Mapping Lake Erie's Bottom

[LTD.330]

NOAA will be sending a ship to Lake Erie to sonar map the bottom.

https://www.mlive.com/public-intere...lakes-noaa-ship-will-sonar-map-lake-erie.html

 

[Blueone]

I would think shallow Erie would be boring as hell….but have at it.

 

[my3sons]

Interesting. Last year when we were heading to Superior, we were coming into Rogers City on Lake Huron and we were picking up a vessel named
Ben Unmanned on the AIS. It was a mile or so away out in deeper water but we couldn’t see anything and we thought it strange because it was a clear day. Then we see it was only 13’ in length.
A little puzzling but we were busy getting ready to land so just kind of forgot about it. Later that day we met Ben Unmanned and got the full story on it.
Ben (bathymetric explorer and navigator) is an unmanned vessel that does sonar mapping of the lake bed. It was being operated by the University of New Hampshire through a grant from something or other. It basically goes out and goes back and forth mapping the bottom in great detail. They call it “mowing the lawn”. The guys said anything down there out of the ordinary and they see it. Lost wrecks to bicycles lost off trawlers. It was all operated remote and by computer from a trailer parked at the marina. Pretty interesting.
We’ll keep an eye out for the Thomas Jefferson.

 

[sbw1]

We transited the Manitou Passage one year when they were mowing the lawn, looking for two fighter jets that went into Lake Michigan during an air show over Grand Traverse bay. I believe they were eventually located somewhere south of Beaver Island, although it took quite a while.

 

[Creekwood]

They may find Jimmy Hoffa and his cement shoes. With a bunch of walleye spinners stuck in him.

 

[Great lakes pirate]

We transited the Manitou Passage one year when they were mowing the lawn, looking for two fighter jets that went into Lake Michigan during an air show over Grand Traverse bay. I believe they were eventually located somewhere south of Beaver Island, although it took quite a while.

When did these jets crash? I don’t recall hearing this before.

 

[sbw1]

When did these jets crash? I don’t recall hearing this before.

Maybe 20 years ago. I believe one airplane was a Russian MiG although my memory from that long ago is foggy.

 

[sbw1]

Maybe 20 years ago. I believe one airplane was a Russian MiG although my memory from that long ago is foggy.

July 3, 1998.

 

[1956olds]

supposed to start doing lake michigan also.

 

[km1125]

I would think shallow Erie would be boring as hell….but have at it.

Well, the west half maybe. Doesn't the east end get down to >200 ft?

 

[Blueone]

Well, the west half maybe. Doesn't the east end get down to >200 ft?

There is an east end ?

 

[Phasma]

To my knowledge there are parts of Lake Michigan 800-900 ft

 

[RBB]

NOAA will be sending a ship to Lake Erie to sonar map the bottom.

https://www.mlive.com/public-intere...lakes-noaa-ship-will-sonar-map-lake-erie.html

neat!

 

[1956olds]

Lake erie drops to 64 ft east of the islands on the western basin ,It reaches around 190 ft towards buffalo.That water was so blue from the islands to buffalo when i made that trip in 2003 i couldnt belive it was lake erie.

 

[Gofirstclass]

That article mentioned paper charts and said commercial ships relied on them. Really? In this day of modern electronics they would rely on paper charts that haven't been updated in decades?

 

[Jus Cruisin]

That article mentioned paper charts and said commercial ships relied on them. Really? In this day of modern electronics they would rely on paper charts that haven't been updated in decades?

I still use paper maps. Wall art in the basement.

 

[Gofirstclass]

Ding, ding, ding! We have a winner--the guy who found the ONLY use for paper charts! Way to go.

 

[sbw1]

That article mentioned paper charts and said commercial ships relied on them. Really? In this day of modern electronics they would rely on paper charts that haven't been updated in decades?

The electronic charts are digitally scanned paper charts. The electronic chart plotters can crash. Paper charts don’t. I always keep a paper chart open and next to the chart plotter when cruising. Also write down the magnetic compass heading and eta for the next way point on a pad of paper in case the electronics fail. Learned this years ago when the plotter went dark in northern Lake Michigan on a foggy day. Was essentially lost at sea for 45 minutes or so.

 

[Jus Cruisin]

Ding, ding, ding! We have a winner--the guy who found the ONLY use for paper charts! Way to go.

I actually used those charts 35 years ago (before gps). My first chartplotter was a joke. Running down the Detroit River it showed the boat in Windsor. Not too accurate back then. Rolled them up and they were moved from house to house. They were stored with posters. When I had the basement finished, I decided to dig them out and hang them being we're back up in Michigan. No place or desire to hang them in Florida.

 

[Woody]

The electronic charts are digitally scanned paper charts. The electronic chart plotters can crash. Paper charts don’t. I always keep a paper chart open and next to the chart plotter when cruising. Also write down the magnetic compass heading and eta for the next way point on a pad of paper in case the electronics fail. Learned this years ago when the plotter went dark in northern Lake Michigan on a foggy day. Was essentially lost at sea for 45 minutes or so.

I always run my little Garmin that I got in 2004 along with twin E-120's and I have charts onboard that I review/compare to. In addition to that I use the tour guide The Superior Way if I want detailed direction getting into some places.