Saturday, September 15, 2012

One of Our Best Swims Ever

Next Swims:  Today Saturday 9/15 1PM, Tomorrow Sunday 9/16 9AM (both at Klode beach)

Last Swims:  Friday 9/14 6AM, Saturday 9/15 7:30AM at Atwater beach
Water Temps: 62 both Friday and Saturday (but warmer away from shore)
Waves:  Calm
Water Clarity:  Crystal Clear, perhaps the clearest I have ever seen in Lake Michigan
Fri AM Crew: Gumdrop, Diablo, Brain, Kahuna
Sat AM Crew: Kim, Alikat, Lorraine, Brain, Gumdrop, Kahuna, Patriarch

It turned out to be the perfect morning for a shipwreck swim.  The sun was warm and bright.  The water was crystal clear and calm.  The wreck of the steamship Appomattox was clearly visible.  I've been out there several times before but this was by far the best viewing conditions, the planks and crossbeams of the broken hull were laid out in checkerboard pattern as if on display.  Quite the sight!

While some of the others continued out to the weather buoy, I swam around the wreck trying to find the other pieces of the ship like the propeller that are supposedly out there somewhere.  The only thing I could find was a large piece of what looked like sheet metal that Kahuna speculated could have been the smokestack.  Nearby there was also a large circular metal object, perhaps a wheel or pulley for ropes.

Afterwards Gumdrop, Lorraine, Kahuna and me went for breakfast at City Market, where we dined al fresco and amused ourselves by torturing Cap'n with obnoxious text messages about the great swim he missed.

4 comments:

Stickler said...

It was definitely one of my best swims ever - perfect swimming conditions (with a wetsuit). The water was flat and though the air temp was in the 50s, with the sun shining on my wetsuit, it felt like the 70s and the water temp barely felt cold at all. And I learned what 'crystal clear' water really looks like. Today was a 10 on my new clarity meter. Most of the days in August labelled as 'crystal clear' were at best an 8. Thanks Brain for picking the perfect day to swim to the shipwreck (and weather buoy).

Kahuna said...

Alikat? I thought Cat Woman swam with us.

Kahuna said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Kahuna said...

Arrg, twas so clear ye could see futtocks, gudgeons, orlops, pintles and strakes.

Unfortunatly, it seems as if we all missed this event last night at the Myramar Theatre on Oakland:
The Miltown Kings Present: Arrgggh We're Glad Ye Came!
Saturday, September 15th
Doors: 8:30pm / Show: 9pm
Tickets: $6 in yer pirate's finest and $7 for the mild sorts
Yarg! Join us fer a night o' naughty pirate debauchery as we take ye on a voyage of all sorts of sexiness. This be a season opener ye won't wanna be missin'. Doors be openin' at 9:00pm. Dig deep into yer pockets and pluck out a few doubloons - $6 in yer pirate's finest and $7 for the mild sorts. Ye best be markin' yer calendars or ye be walkin' MY plank ;) If ye be lucky, you may even see some plundering pants. Yo ho! Yo ho!