Lake Mead Questions

[Steve K]

I, wholeheartedly, second that, Kimo

April 20

Steve "the" K.
Mac 26D missile, "Three Sheets"

Ever seen anyone launch a boat by tilting the trailer straight up?

[pokerrick1]

Seriously, the way the Macs ride the anchor, beaching them is the very best way to get a good nights sleep in one.

OR - - tied up in a slip also works

Rick

[Steve K]

OR - - tied up in a slip also works

Rick

Or......... strapped down to the trailer, up in the camp grounds

Seriously, I knew a couple that did this @ Calville every night for two weeks. Come in at dusk, trailer the boat back up and take her down and launch her every morning.


Best Breezes,
Steve K.
Mac 26D "Three Sheets"

[Captain Kimo]

OR - - tied up in a slip also works

Rick

Interest comment Rick. Let see:

1. Courtesy Dock fees: LV Boat Harbor Marina $20 per night and Callville Bay Marina $15 per night. Calville Bay camp ground at $10 a night at least enforces 10 PM quite time.
2. Monthly slip fees at Callville Bay Marina runs ca $145 with no water or power included.
3. ALL Weekends at the marina with Boom Boxes at full VOLUME, running up and down the floating dock, and partying all night with noise that carries well on the water. Guess you have never TRIED TO SLEEP AT A MARINA SLIP ON A WEEKEND FROM YOUR COMMENTS.

NO, I will take the beaching and share the quiet night with the local coyotes early night singing than the "Yongens" whopping it up ALL FRIDAY NIGHT. Been there done that, never again. Need to be alert to race on Saturday, THANK YOU.

[pokerrick1]

Guess you have never TRIED TO SLEEP AT A MARINA SLIP ON A WEEKEND FROM YOUR COMMENTS.

Fuddy Duddy WHAT - - you don't like to PARTY

It just so happens I spent a full week at a guest dock at Calville in 2006 (I was there for Mead Madness) and had a SUPER GREAT time The worst part was the HEAT waking me up by 9AM every morning while I was sleeping like a baby Just for the record - - - I have NO trouble sleeping anywhere I am a professionsl sleeper I slept on my M at MDR many, many weekends (after attending the parties) When they run out of wine; I leave!

Rick

[Steve K]

What gets me more @ Callville is the 4am bass tournaments. Ah,......... nothing like waking up to two or three hundred bass boats, idling around in the marina, waiting for start time.

'Course, the bass guys are a pretty good crew, friendly and so on.

Sometimes out on the lake I don't sleep at all, for several nights anyway, noise or not. Too many stars to gaze at. too much BSing to do with all the people I haven't seen in several months.

April 20th.......... see ya there?

SK

[Newell]

. Need to be alert to race on Saturday, THANK YOU.[/quote]

Now the race has been moved to Sunday by Kimo for wind reasons. If I show up on Saturday and the race has already been run, I will put on my ramming hat. Not planning to win this one, but love to give it a try.

[trdprotruck]

Thanks everyone for your help!

We just got back from our trip to Lake Mead and while we had some problems along the way, it was overall a good trip.

Day 1 (4/29): Traveled from Orange County, CA to Lake Mead. Like usual, we packed way too much stuff and managed to leave way later than I had planned. We arrived at Callville Bay around 5:30 pm and pulled in to the campground. Started rigging up the mast and then I noticed something unusual, some phantom chirping. I noticed this at home but dismissed this as the birds in the nearby trees. As I investigate further, I realize that birds had made a nest inside the top of my mast and I would spend the next 1 1/2 hours dismantling the anchor light and antenna to take care of the issue. Getting the birds out was really interesting. Apparently these baby birds had not learned how to survive on their own and would not exit the mast on their own. I end up taking some random wire and making a bend at the end in hopes of sliding past the nest and pulling everything out without injury. This slow process eventually revealed 6 baby birds and a bunch of messy twigs everywhere. My wife gathered the babies and started to get really attached. My wife gives some water and bread while I finish reassembling the mast.

Day 2 (4/30): In the morning my wife talks to one of the rangers about the birds in hopes that they can find someone to take care of the birds. By this point several of birds have already died. After multiple phone calls and being passed from department to department, no one is willing to take the birds since they were native to California and we are now in Nevada. They tell us not to release the birds, but give us no options other than to take care of the birds ourselves. Long story short, they all pass away after several days. We finally were able to launch the Mac after the bird debacle and now I am beginning to understand the long walk back and forth between the launch ramp and the parking lot. We motor out to Las Vegas Bay and then over to the Las Vegas Marina to have lunch. We fuel up and on our way to the courtesy dock, the motor decides to quit. In a panic my wife gets the boat hook while I try to revive the outboard. At the very last second I am able to get the outboard started and motor alive long enough to get some momentum to the courtesy docks. Although the motor was working fine when we launched, the thing won't idle now when it's in gear. After eating lunch, we motor over to the Hoover Dam making sure that the rpms are always above idle. After seeing the sights it's about 4pm and we decide to find a beaching spot for the night. We were really hoping to find a nice sandy area, but it seems all the sandy areas are very exposed to the heavy winds at Lake Mead. We eventually motor over to a cove near James Bay and happen to find a protected spot from the wind. It's a bit muddy with a lot of bugs flying around, but it'll do for the night.

Day 3 (5/1): About Mid-morning, we motor out of the cove and look for another spot for the night. The waves were getting pretty big with confused seas in several areas. My wife's not having a good time in this weather and we decide to head back to Callville and grab a courtesy slip for the night. We drop the dog over at the kennel and we go to Vegas for a buffet. We spend the night at the dock and didn't experience the kids with the loud music, but we weren't excited about all the traffic walking by. It's time to get some curtains

Day 4 (5/2): Today I decide to introduce my wife to sailing on the Mac and boy was this an interesting day. I come from a dinghy and keel boat background and happened to take my wife along for some wet and wild rides in the past. I would love getting the dinghy heeled over to the rub rail and hiking out to keep the boat from going over. Well I guess I traumatized my wife in the past and this was her first time sailing in the Mac. I begin by flipping the mac around on the dock so that I am facing into the wind. I raise the main sail and start the motor while at the dock and begin to shove off. Everything seems fine until the motor quits while trying to get out of the harbor. In a panic, I furiously try to get the motor started and wind begins to push us back to the dock. I give up on the motor and decide to sail my way out of this. I pull on the jib sheets and something on the furling line gets jammed and the jib only partially unfurls. The boat speed is very minimal and the rudders are almost nonresponsive. At this point we are about to crash into the dock. I jump out of the boat when we get close enough and tie a mooring line to one of the dock cleats. The boat is docked, but with a battle scar on the stern from ramming the dock. This was probably the worst introduction to MAC sailing for my wife and hopefully I can get her to try it again.

Eventually I get the motor working again and we motor out in search of a sandy beach to stay in. We don't find any good spots and go back to the original muddy cove. It's not all that bad, but I really wanted to explore some other areas of this huge lake.

Day 5 (5/3): We motor out of our cove and find a sandy beach for the day. The waves were pushing us sideways so I put both a bow and stern hook on. We let the dog play and relax for the day. Later that night we motor back to Callville and pull back into the campground to de-rig and spend the night.

Day 6 (5/4): We pull the trailer to Vegas and drop off the boat at the RV campground at Circus Circus and head to the Bellagio Buffet. Nothing like food coma before a long drive back home.

In the end it was fun looking back on it, but I hope this hasn't made my wife hate sailing. Hopefully this trip will convince my wife that we need a motor upgrade. My old Johnson 50 2 stroke is definitely too loud, slow and unreliable at the moment.

Cheers.

-Randy

[Newell]

Randy,

I note you started this thread and it was a little hijacked by mainly LVBMAs, who did their annual Founder's Day race and Mead Madnesss before you arrived at the lake. Sorry to hear about some of your problems, perhaps next trip you can link up with us, sometimes that helps. Sounds like you don't have a end-cap on your mast. I have heard of birds building nests in the mast. Thinking about the mother bird trying to keep up with you on the freeway made me smile.

Think about doing another trip in the Fall, October, I think the weather is better, sometimes the winds are too light. Even though I got sick and had wheel bearing problems I had a great trip and will be there this October.

[Steve K]

Randy,
Missed your last post until just now

Sounds like my first trip with my X-boat. It was at Dana Point though (believe it or not).

The wife eventually started coming with me again She actually enjoys sailing more than she will admit now.

As Newell says, join us on the next trip, if you can. You'll learn, from our collective experience, the best places to get a good nights sleep and how & where to tuck in for the night (or day), to be protected from the wind, etc.

I will say that I've had some bad experiences on the lake too. However, Mead continues to call me back and the good times have always out-weighed the bad ones.

Newell,
Feeling okay now I heard you guys had some weather after Lana and I cut out. Congrats on yet another cup. Does that make a full service for six yet You have some great skills....... and a fast boat

Best Breezes,
Steve K

[Loala]

Can someone post a picture of one of these "special shore spikes with built in slide "hammer""?

I think I may need to get one!

[David Mellon]

There are a few different styles, l use the screw type...I enjoy screwing. These were at West Marine:







There are ranges of price and holding power. Like with any anchor system, I prefer to prepare for worst case scenarios. Conditions at Lake Mead can be volatile. I use 2 screw anchors from a surplus store originally used by the Swedish Army for hospital tents. I use a plow anchor set deep for the bow..I like to back into the beach for easy access.

[Newell]

The rising waters of last year and early this year makes Mead a little less easy to find anchorages that are clear of brush. This Spring there was brush in the areas we usually camped, making backing in less desirable and nose first the best choice but not without the messiness of brush against the boat. I always sleep better if tied at the bow, and both aft cleats with lines to the beach at @45 D. I have 2 step (ladders) that allow access to the beach going over the bow rail.