Thursday, 4:30 PM
Swimmer prepares to take on the Charles
By Michael Levenson, Globe Staff
He has read the latest findings from the Sixth International Conference on Toxic Cyanobacteria, learning how the Italians, Danes, and Australians combat blooms of the potentially harmful microorganism.
He has consulted with an official from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, asking about the latest methods for testing for cyanobacteria, large concentrations of which can cause nausea and rashes.
And, he has studied Boston-area rainfall charts, looking for the driest days of the year, when the likelihood of sewers overflowing is lowest.
It is not the typical preparation for a swim race.
But eight months after Frans Lawaetz’s first attempt to stage a landmark race in the tea-colored waters of the Charles River was cancelled due to a thick bloom of cyanobacteria, he is at it again. Determined to revive a tradition of swimming in the Charles -- for decades unthinkable because of pollution levels -- Lawaetz has culled reports and sifted data to come up with a race date when the water is most likely to be safe.
Wednesday he said that on July 21, he and 62 fellow diehards plan to get into their Speedos, strap on their goggles and dive in. "Know your enemy, that’s the bottom line," Lawaetz said of his approach toward race planning.
