Lake Dias

[ChrisB]

Tim,

Was the video on Lake Dias or Crescent Lake? Looked like a sweet day on the water.

-cb

[TIM WEBB]

That's Lake Dias Chris - it's in the credits <grin>

Yes, beautiful evening, perfect conditions to take Ella. Hot as Hades tho ...

Still haven't made it up to Crescent Lake again since March!

Hey, almost forgot to mention, I'm gonna try to make the WCTSS Lake Harris trip on the 19th - 20th. Think you might make it?

[ChrisB]

Waddaya know? It is in the credits ! Guess I shoulda read them!

I wish I was going to make it to the Lake Harris thing. I've been looking forward to it since I read about last year's trip in the newsletter. Having sold my house in Charlotte, I'm finally off the hook for making trips up there every other weekend. However, as luck would have it, we had planned a family camping trip in the NC mountains during leaf season and, you guessed it, it is the same weekend as the Lake Harris daysail. The reservations were made months ago and can't be changed so I'll have to miss the daysail.

[TIM WEBB]

Oh well ... bummer. But glad to hear the house finally sold! And, it's going to be a great time to be camping up there. Will you bring your boat and/or get to do any sailing?

Not sure if I'll make Lake Harris a daysail or an overnighter - will probably keep an eye on the wx and make the call day of. It's funny: 19 is on the "back way" I used to always drive between Deland and Zephyrhills, and all the times I went by there I never even realized the Hickory Point park/ramp was there!

What about the Cayo Costa cruise in Nov? I'm kinda turned off by that one due to all the rules/no-no's ... ?

[ChrisB]

The boat will be staying in Florida this trip. No big water in the area around Pisgah National Forest; just trails, waterfalls, and views. They will take up the four day weekend. Someday I'll make it up to Lake Jocassee in SC. Never been there but had several friends who have and they tell me it's beautiful.

I'm kind of on the fence about Cayo Costa for the same reasons you are. Without a campfire it loses a lot but that's another place I've always wanted to go. My wife will be out of town that weekend so I have a de facto kitchen pass if I decide to go. Plus, sailing Charlotte Harbor or running Boca Grande Pass and sailing in the Gulf would be awesome.

[TIM WEBB]

All good - trails and waterfalls and views are cool too!

Re: Cayo Costa - fires on the beach are nice, but not a deal breaker I guess. Not being allowed to anchor ashore is the bigger issue, if the wx turns nasty.

My girls will have only been back for a couple weeks then, and Nov/Dec always seem to become so busy, so I will not have the "kitchen pass" so to speak. But then again, Ilse may insist that I go - who knows?

[ChrisB]

I wouldn't worry too much about the "no anchors on the beach" rule. Sounds like they didn't enforce it last time and even if they did, all you have to do is move the anchor 5 feet off the beach and they can't say anything. If Google Maps has a current picture, the anchorage looks well protected from a good blow from just about any direction. It would be the sail across Charlotte Harbor that could get dicey if the weather was not nice.

[TIM WEBB]

Yeah, but it's just the whole principle of the thing. I'm sure they have their reasons for the no overnight anchoring rule (probably has something to do with keeping "the wrong element" away), but there are so many other places the group could go that aren't as uptight ...

I think the Google imagery is pretty current, and yes, it's fairly protected. Why would you have to sail across Charlotte Harbor? I get the impression that most folks put in at Bokeelia or Pineland?

[ChrisB]

You're right...and "uptight" is the correct word.

I didn't mean that I'd sail all the way across Charlotte Harbor. I would launch from Bokeelia. What I meant was thats a lot of wide open water if the wind is kickin' (think Pensacola pass, May 2012!).

[TIM WEBB]

Yeah, a lotta people seem to be pretty uptight these daze!

Sorry - you had mentioned in an earlier post about sailing the harbor ...

Which ramp at Bokeelia? I see several. The one on Barrancas Ave between McNeff Rd and Bowline St looks pretty nice, even with the "skinny water passage" out to the bay? I think Ron called it Jug Creek or something like that. I assume it's a public ramp, given all the parking space?

I was thinking of putting in at Pineland. A bit more of a "technical sail" to Pelican Bay, but according to EarthNC, the channels are well marked. It would be a bit more protected waters in a blow than Bokeelia?

Oh, and thanks a lot: I was trying to forget Pensacola Pass May 2012!