1993 H 23.5

[Hawk4661]

Question......I want to find out what are a some of the best ways of anchoring in the lake coves?
What about beaching on soft bottoms?
Is there a law forbiding leaving the sailboat on the hook to go ashore in your "dingy" to pick up supplies ect?
Is it a good idea to "file a sail plan" with caost guard in unfamilar lake?
Ty in advance.......sailors rule.

 

[sailingdog]

What lakes are you talking about in specific, as some regulations may vary depending on the specific body of water.

Beaching a boat, unless it is designed for it, may not be a good idea. In any case, it can be pretty hard on the bottom paint and the fiberglass, especially if there are any hidden rocks. Even small ones can do a fair bit of damage.

Leaving the boat on the anchor to go get supplies should be fine in most areas, provided you don't leave it for an extended period of time. A few hours is probably okay, but a few days would be foolish at best.

Float plans probably shouldn't be filed with the USCG if it is for a small landlocked lake, as the USCG doesn't usually have jurisdiction over them. If it is a landlocked lake, and not part of the "navigable" waters of the US, I would file the float plan with a family member or friend.

 

[Rick Webb]

The Coast Guard Won't Want it

They don't do that. If you do nothing else leave the float plan on your dashboard so that the guys who patrol the area will know your plan if you late in retuning.

If you have a local Coast Guard Auxiliary Flotilla sign up for one of their safe boating classes they usually provide all sorts of great local info.