Starting the season!
- Thread starter Jackdaw
- Start date
Go ahead, you'll be fine. But the lake is not sailed much at all. Maybe 5 boats at one marina. Why?
No real sailboat facilities. Its 99.99% a fishing lake.
People make a lot about it being shallow, but that really don't factor much for sailboats. The depth is uniformly in the teens. Kinda like Lake Pontchartrain in New Orleans and people sail the crap out of that lake.
Its round, with no protection. No where to hide if it blows.
No where really to go. Several places on the lake. but at many the docks are for guest ONLY.
But your boat trailers and launches easily. You'll have a blast. It is a HUGE lake. Fun sailing off to a place you cannot see.
One last thing, related to water depth. Because of its size and shallowness, the lake can develop a nasty steep chop when it blows. The fact that there is NO leeside protections anywhere makes this worse. The lake has a rep of this being almost dangerous, but I think that's mostly from low-freeboarded bass boats that WOULD have a problem. For sailboats not so much, but you have to be able to handle it, or your motor has to be able to bail you out of you get caught out.Thanks Jackdaw. I feel much better now. I get a little nervous when I hear of shallow lakes but I'm comfortable with anything over 10 feet deep. Large lake, open water, very few boats, sounds like paradise to me.
Lake Kabetogama looks like it has access for a trailer sailor and also looks very intriguing. Countless islands to explore and lots of space for sailing ... very far north, though.
I'll keep that in mind. Lake Isabella, where I used to sail, would get pretty choppy and create some exciting times. Unfortunately they let it dry up when they discovered a crack in the dam. I like a little challenge and always look forward to getting more experience but I'll keep my outboard tuned up, just incase.
Sounds like a great place to spend a week or so during the summer. Of course, with so many other places to explore in MN it may take a while before I get there.
To be clear, there probably is a thousand MN lakes that you could plop a trailerable boat in and have a great sail. My definition of a 'great sailing lake' is probably just a bit more formal.
For instance, Lake Minnewaska near Glenwood has always fascinated me.
But while BlueJ is on a trailer, that's just to move her from the barn to the YC. NOT something I want to do more than once a year.
For instance, Lake Minnewaska near Glenwood has always fascinated me.
But while BlueJ is on a trailer, that's just to move her from the barn to the YC. NOT something I want to do more than once a year.
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Some references to Kabetogama & Voyageurs N.P. ... If I lived in Minnesota, I think I would put it on the "must do" list.
http://www.sailingbreezes.com/sailing_breezes_current/articles/aug00/kimmet0800.htm
https://sites.google.com/site/mnsmallboat/lakes-within-5-hours
http://www.sailingbreezes.com/sailing_breezes_current/articles/aug00/kimmet0800.htm
https://sites.google.com/site/mnsmallboat/lakes-within-5-hours
I feel for you guys up north, and wish you a great start to your season. With the warm Atlantic just 20-45 minutes from my dock depending on bridge schedules, I get out several times a month all year long. My big problem is traffic in the ICW. hopefully a lot of the yachts and snowbirds will be going back north early this year. Have a great season.
It's snowing in Wichita today and 39 degrees...it was 77 two days ago, and is suppose to be 82 next Tuesday.....but the lake
did not freeze this winter shore to shore as it normally does....our club racing season begins in about 4 weeks. Good luck to everyone getting their boats in the water safely. Pat
did not freeze this winter shore to shore as it normally does....our club racing season begins in about 4 weeks. Good luck to everyone getting their boats in the water safely. Pat
