July 26, 2018
Weather nerds and boaters of all stripes will be absorbed by Bruce Kemp’s account of the monstrous early winter storm, perhaps the largest ever, that hit the Great Lakes in 1913. Countless commercial vessels did not survive the rampage while the communities on the shores also experienced horror.
Kemp grew up in Sarnia, literally fishing on the pier, and has spent his life not far from water as a photographer and journalist bringing boats and sailors’ stories to life. The book reflects that dedication, and equally Kemp’s commitment to detailed research about a topic that grabs his interest.
Kemp steering the Algoma Spirit
The most engaging part of the book, from my perspective, is the final trip of the SS Regina, through the rivers that link Erie to Lake Huron as the boat picked up freight along the river, passing by Kemp’s hometown pier, although decades before Bruce watched those freighters ply the St Clair River.
The book is dense, but fascinating and I came away more knowledgeable about freighter on the Lakes, both in the 1900s and since, than I ever expected to. Naturally, the exploration of weather patterns and cyclonic behavior is also highly detailed – if you are interested in that detail you’ll find this a compelling page turner. The human stories of the lost, the survivors and their families is worth the read in itself.
Photo Credit: Bill Jackson This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
In addition to watching Lake traffic, sailing, fishing, photographing and generally hanging out on boats, Kemp has made several freighter passages and his affection for them, the people who run them and their families pours out of the book.
Weather Bomb is available from Waypoint Marine Publishing in Merrickville, ON and at selected marine and book outlets.
-JM
Galley Guys; Greg Nicoll, John Armstrong, Andy Adams and Robin Bal
For many years now, we have used gasoline in our cars and trucks that contains some amount of ethanol, a form of alcohol, and just as a few drops of water combine almost instantly in your Scotch, moisture from the atmosphere can combine with the ethanol in the gasoline that is in your boat’s fuel tank.
By Andy Adams
Austin, Texas, USA (25 April 2019) – In the wake of last month’s termination of its contract with its European builder, the International Laser Class Association (ILCA) announced today that, from 25 April 2019, all new, class-approved boats will be sold and raced under the “ILCA Dinghy” name. This change will have no impact on existing ILCA-authorized boats and equipment, which will be able to race alongside ILCA Dinghies in all class sanctioned events.
By Katherine Stone
Edited by the Quebec Marine Association under the direction of L'Escale Nautique (producer of the magazine L'Escale Nautique and the Nautiguide Croisière), the Nautiguide is the most complete tool dedicated to navigating in Quebec, as well as Champlain lake. It costs $14.95 although QMA members get it free.
Blue Guard has announced the general availability of the BG-One, a solid-state bilge pump switch, oil and fuel detector. Having no moving parts or mechanical float switches, BG-One will automatically turn off the bilge pump when oil or fuel is detected, preventing potentially costly oil or fuel discharge. 
