Eagle Harbor ‘shadow’ depends on which way wind blows | Letters | March 12

Array

Today we moved a boat that had dragged. Apparently, a visiting power yacht had snagged the anchor gear and pulled it west, where it lay too close to Old Hand. So while Gale and Lee pulled on a 200-foot line rigged from Gale’s houseboat to the sloop, Bruce reset the two heavy Danforth anchors in their original position.

Amazing what can be done with a little friendly co-operation.

This concept of “shadow” is interesting. It refers to the area of bottomland over which boats turn around their anchors. It is the area of mud “encumbered” (another intriguing term) by the circle of the vessel’s scope.

This seems to be one of the main sticking points in negotiations with DNR regarding the open-water marina plan and has presented no end of debate among the various parties. It seems we can’t just expect to get all that encumbered “shadowland” for free while shore-side dwellers have to pay such hefty property taxes.

But the landlubbers’ vantage point differs substantially in that theirs is fixed, while ours varies with the vicissitudes of wind and tide. When the tide ebbs, the scope – the square footage – is greater.

Therefore, boaters should pay a fluctuating rate for bottomland encumbered according to the water’s depth, which is related to the height of the tide and the moon’s phases.

There needs to be a high-tide rate and a low-tide rate, with all the variations of depth between the two extremes need to be calculated accordingly.

Also, since the prevailing wind is southerly, boats spend a far greater time occupying the northern segment of the circle. Why should we pay equally for the southern? I ask you, is that fair?

But, more importantly, the overlapping circles of all those boat shadows presents a perfect model for peaceful, harmonious accord. When the benign countenance of the south wind puffs his bearded cheeks and blows fair breezes into our lovely harbor, all boats on single-point moorings turn in accord without one impinging upon the shadow of his neighbor.

The space vacated by the northern-most vessel is occupied by it’s southern neighbor with no conflict. What better image of peaceful coexistence?

It all comes back to this present place and time where our collective karma revolves.

So, thanks Bruce, Gale and Lee for playing your part in this mooring plan.

Craig Spencer

Eagle Harbor