Sad moment. NWS Nearshore Marine Forecast.

[noelH]

NWS Nearshore Marine forecast was for 5-10kts. At least there was a forecasted light to moderate breeze.  But view from the house mid morning was not promising. Lot of glassy water. Dairy run for milk and into Washburn for groceries (Wednesday is Senior Discount Day). Leaving the grocery store notice wind. Hmm. Maybe the forecast is correct. Home and then to the marina. Hmm. A few whitecaps have set. SSW breeze and the flags were flying steady. Launched.

Noticed when pulling Vela off the trailer one of the two local otters. They are friendly and usually a bit curious.  Head poking up among the floating invasive weed that have been ripped from the bottoms of the marina. Yes, the head of the otter. Just the head. Decapitated. Setting blame to one of those "offshore pseudo racing boats" that power launch.

The wind was solid F3-4 in the Bay. Again after leaving the Bay the wind dropped. A common occurrence all season. Plan was Washburn to Oak Pt to Houghton Pt to Long Is Pt and the goal. The red buoy off Grants Pt on the SW tip of Madeline Is. Came about mid way across the S. Channel west exit. Maybe the wind is dropping. Dislike motoring.  Back into the Bay. Wind!!!  Shorter day due to afternoon start. 22.4nm under sail averaging 4.5kt sog with max speed 6.9kts. In the Bay perfect Vela conditions. Old bluewater live aboard cruiser at the Marina noted he prefers his trailer sailboat and Bay sailing v. his cruiser which he left on the hard this season. Good choice this year if your goal is to be sailing v. motoring in a sailboat.

[Captain Kidd]

Where's the sad emoji?

[Riley Smith]

This time of year tends to be very calm here, with NE @ 2 kts this morning. Sometimes an approaching front will drive it up, but otherwise it's pretty benign. And sunny I might mention, and still very warm. Sweating weather to be exact. However, the conditions do favor fishing a top-water lure and the possibility of a terrific explosion on the end of your line. No water activities today though, as the tractor gets it's yearly TLC. Plans are for an expedition tomorrow.

[noelH]

One guess why our September winds have more or less disappeared is our summer (Northern Summer) weather conditions. High temperatures have been running +5C(9F for you Loyalist ).  Even experience some moderately high RH.  More like August weather.  Yesterday's 10-15kt forecast was as normal more or less wrong. Closer to zero to 5.  Until ~1500.  Wind started nukin. F5 to F7 gusts.  So I guess the NWS Nearshore Marine forecast was correct if you take the average wind speed from sunrise to sunset.  Apparently there was a tornado or two in NE MN close to the Lake.  ~1900 there was a Nearshore Marine Warning issued. Lightning, hail, rain, and Gale force wind running NE direction on the Northshore including areas close to Duluth/Superior.

Attaches are the lightning strikes around that time period. Good idea of the coming storm line.You cannot view this attachment.