Marina Update #1

In a previous post Marina Troubles I discussed the shrinking Great Salt Lake and the fact that all of the boats need to be pulled from the lake. More and more emails have been going out about pulling boats as the spring is looking worse and worse for lake levels for the year. Boats over 4.5 ft draft are no longer able to move in the marina to even get pulled by crane.

Prior to leaving we stopped in to talk to the Harbour Master about when we should pull the boat. Our Catalina 22 swing keel drafts around 1.67 ft with the keel up. This means that we have more time, the trick will be pulling the boat prior to the levels dropping to a level where trailering is impossible. At this point the Harbour Master says we would need to be craned out, which can be somewhat expensive.

The lake level is currently 4192.3 feet above sea level. This level is not supposed to raise significantly, or at all, this year due to ground being so dry in the mountains. When we pulled the boat in October of last year, the lake level was 4191.8 feet. This means that we know at that level that we are able to pull the boat from the water on the trailer easily. We will keep an eye out for when we are close to that level to pull for the year, likely in mid to late may.