Sailing near Staunton Va
- Thread starter Jumpstart
- Start date
I’ll be interested in some information about all of those lakes.
I’m recently in Charlottesville and have always thought that those lakes, although fairly big, would be shallow and stump filled because they are basically dammed up rivers, and more of a powerboat, jet ski, pontoon boat environment.
My sailing experience in Virginia has been more focused on lower Chesapeake bay.
I’m recently in Charlottesville and have always thought that those lakes, although fairly big, would be shallow and stump filled because they are basically dammed up rivers, and more of a powerboat, jet ski, pontoon boat environment.
My sailing experience in Virginia has been more focused on lower Chesapeake bay.
Smith Mountain lake is mostly very deep water. There is a spot on the lake where my depth sounder read 600' and then for a moment said "no bottom". The shoals that do exist are well marked. My daughter has sailed a bunch on Claytor but I have not sailed that much and only on a hobie. She used to crew for a guy who races there so I know that it is popular with sailors. The lake runs north south so the westerlies work well there ... Lake Anna is one that I have no first-hand knowledge of.
There is no comparing these lakes with the Chesapeake. Staunton is at most 3.5 hours from Deltaville, the sailing capital of the lower Chesapeake.
.... and on the way in Tappahannock there is a Dairy Queen that is open all year round.
Silly sorta I know. I'm a Blizzard addict and I Spent five years making at least a monthly trip from Hampton VA to DC. Our local DQ in Poquoson was only open during the summer. It pained terribly me driving by and not being able to get a Blizzard for another eight months.
Silly sorta I know. I'm a Blizzard addict and I Spent five years making at least a monthly trip from Hampton VA to DC. Our local DQ in Poquoson was only open during the summer. It pained terribly me driving by and not being able to get a Blizzard for another eight months.
Me, I'd take up...
- Kayaking
- Fishing
- Hiking
- Cycling
I had a really difficult time believing that 600' depth figure! That would mean that the dam height would need to be at least 600' since the lake is a dammed river. There is no way that could be the case, so I checked. The dam height is 235', which is very high but not anywhere close to 600'. Wikipedia says the max depth is 220'. Average depth of SML is said to be 50' .... which is very substantial! Your depth meter had a false reading ... which does happen. My DM depth sounder occasionally picked up readings greater than 600' or more when the depth in Barnegat Bay is no greater than about 12' at most! It would flash a deep reading and then rapidly climb to the correct reading. I never could find an explanation for it.
I know people in New Jersey who make the same claim about Round Valley Reservoir, which is very deep but not anywhere close to the depth that some people claim ... a depth that would suggest that the original ground elevation was about 100' feet below sea level.
Those lakes are so far away from Staunton that it seems likely that the Chesapeake would be the best option, unless @Jumpstart would be completely changing up his sailing experience. I'd have a hard time understanding adapting from Lake Erie to these inland reservoirs. But maybe that's the plan. Still, Staunton is pretty far away from any sailing venues, it seems.