If you aren't interested in Smith Mountain Lake Virginia please hit the delete
button, Ted Warnock asked for information and there are enough of the gang near
here that I thought they might be interested. For that matter one or two of you
Floridians or Texans might just show up here to check it out! <g>
Ted
- - - - -
Ted Warnock,
I know of Occaquan Bay, never boated there. Love this weather too. Wish I could
line up sunny days, days off, and winds days together.
SMITH MOUNTAIN LAKE: Located about 45 minutes east of Roanoke, Virginia (about
220 miles from DC. ) ( 99 miles from Greensboro, NC.) It is a 20,000 acre
man-made lake by American Electric Power started 1960 completed 1966. Nestled
among the Blue Ridge Mts. Lake is NOT WIDE at any point. It is really several
rivers and many creeks flooded, really nice lake, just not long reaches except
down lake and up lake.
---Booker T. Washington National Monument nearby, Parasailing, Minature Golf,
Boat dinner cruises, golfing, fishing (trophy striped bass, black bass, walleye,
etc), charter fishing, rent any kind of boat somewhere on the lake. Shopping
limited unless you go to Lynchburg or Roanoke.
SML State Park 1506 acres on north shore of lake. Nice beach. Haven't seen the
cabins. Excellent concrete ramps, I think $4.00 to use. Plus $5 per day parking,
but if you are staying there that may be different. I used it twice, but now use
Saunders PARKWAY Marina which is only a few miles further and charges only $3 ramp
fee and no parking fee. I rent a slip by the month in summer for $50.
ADC makes a CHART of Smith Mountain Lake for boating use. Try West Marine or
BOAT/US. Make sure you don't get a road map which you won't need. Use the ADC
map for roadmap also. Winds in spring and fall are normally brisk gusting to
scary. In summer they are hard to come by. If you are coming in summer I suggest
that you plan to sail when the wind blows and do other things when it doesn't. In
other words, you can't say we'll sail Tuesday and go sightseeing Wednesday.
Spring and fall are nice. July and first part of August can be HOT. Nights are
cool and beautiful. Navigation is no problem. Shoals are well marked. Right now
the water level is down about 3 feet which is a little problem at docks and ramps,
but this is highly unusual. BAD drought this year. Probably will snow all winter
or rain., hopefully will be normal next year. Usually don't have bad droughts two
years in a row. A nice sail from SML State Park would be down the lake to near
the dam. Anchor out for the night somewhere down there and sail back the next
day. When anchoring, get as far away from the main channel as possible because
the occasional Cigarette Boat or other StinkPot will rock you awake.
Any questions I'll try to get answers. Let me know when you are coming, maybe we
can get together for an afternoon sailing or enjoying something cool while the
kids swim.
I am considering trying to get together a Potter Sail at SML next spring or fall,
but can't even think about it until 12-26-98, then will get together with a few of
you by email and see what interest there is amongst us.
Ted Duke
WWPs19 #626
Fairfield, Virginia
Mountains of Virginia
TTango59@aol.com wrote:
> Yep, went sailing on Saturday, in Occaquan Bay of Potomac River, out from
> Leesylvania State Park, in Prince William County Virginia.... high temps in
> the mid-upper 60s, winds around 10 mph, nice steady breeze, great sailing with
> the family! Supposed to be similar condx this weekend, so may take another
> crack at it. Unbelievable wx for November, and we're lovin' it.
>
> BTW Ted Duke, please tell me more about sailing on Smith Mtn Lake? We have
> reservations to stay at the State Park there this summer, in one of their lake
> front cottages... plan to bring the Potter for the week... what's the lake
> like around the State Park? Any recommendations for things/places to
> see/do/avoid? Tnx
>
> Ted Warnock
> P19 #812, Clifton, VA