Katabatic I meant what happens in regards to the nose plugs on the lakes. I am well aware with what can happen on the Great Lakes. I have read and seen many freighters on the bottom. I still have to admit when we when out to race and all we saw was 7-8' waves with white caps I tuned to my partner and said this is a lake? The Edmund Fitzgerald I guess is the most famous one.

In Grand Haven when I raced there in 87 we hit a wave and shot up so high we came near the helicopter about 25' They were filming the race. Then the air from the chopper goes under the Skater catamaran and blows us nose upward more. To my surprise it was the front page of the paper in Grand Haven the next morning. The photo looked fake. They were not allow to follow the boats as low any more.

People up in MI were always very friendly and helpful. Unlike many not all in NY. I was used to talking to the opposite sex in NY and they were so stuck up. It was if you talked to some one in NY they thought it was a proposal or you were a stalker. People outside of NY are so much friendlier for the most part.

Boats were faster in salt water do to buoyancy we would lose 3 mph as I remember.

My lesson today the instructor had a bilge pump that was what I remember as a kid the old standard gray plastic pump. It has no flotation but a bigger outlet and it pumped more water than my Seattle Sport by far and it was the same size.