lake powell

[awoody]

Is it possible to rent a sailboat on Lake Powell? I did not find any rentals in a search of the web.

 

[Sumner]

No, in fact on our trip there we only saw one other sailboat and they didn't have their sails up.

We tried to sail from one end to the other (about 140 miles) only using the motor to go on and off anchor and always returning to the previous days ending point before sailing again. We made it from Page to Bullfrog, 90+miles in 18 days, but had to quit because of the injuries I sustained on the trip. If you are interested I documented the trip here.....

http://purplesagetradingpost.com/sumner/MacgregorTrips-3-Powell09/Powell-2009-index.html

A beautiful lake.......

..that can also be dangerous, be careful,

Sum

Our Trips to Lake Powell, UT - Kootenay Lake, Canada - Priest Lake, ID

Our Mac Pages

Mac-Venture Links

 

[larryw]

I once tried to find something with a sail to rent on Lake Mead; no such thing.

 

[walt]

"A Woody", I think no chance for a sailboat rental but likely you already have a good boat for that lake. Both Sumner and I have old Mac classics and these end up being good sailboats for overnighting on Lake Powell because they have completely retracting centerboard and rudders. I have not spent any water time on the far west end of the lake but the more Eastern part of the lake that Ive been on (from about Rainbow Bridge to Hite) typically has steep drop offs from almost all beach's - like over 100 feet deep 20 foot from the beach. So you cant do traditional anchoring. Every time you find a new camp, its a little engineering feat but I generally look for some place up in the canyons that has some sort of accessible and interesting beach and some of the bushes growing near the beach. I retract the centerboard and rudder and "jury rig" some sort of tie up to rocks, bushes, logs, etc. Often in the summer, house boats already have the "easy" camp sites. Out of the 20 nights Ive spent there, every camp was somehow different and the tie up was different. Having water ballast is also a plus, a couple of times, Ive camped somewhat over sand bars (not by choice) and keep an "air mattress" manual pump in the boat in case I get stuck from either water level changing (some times of the year, I think near 1 inch over night can happen) or because of the wash of a big house boat going by. I haven't had to use it yet but he hand pump is to dump some water ballast in case you did get stuck.

We've gone there the last four years (always to Bullfrog since were coming from Denver) and its been just a great family vacation.

Some pictures from this years trip here http://analogengineering.com/sail/powell/powell2010.html

Older pictures from the last four years and some links
http://analogengineering.com/sail/powell/

I wouldn't go there expecting good sailing.. however, you can still get in some very nice days sailing but they are only a bonus to better reasons for going there.

 

[awoody]

Thanks for your comments. I am looking for some place to sail in the West. Our lake season in Oregon is short from May through September and this year the water level is going down fast.

 

[sinnettc]

Awoody, have you considered running up to the San Juans or Puget Sound? We spent the first week of August up there and it was terrific. Just be prepared for currents! 8^D

Here's my blog of the trip http://sailingverboten.blogspot.com/2010/08/our-first-cruise-week-in-san-juan.html

If you want something a bit closer, there's sailing on the Columbia in Portland long after they start draining our lakes. There are a couple of ramps off Marine Drive; we'll be trying out the James Gleeson ramp on the 25th.

BTW, they pull the plug on Fern Ridge where I sail on 10/1.