Is is a bad sign that I've been reading a lot of novels set in places I've sailed/want to sail? Is is a bad sign that I'm watching a lot of sailing Youtubes? How about my reading a lot of sailing blogs? I guess I've got sailing on my mind.
Fortunately, my lovely wife and I have a sailing trip planned. In less than two weeks we'll are going to launch our sailboat on a remote Maine lake. There are only a few camps on this good sized lake, plus some primitive campsites.
We have a long weekend trip scheduled for the middle of the month. My cousin has already booked a large wilderness campsite next to a huge secluded beach. His crew plans on paddling in on sea kayaks. My lovely wife and I join them in our sailboat with most of their gear. Kayak camping is fun, but pretty spartan due to space and weight limts. We'll bring in a lot of extra items. Even simple things like folding chairs make a big difference in comfort level.
My lovely wife and I have never launched on this particular lake. Since it's in Maine we needed to get a milfoil sticker for the boat. They have a program to prevent the spread of invasive water plants. Monday we took a little trip to purchase our $20 sticker.
After picking up our sticker we decided to scout out our launch site. It's one thing to get lost while driving the van around. It's something else to get lost while towing a good sized boat. Imagine taking a wrong turn down some twisty dirt road and having to back up a mile or two. As it turned out we did find the right dirt road. It's in pretty good shape, but there's not a lot of room to meet another vehicle.
It was a relief to find the boat ramp is adequate for our needs and after walking the area I know how best to approach it. There's also a good sized parking area nearby so we have room to leave the van and trailer.
Really going to enjoy this trip. Just take a look at this body of fresh water. This is only one small section of the lake. There's a lot more of it around the point.
-Sixbears
before going into an unknown area, goggle helps not only in road maps but the real photo view of the area lets me scout for hidden roads and other features
ReplyDeleteunless you luv getting lost?
Wildflower
I use it all the time. Active Captain has a feature where you can switch from chart view to satellite view. Very handy. Of course, one must keep in mind that those views are not real time.
DeleteSounds like a good time.
ReplyDeleteIn regards to the Milfoil, that is one of the most prolific water plants I have ever seen in my life. I grew up around a bunch of lakes, from small to Ten Miles long and I have seen that Milfoil completely choke a small lake in a matter of just a few years.
They used to poison it because it got so bad.
Kill everything in the lake just to get rid of it and then come back and restock it with native stuff later. That stuff would still come back and they would have to do it again.
Good luck getting rid of it if it shows up.
That's why I don't mind kicking in a few bucks for programs to keep it in check.
DeleteReally don't want it in my lake. A few years back we sailed in Lake Champlain. They have every invasive species under the sun. As soon as I got the boat on the trailer I crawled under it and picked off any bit of vegetation I could see.
When I got home the boat dried out for a week. Then I scrubbed everything down with a brush and bleach. Even soaked the anchors and rode in bleach. Then gave it a good soap scrubbing.
Do NOT forget your tackle box! :o)
ReplyDeleteCould happen. :)
DeleteI'd take it as a good sign, Sixbears. Shows you have a plan to continue with the pursuits you love, and a plan to make it happen. Sharing your extra(?) space to allow others to join will enhance the experience for all. Enjoy!
ReplyDeleteShould be a good time. Not sure how many will actually make it, but that's the nature of these trips. Always plan to have fun, even if everyone else drops out.
DeleteSounds like a good plan to me! Have fun!
ReplyDeleteThanks, I think I will!
Delete