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Author
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Topic: Great Day Sailing
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Tom D CL16
Member
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posted September 23, 2004 08:56 PM
   
You folks are lucky I have to type this all the time. If we could get together it would take me longer to tell you then the trip took. That would include the driving.Today my son Christopher and I took KatieAnn to Gull Lake for maybe the last sail of the season.
Gull lake is a medium size lake about 6 miles long and up to 3/4 wide. We hooked up KatieAnn and headed west. The trip is a little over 60 miles. No Freeway. Two lane highway with several small villages and a couple of small towns along the way. We arrived at the lake about 11:30. There was a little breeze blowing but expected to go to 10+ mph. We got her rigged with spinnaker gear also hoping for a good SouthWesterly breeze. We started out tacking down the lake. Spotting a weird boat on the water we traveled over to check it out. The single sailer had a Potter 15 with a 85 sqft lateen rig. Looked very different. He likes it because he sails solo and only looses a couple sqft of sail.
The boat also performs better down wind.
We continued our journey. We were able to make look starboard tacks with shor port tacks heading down the lake. There is an island near the south end about 200 yrds from the west shore. We tried to sail through the channel but we had too many tacks and wind shifts because of the heavily wood shore line. So we sailed the wide side of the island. We could see two other sailboats on the water one was the potter. Never being this close to the south end we found the lake narrows considerably. I knew that there were at least 2 marinas at the end. We had to tack multiple times to get to the marinas. We saw a 31 foot tri. I think it was overkill for this lake and no access to any big water. Many sailboats still moored along the shore. Many sailboats in the mid 20 foot range anchored at the marinas. We did an about face and headed back to the ramp.
This was great the wind had shifted toward the west. We were determined to fly the chute. After we got out of the narrows we hoisted the chute.
Great it was flying. We were able to sail between a beam and broad reach all the way back to the ramp. The boat was planning along. A lazer came out but quickly headed away we were out distancing him in a big way.
We had to be going at least 6 knots because it took less than an hour to cover the entire distance.
This was the best trip using the spinnaker I have ever had. I tried several times at Mullet Lake in early Sept. Newfy and I only had one decent trip with it.
I just had to tell all the I finally got a great spinnaker run with KatieAnn. Hopefully I will get many more in the future.
Being the probable last sail of the season what a great way to finish up.
I even took my camera. Tried to take pictures but there is not a lot of room to move around when the spinnaker if flying and you can not get a good position to film the boat.
Good sailing Tom D. IP: 152.163.101.13 |
mharshey
Member
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posted September 24, 2004 12:09 AM
Sounds Great Tom! Can't wait til I can get Aquarius over there. As you know, I'm even closer to that lake than you are. My sails still haven't shown up, but I'm sure they are some where between here and Fort Erie. Oh well, gives me more time to get her perfect!IP: 24.11.147.143 |
Shortstay
Member
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posted September 24, 2004 12:15 AM
What a great day, Tom!I noodled around on MapQuest. Is this the Gull Lake we're talking about? 
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Kevin
Shortstay III, #901
[This message has been edited by Shortstay (edited September 24, 2004).] IP: 198.115.167.7 |
Hyprstitch
Member
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posted September 24, 2004 07:52 AM
6 mile long lake a medium sized lake? That would be a big lake for Colorado. Glad you had a good day,Sid IP: 198.81.26.106 |
townsend
Member
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posted September 24, 2004 02:33 PM
Around here the big lakes are called Superior, Michigan, Huron, and Erie.Sounds like a great day. I've been ruminating about taking the boat to Gull Lake for a couple of years now. How's the access? Is it easy to launch and retrieve a sailboat without a motor? IP: 141.211.30.228 |
Tom D CL16
Member
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posted September 24, 2004 06:28 PM
That is the correct map.
The boat launch is at the north end abut 200 yards west of Turners Corner. There is a lot of paved parking for boat trailers.
It has 2 docks with space for 4 launchings at a time. There is a small swimming beach and on each side of the ramps there is small landing areas. Flush toilets both his/hers. A large picnic area and accross the street a party store with take out food. I have seen a 25 foot McGreagor launched from this ramp. The Lake is between Battle Creek(Kellog cereal) and Kalamazoo (paper, light industry) with mostly very nice homes and summer homes.
The lake is closer to 5 miles long and almost a mile wide. It is beautiful and deep so the water looks blue.
The wind was coming out of the south as we started out from the north. It switched to the southwest on the spinnaker run back.
I am pleased that so many of you read and respond to my sailing stories.
The CL 16 is a great boat for both small and big water.
Tom D CL16 #438 IP: 152.163.101.13 |
Canadian Sailor
unregistered
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posted September 24, 2004 06:41 PM
Congrats on a great spin sail.I would really like to sail spin on my boat... ------------------
Canadian Sailor ;)
"Before you criticize someone, you should walk a mile in their shoes. That way, when you
criticize them, you're a mile away and you have their shoes." IP: 216.208.85.125 |
Eric
Member
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posted September 25, 2004 03:17 PM
Another great tale, of a great sail  Way to get that spinn flying Tom! It is a cool sail to fly!! Eric IP: 130.63.85.93 |
elmet3
Member
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posted September 27, 2004 02:04 PM
I took my Sandpiper to Gull lake earlier this year and had a very good sail, but during summer months it is a VERY busy lake.
I also went from the north end down to south end and circled the island. On the way back the wind died and I ended up rocking in the waves made by power boats, doing the shake-and-bake on a hot summer day. But, it was a good sail. My sister lives near Gull lake, so it is fairly easy for me to go over for a day of sailing. The lake access was pretty good. Now that autumn is here I may go back and try it again, hopefully without all the power boats. IP: 67.107.33.106 |
