Amphicar: Nutty idea or the best thing since sliced bread?

It may seem odd to most people, but for a boat lover like me, it's like heaven on earth. No, I'm not talking about an on-board jacuzzi. I'm referring to an amphibious car. Just imagine driving along and spotting a beautiful body of water. Instead of thinking, "Gee, wish I had a boat about now," you just drive right in!

Well leave it to the Germans to come up with just such a thing. By far the coolest entry at the Huron Boat and Car Show a few weeks ago was both a boat and a car. It was a 1962 Model 770 Amphicar. Yes, an amphibious car.

I remember reading about this thing back in the 60s and and not long after I actually spotted one driving down the highway in Port Clinton, but this was my first chance to see one up close. It was setting on dry land with the hood up and engine compartment open for inspection. I though, this is cool. Later, when I was walking along the harbor gazing (okay, drooling) at the boats in the water, there it was, chugging down the harbor! The two passenger were having the time of their life, waving to everyone they passed. It was pretty slow, and with a dangerously low freeboard you wouldn't want to take it anywhere where the waves are higher than a foot or two, but was it ever cool.

So I did my research and found out that these cars were imported into North America between 1961 and 1967. They sold new for $2900 at a time when a new Corette sold for $3400. Stricter EPA and DOT regulations that went into effect in 1968 put excessive financial strain on the company that ultimately led to its demise.

This amphibious car was given Model number 770 because it had top speed of 7mph in the water and 70 on land. The car/boat was powered by a 4 cycle, 1200 cc Triumph Herald motor generating 43 horsepower. It was fitted with a custom 4 speed transmission by Hermes, the same company that manufactured Porsche transmissions. It came wired with a 12 volt positive ground electrical.

Okay, it may not be practical, or safe, but man is it cool.

Tests show high levels of liver toxin in Lake Erie water

Photo credit: Sierra Club

Tests of Lake Erie water at a beach in Maumee Bay revealed high levels of a liver toxin in the water, prompting the strengthening of a health warning for toxic algae. The Columbus Dispatch is reporting that while a previous warning at Maumee Bay State Park's beach in Lucas County told people not to touch blue-green algae scum or swallow lake water, that warning has now been upgraded to recommend against swimming and wading, after tests detected a liver toxin called microcystin in concentrations more than twice as high as the World Health Organization's safety standard for swimmers.

The Dispatch cites researchers as saying that toxic algae across the western basin of Lake Erie is the worst recorded there since they began tracking it in 2002.

Last Thursday state officials posted a warning at the Kelleys Island public beach recommending swimmers not touch the algae or swallow the water. Test results on toxins at that site are pending.

A University of Toledo ecologist who studies Lake Erie's harmful algae said this year's bloom covers more area and has lasted longer than the one two years ago. This summer's "algae bloom" already has been deemed 2.5 times denser than a record bloom in 2009, according to tests by the University of Toledo.

Phosphorus from manure, fertilizers and sewage feeds the blue-green algae, or cyanobacteria. Tests performed by Heidelberg University in Tiffin show large amounts of phosphorus flowing into Lake Erie from the Maumee and Sandusky rivers.

In addition to threatening the health of people and pets, blue-green algae also poses a threat to the lake's $10 billion annual tourism industry, according to the Dispatch.

Notes from the Toledo Antique and Classic Boat Show

I spent a beautiful Sunday (August 28) at the Toledo Maritime Center, scene of the Toledo Antique and Classic Boat Show. I'll get to the boats shortly, but first I want to mention the venue itself. The Toledo Maritime Center sits just off Exit 9 of I-280, on the south side of the Maumee River, and what a beautiful spot it is. Completed in November 2007, the TMC was intended as a multi-use facility for the city of Toledo. A small section of the building - featuring shower and laundry facilities as well as a marina management office - was designed to provide services to recreational boaters and travelers on Great Lakes bound cruise ships. The adjacent Glass City Marina, which complements the center nicely, has 77 boat slips, many of which were taken up this past weekend by boat show participants.

I don't know whether the initial plan for the TMC was overly ambitious or what; I just know I didn't see any cruise ships while I was there. What I do know is that in September 2009 the Great Lakes Historical Society announced the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding with the Toledo Lucas County Port Authority and Boyer Riverfront Inc. to create the National Great Lakes Maritime Museum on the banks of the Maumee River. That's exciting news. It's no secret that the Inland Seas museum in Vermilion, Ohio, has been getting the attendance numbers that it needs to remain viable. A move to the Maritime Center in Toledo will not only provide a better venue - particularly since it will be co-located with the museum ship Col. James M. Schoonmaker, a huge and historic Great Lakes freighter - it will fulfill the wish of many in the society of creating a veritable "Smithsonian" of the Great Lakes.

Back to the boats. The Toledo Boat Show, which first began in 2007 as a modest affair, has grown in size and audience appeal each successive year, according to the attendees I spoke with. By a rough count there must have been 75 or 80 boats on hand, a good portion of them in the water, and compared to other classic shows I have attended this year, there was a greater variety of boats at this show. In addition there was a host of exhibitors and vendors on hand, as well as some special treats. All for an entry fee of only $3. (And free parking, too.)

The advertising for this show made it clear that it would be "featuring Dart Boats." These boats were built by The Dart Boat Company in Toledo, Ohio, and The Indian Lake Boat Company of Lima. Indeed, in addition to the meticulously restored "Bootlegger" shown in the above photo (due to their speed, Dart boats were a favorite of Lake Erie rumrunners), there another four or five boats in the water. (I will devote a separate blog to these fine boats soon.)

Another highlight of the show was the option to hop in an old trolly for a ride over to the museum ship Col. James M. Schoonmaker, a magnificent Great Lakes freighter with a proud history. More on this in another blog as well.

Due to the brisk wind the Toledo Lighthouse Preservation Society unfortunately was not able to offer a tour out to the Toledo Harbor Lighthouse as they had done on Saturday. Nonetheless, it was a good day to be near the water.

Toledo Antique and Classic Boat Show

Attention lake and boat lovers: If you're not doing anything tomorrow, and you're anywhere near the Toledo-Detroit area, consider heading over to the Toledo Maritime Center, 1701 Front Street, for the Toledo Antique and Classic Boat Show going on this weekend.

There will be many boats displayed on land and in the water ranging from the 1920’s era through the modern day replica. This year’s show is featuring the Diamond Belle, vintage hydroplanes, an expanded marine mart, The Diamond Belle will be arriving carrying passengers from Detroit to visit the show.

Many classic and antique cars of all makes and models from throughout the years will be shown, and  live music performances will take place during the show as well. The show also features a Marine Mart with items for sale, historical displays, models, and artwork. Food vendors will also be on site.

Admission is $3.00 per person per day (children 10 and younger are free). Not only does the admission allow the Toledo community to view these great maritime artifacts but also includes admission to the S.S. Col. James M. Schoonmaker Museum Ship. Free trolley service will be available between the S.S. Col. James M. Schoonmaker Museum Ship and the Toledo Skyway Marina. 

Also, if the lake stays relatively calm and placid, there will be a rare opportunity to visit the Toledo Harbor Lighthouse, as reported in my blog yesterday. Tours in groups of 6 or 10 will leave from the marina at the Maumee Bay State Park at a cost of $40 per person.

Lost Shipwreck Found!

One of the things that makes living along Lake Erie so special is the presence of so many shipwrecks off our shores. I've heard it said that Erie has more shipwrecks per square mile than any other body of water on earth, making it a natural playground for scuba divers. And because there's something about a shipwreck that excites the imagination, its always a big event when a new wreck is discovered.

My friends Mike and Georgann Wachter, authors of the Erie Wrecks series of books, have just announce the discovery of the schooner barge Commodore, a 170 foot long vessel lost June 17, 1918 while being towed from Cleveland to Sandwich Ontario. The aging tow vessel Jay Gould began to leak in a storm and abandoned the Commodore. Both vessels sank but both crews were rescued by passing steamers. The Jay Gould has been a popular dive site for many years.

TheWachters report that the Commodore site is huge, with parts of the wreck located three tenths of a mile away from the main body of the hull. At the bow the donkey boiler has been pulled out of the vessel by fishnets and rests on the port side with the windlass. Piles of chain and hawes holes indicate that the anchors are still on the wreck site, though with limited visibility and so much area to explore they were not immediately located. The stack for the donkey boiler is also present as well as some other machinery. The port side of the wreck is more intact and piles of her coal cargo can be found everywhere.

At the stern there is a very small capstan near a set of bollards. In addition a toilet lies near the rudder which is fallen away from the main body of the wreck. If you wanted to follow the fish net, a hatch combing is many yards away. Fishnets are a serious hazard at this site when the visibility is restricted. Though the Commodore was found by a couple divers more than 15 years ago, her location was not divulged and only the two divers who found her ever dove the wreck.

The Wachters will be updating information on the wreck on their web site (www.eriewrecks.com) and will release the location to the general diving public next season.

Toledo Lighthouse Open to Public for First time in Over 50 Years

Photo credit: Toledo Harbor Lighthouse Preservation Society

Like a weary sentinel, the Toledo Harbor Lighthouse sit atop a crib about five miles offshore, marking the entrance to the Toledo Shipping Channel where Lake Erie and Maumee Bay meet. Its light has been shining out over the lake for more over a century and now, for the first time in over fifty years, the public will have an opportunity to go inside.

There will be tours of the lighthouse from 11 am thru 5 pm on August 27 & 28. There is limited availability (18 per hour on Saturday and 22 per hour on Sunday). To tour the lighthouse, you have to be able to climb a rung ladder - about six rungs to the lighthouse deck - and sign a waiver of liability form. There are 76 steps to the top. Three stories in the homelike part and three stories in the tower. Tours will be in small groups of 6 or 10 leaving from the marina at Maumee Bay State Park. The cost is $40. The trip includes the boat ride and tour that will last about 1 hour and 20 minutes (about 30-40 minutes at the lighthouse). Tickets can be obtained at the Toledo Antique & Classic Boat Show or by calling 419-367-1691. A credit card will secure the reservation but will not be charged until the day of the tours. Tours are weather dependent. There must be little to no wind. If trips are canceled they will be posted on the Toledo Lighthouse web site. There may also be an opportunity for a September weekend tour. If the August 27, 28 tour is weather cancelled, those registered will be given the opportunity to go on the September tour.

An imposing, if somewhat drab, structure, the Army Corps of Engineers designed the Toledo Harbor Lighthouse and construction began in 1901. The structure was completed three years later at a cost of $152,000. The Toledo Lighthouse is four stories high with a steel frame and an attached one-story fog signal annex building. The lighthouse stands 85 feet in height. First illuminated May 23, 1904, the 3-½ order Fresnel lens featured a 180-degree bulls eye, two smaller 60-degree bulls eyes and a ruby red half cylinder glass made in Paris, France by Barbier and Bernard. A weighted clockwork mechanism made the light rotate. The original Fennel lens could be seen from up to twenty-four miles. The original lens is located at the Imagination Station, a children's science center in downtown Toledo, Ohio.

Latest HAB Bulletin Indicates Continuing Spread of Algae Bloom Over Western Lake Erie

Nowcast position of Microcystis spp. bloom for August 25 using GLCFS modeled currents to move the bloom from the August 23 image. Please note: Colored pixels in Sandusky Bay are due to a mixed bloom dominated by Planktothrix spp. (Courtesy NOAA)

The last Lake Erie Harmful Algal Bloom Bulletin issued by NOAA, just issued, reveals that the Microcystis bloom that began at the beginning of summer continues to fan out across the lake, engulfing most of the western basin. Satellite imagery for the first time shows the bloom spreading beyond Pelee Point and Sandusky Bay. Here are the particulars of the HAB Bulletin.

Conditions: A confirmed Microcystis bloom persists in Western Lake Erie.
Analysis: A large Microcystis bloom has spread throughout the western basin of Lake Erie. Since last Thursday the bloom has moved further North and East and seems to extend past Pelee Point on the north shore, and past Sandusky Bay to the south. Transport over the weekend is expected to move the bloom further to the east. Winds today may cause the surface expression of the bloom to decrease, followed by further intensification over the weekend.

You can download a PDF of the actual bulletin here or go to the HAB website.