT. SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS THROUGH MID
MORNING...THEN CHANCE OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS THIS
AFTERNOON. WAVES 8 TO 12 FT BUILDING TO 12 TO 16 KT.
.TONIGHT...SOUTH STORM FORCE WINDS TO 55 KT INCREASING TO STORM
FORCE WINDS TO 60 KT. WAVES 15 TO 20 FT.
.WEDNESDAY...SOUTH STORM FORCE WINDS TO 60 KT BECOMING SOUTHWEST
STORM FORCE WINDS TO 55 KT. WAVES 15 TO 20 FT.
.WEDNESDAY NIGHT...WEST STORM FORCE WINDS TO 55 KT DIMINISHING TO
GALES TO 40 KT. CHANCE OF SHOWERS. WAVES 14 TO 18 FT SUBSIDING TO
8 TO 12 FT.
.THURSDAY...WEST GALES TO 35 KT. CHANCE OF SHOWERS. WAVES 7 TO
10 FT.
.THURSDAY NIGHT...NORTHWEST GALES TO 35 KT. WAVES 7 TO 10 FT
SUBSIDING TO 5 TO 7 FT.
.FRIDAY...WEST WINDS 15 TO 25 KT. WAVES 3 TO 5 FT.
.SATURDAY...WEST WINDS 5 TO 10 KT. WAVES 3 TO 5 FT.
$$

And so the gales of November come early once again...

I lived in MI for several years and had the opportunity to tow my boat and visit many ports of call and I can tell you that they are not lakes, but rather inland seas and must be respected as such. Being in the middle of the continent the effect of the regional weather patterns can whip up hurricane strength storms in no time.

I've added a couple of pics, one of the Fitz taken(not by me) from the Bluewater Bridge, another from my 22 footer of a 1000ft freighter passing under the Mackinac Bridge in the Straits of Mackinac, and lastly 2 freighters from my boat passing each other on the St. Clair river.