tbodine@seasick.sps.mot.com wrote:
> I'd like to schedule something one of the first couple of weekends in
> March a camp-out and sail at Whitney, Buchannon or some other
> centrally located lake that is equally convenient to all
> participants.
I'd like to invite any potterers who'd like to and especially members of
the Texas Gulf Coast Potters Association to sail Buchannon either
March 5,6, & 7 or
March 12, 13, & 14.
I'll definitely return the favor to anyone who travels the furthest.
Let me know which park you'd prefer and when you'd like to come.
Here's a little story to entice you. Please forgive me a head of time
those of you with slow links.
#--------------------------------------------------------------------
Sailing Buchannon Lake in Febuary 1999
Well I took a little trip to Buchannon Feb 5 & Feb 6. Here is what I
found.
I arrived at the Dam Park at around three O-clock and set up the boat.
I Found the lake is about 10 to 15 feet low since we haven't had much
rain since the flood in September and the LCRA has drained the lake in
preparation for spring showers. There's plenty of ramp under water
still so launching the boat was no problem. There are a couple of
live oaks flanking the ramp which forced me to Hog the ramp. No one
else was trying to launch at the time so no problem.
Vince arrived at 5:00 pm and it got dark so we anchored out to eat dinner,
shoot the breeze, sleep and wait for dawn. There were three well
behaved campers on shore. About three fishermen launched during the
night, so all in all it was a peaceful evening.
My choice of the Dam Park was based on an expected over night breeze
of 5 to 10 MPH from the south. This park is on the south eastern edge
of the lake so the wind came off the windward shore giving us no
problem maintaining our anchorage over night.
If I had chosen Black Rock park instead, we'd have been on a lee shore
with sufficient chop to keep me ( a light sleeper ) awake all night. Not
to mention the worry of running a ground in the night.
Dam Park, as I said earlier is protected on three sides, by shore so it
would probably be the best cheap place to hold a meet on the south shore.
There is not much parking, no facilities besides the ramp, so you'd need
to use what you bring. On the other hand there are convenience stores nearby,
if you need to run to get something.
The next morning someone on shore yelled at someone else "Hey! why
aren't you up yet?!!" So we were ALL UP! We fixed coffee, soup and
set sail. The wind was blowing from the south at 5 - 10 all day so it
was an easy down wind sail northwards.
First We sailed to the northwestern edge of the lake where we saw a little
housing development where I had spent the night of the Pleiades meteor shower
watching. There is a striking three story building that looks like a Fire
station with large garage doors and a little outlook tower on top,
that I'd like to find out the purpose of.
We sailed to the east around what is normally an island, but with the lake at
it's current low level is a peninsula joined to the mainland by a low lying
isthmus. A danger here is a low lying point that runs eastward from the island
quite a few yards. This point would normally be submerged and would present
a hazard when the lake is just a little higher. I note the Lat/Lon of a channel
later.
We sailed around this point and between the mainland and another island further
north. We rounded the bend here to find a bluff to the south of us upon which
was perched the Rod & Reel Grill. We stopped here for lunch. There is a dock
with three power up berths for power boats and sufficient room for four
potters on each side.
The restaurant was closed, but it is rumored to serve good food. I
think this would be a good destination for lunch or dinner.
I wandered around a bit and found the office. The restaurant is part of
a lake resort complex. There is a boat ramp, camp ground, cabins, and
fishing pier as well. To reach the resort you have to drive twenty miles
around the lake and pass through Black Rock and Tow ( pronounced Tau for
some reason).
The proprietoress told me that the falls are a further 3 miles north,
this is the location of Colorado Bend state park, the destination of
the vanishing river tour and the purported location of two winter
nesting eagles. If I had had more time I would have sailed further up
to see how long this trip would take.
Vince wanted to attend a Hootenany Saturday evening so we turned south
an retraced our course using the motor. We left about Noon, by
maintaining approximately 4.8 knots we made it back to Dam park by 1415.
There was quite a bit of chop at the northern end of the lake since the
wind was still blowing around 10 MPH. Waves were about one to two feet
I suppose. Frimi pounded a bit until we got with in a mile and a half
of the dam.
My GPS came in handy since although its two miles long, you can't see the
dam from the middle of the lake until you're right up on it. Its around
a bend.
Over all it was a wonderful sail. It was cloudy all day so no
sunburn. The temperature ran from 65 degrees in the morning to near
80 in the afternoon. As Solar Fry says I had to wear my winter shorts
:-) . The water was probably about 58 - 60 degrees so it wasn't much
trouble to launch and retrieve the boat.
Heres a URL that'll give you a map to Burnet:
http://maps.yahoo.com/py/maps.py?Pyt=Tmap&YY=20587&addr=100%20main&city=Burnet&state=TX&slt=30.8066&sln=-98.2745&mag=7&cs=5&newmag=4
URL for Buchannon Lake:
http://maps.yahoo.com/py/maps.py?Pyt=Tmap&addr=100+main&city=Burnet&state=TX&slt=30.8066&sln=-98.2745&mlt=30.7684&mln=-98.4144&mag=7&cs=5&map.x=226&map.y=204
How to get to The Dam Park from Georgetown:
1. Go west on State Hwy 29 from IH 35
2. You'll pass through Bertram along the way
watch the cop's they've not much to do.
3. Drive through Burnett, (watch the school zone)
You'll pass a HUGE (for Burnett) HEB
If you need to stock up this is the place.
4. Continue down HWY 29 towards LLano
5. You'll pass a few small settlements.
6. On the left you'll see a machine shop for sale. Get ready
for the turn off on the right.
7. Turn right on to RR 690 (There's a sign announcing
public boat ramp. )
8. The turn off for the boat ramp is less than a mile up this
road on the left.
To get to Black Rock Park.
1. Continue past RR 690
2. Cross the bridge below the damn above Inks Lake
3. Pass the Turbine impeller on the right
4. Pass the visitor's center at the dam on the right
5. Pass a restaurant and light house on the right.
6. Pass the post office on the right
7. There'll be a turn off on the right with lots
of businesses. Two Junk shops come to mind.
8. Drive through Black Rock, past trailer parks,
a convenience store on left and such.
9. LCRA park is about two miles past the convenience store.
10. Boat ramp turn off is about 100 yards further along that
road.
note: Please pay the $3.00/day fee to use the toilets at
black rock or you'll get to talk to the LCRA Cop's.
# Regards Tom Bodine @
# Skipper "Frimi" P-19 #1019 ,-+-'
# Dancing to the music life has given me. A