NEWS FROM AROUND THE SOUTH AND THE WORLD OF SAILING Send us news, including business press releases, to editor@southwindsmagazine.com. We need to receive them by the 1st of the month preceding publication. Contact us if later (it most likely will get in, but not certain).
SOUTHWINDS in the Bahamas Writer Jan Pehrson took this photo of Bahamian boat builder Van Ferguson, known as “Smashie,” standing next to one of his boats. Jan wrote two articles for SOUTHWINDS on Bahamian sailboat racing this past winter (both of which featured cover photos—February and May issues). She hand-delivered a copy of the May issue to Smashie, who works in the tiny settlement called Black Point in the Exumas, where he was born. Smashie, aged 72, learned boatbuilding from his father and has built Bahamian racing sloops all his life. To read theses interesting articles about Bahamian racing and the unique boats they race in, read the articles in Back Issues at SouthwindsMagazine.com.
Florida Approves Storm Water Reservoir South of Lake Okeechobee to Improve Water in Indian River and Florida Bay By Roy Laughlin In early May, the Florida Legislature approved a plan to construct and finance a storm-water reservoir in the Everglades Agricultural Area (EAA) and another one at a mined-out aggregate quarry in western Palm Beach County. Governor Scott signed the bill on May 9. These reservoirs are integral parts of a planned water transfer system that will markedly reduce chances of yet another harmful algal bloom in the southern Indian River Lagoon and the St. Lucie River, both prime sailing waters. The state will pay for the new reservoirs with Amendment 1 Funds. That voter-approved constitutional amendment set aside a portion of state document stamp taxes for environmental land purchases. The reservoirs will reduce—but not eliminate— prospects of the flooding releases from Lake Okeechobee that follow tropical storms and wet El Niño winter rains.
Okeechobee Water Level Goes Down about 12 Inches Since April As of press date in early May, Lake Okeechobee was at 11.55 feet above sea level. This makes the navigational depth for Route 1, which crosses the lake, 5.49 feet, and the navigational depth for Route 2, which goes around the southern coast of the lake, 3.69 feet. Bridge clearance at Myakka was at 50.84 feet. For those interested in seeing the daily height of the lake, navigation route depths and bridge clearance, go to http://w3. saj.usace.army.mil/h2o/currentLL.shtml (copy this address exactly as it is here with upper and lower cases). This link is also available on our website, www.southwindsmagazine.com. See the left column. News & Views for Southern Sailors
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