Great news! Dredging is now complete!
The dredge is in the process of being removed from our channel. We are very happy with the final results. The channel marker buoys will be put in place tomorrow.
Below are the depths recorded this morning with a southwest wind, approximately 5 mph.
Happy Boating!
In discussion with the dredgers this morning, they will move the dredge back over to our channel sometime tomorrow, Monday. Anticipate it being there Monday and Tuesday. Hopefully, that will be the end of dredging for us for this season!
Dredging update… we had a crew of SSYC, BCYC, and the dredging Foreman take manual readings of the channel depth this morning. Unfortunately, there is still more material that needs to come out. So, we will see the dredge moving back over to our channel to perform some touch up work based off the readings taken this morning.
Below are the depth readings taken this morning. Keep in mind… these depths will fluctuate based upon wind speed and direction…
We’re almost there!
A quick update on the dredging status… The dredgers have moved the dredge over to Bay City Yacht club’s south channel. We believe they are done with our channel. We, along with BCYC personnel, are going to go out at 8:00am tomorrow morning and take manual readings throughout the channel to make sure we are satisfied with the dredging results.
We will add a post tomorrow after the manual readings.
The 2023 America’s Boating Club of Saginaw Bay (formerly called Saginaw Bay Sail and Power Squadron) will be at SSYC for boat safety inspections this summer on Saturday, June 17, starting at 10:00 am. Sign up sheets for a boat inspection will be posted at the bath houses. This is a good way to learn a little more about your boat and boating safely on the Saginaw Bay. It helps avoid (but not necessarily stops) those untimely inspections by the Coast Guard too. Hope you take advantage of this great opportunity.
Good news – The contractor has started dredging.
Bad news – channel access is very limited due to the dredging equipment. It is recommended that you check the channel before trying to enter or leave and proceed with extreme caution.
Equipment is starting to arrive so channel dredging should start soon. Please be patient and careful when the equipment is in the channel. You may need wait a bit when entering or leaving the channel if dredging is in process.
Also, keep in mind the channel is currently very shallow. We have received INFORMAL reports that some area of the CHANNEL WATER DEPTHS RANGE FROM TWO TO FOUR FEET depending on wind velocity and direction and ever fluctuating water levels. Boaters have experienced greatest success by keeping ten feet off the BCYC seawall. ALL SSYC MEMBERS AND RENTERS SHOULD EXERCISE DUE CARE NAVIGATING THE CHANNEL INTO SSYC.
Please select the following link to view the June Hailor – SSYC 2023 June Hailor
The contractor is planning on moving in the dredging barge the end of next week. Target completion (depending on weather and unforeseen issues) is estimated to be in mid-June.
In the meantime, we have received INFORMAL reports that some area of the CHANNEL WATER DEPTHS RANGE FROM TWO TO FOUR FEET depending on wind velocity and direction and ever fluctuating water levels. Boaters have experienced greatest success by keeping ten feet off the BCYC seawall. ALL SSYC MEMBERS AND RENTERS SHOULD EXERCISE DUE CARE NAVIGATING THE CHANNEL INTO SSYC.
Attached is an UNVERIFIED chart of reported current channel conditions that some boaters have used and is the contractors’ area of dredging. SINCE THE SSYC BOARD CANNOT VERIFY THE ACCURACY OF THIS CHART, WE CANNOT RECOMMEND ITS ACCURACY. PERSONS USING THIS CHART FOR ANY PURPOSE DO SO AT THEIR OWN RISK AND SSYC ASSUMES NO RESPONSIBILITY FOR ANY DAMAGES OCCASIONED BY USE OF THIS CHART.
We will update this post as additional information becomes available.
SUNSET SHORES YACHT CLUB
DREDGING UPDATE MAY 10,2023
After a lengthy and arduous two-year process with State Officials, SSYC and Bay City Yacht Club (BCYC), we have secured a dredging permit and hired Slevin Lake Services, Hale, MI to dredge the entrance channel to a depth of seven (7) feet. The most recent update from the contractor indicates they will be on site the week of May 15 to set up for the work. Once the work starts the contractor estimates it will be completed in about two weeks. Please keep in mind that weather or other factors may delay them in completing the work in that amount of time. The contractor removes the bottom material by vacuum extraction and piping the material/water to the berm basin on Bay City Yacht Club property. During the operation the entrance of the channel may be closed for lengthy periods of time. Please be patient during the construction and check the location of the dredging barge before using the channel.
In the meantime, we have received INFORMAL reports that some area of the CHANNEL WATER DEPTHS RANGE FROM TWO TO FOUR FEET depending on wind velocity and direction and ever fluctuating water levels. Boaters have experienced greatest success by keeping ten feet off the BCYC seawall. ALL SSYC MEMBERS AND RENTERS SHOULD EXERCISE DUE CARE NAVIGATING THE CHANNEL INTO SSYC.
Attached is an UNVERIFIED chart of reported current channel conditions that some boaters have used and is the contractors’ area of dredging. SINCE THE SSYC BOARD CANNOT VERIFY THE ACCURACY OF THIS CHART, WE CANNOT RECOMMEND ITS ACCURACY. PERSONS USING THIS CHART FOR ANY PURPOSE DO SO AT THEIR OWN RISK AND SSYC ASSUMES NO RESPONSIBILITY FOR ANY DAMAGES OCCASIONED BY USE OF THIS CHART.
We will update this post as additional information becomes available.