Grand Haven-Holland Weather Buoy 2024

The 2024 Grand Haven-Holland weather buoy, deployed near Port Sheldon, w is 100% supported by contributions from businesses, organizations, and individual boaters. We receive no funds from the federal or state government (there are simply no programs yet that cover the Great Lakes to support maintenance). YOUR contribution is needed now to ensure the buoy will return in 2024!

ALL donations will go directly to the South Haven Steelheaders Assocation, who are working closely with the Holland Steelheaders to support the buoy. Funds go to a Michigan company, LimnoTech, who works year-round to maintain the buoys and keep data flowing 24/7 during the boating season.

If you donate more than $500, you/your business can choose to have their logo/name displayed on the buoy page website! The website receives hundreds of thousands of hits each season from boaters and fishermen!! Please email Brad Stephenson (brad.stephenson32 at gmail dot com) for more information about becoming a sponsor.

The buoy provides up-to-date lake conditions to weather forecasters, search and rescue personnel, and thousands of boaters and fishermen throughout the boating season. Observations of wind speed, wave height, and water temperature were requested over 900,000 times in 2023 from almost 35,000 unique visitors, making it the most popular buoy in the Great Lakes. The buoy’s webcam also streamed high-quality images and video to the web, showing exactly what conditions were like on the water. Your contribution will fund the annual maintenance of the buoy, replacement of sensitive marine instruments, and technicians to keep the buoy fully operational from April to October.

How to get data from the buoy (during the boating season), which is deployed 3.5 miles offshore of Port Sheldon in 90ft of water.

1. Visit https://limno.io/station/45029/

2. Text 45029 to 866. 218. 9973.

Watch a video of us deploying the buoy https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0HE8FhHOTmE

PLEASE consider how much you personally rely on data from this buoy during the season. Even if you don't use it that much, know that folks from the National Weather Service, US Coast Guard, Ottawa County Sheriff use data from buoy daily during the boating season. The buoy is critical during search and rescue operations AND for forecasting Lake Michigan squalls and dangerous rip currents.