New to the lake

[Rich]

Welcome to the lake!!

I remember my first year! Lot's to learn and I'm still learning.

I'm often around during the week also, normally Wednesday on, but it varies. I'm happy to meet up or take you for a ride.

Get your chart, find the following to know where they are so you can avoid problems and be prepared:

1) The Witches (off Governer's Isle and Timber Isle)
2) Spindle point, find the navaids, it's sort of an S turn get through the area
3) No wake zones, for example Eagle Island and Governor's Island pass, inside Governor's Island pass, through the Weirs Channel until south of the area about at the Ice Cream shack.
4) The graveyard (yes).

If you have the Bizer chart (highly recommended), find the 'suggested path' that will show you how best route yourself past many islands and the markers (some don't make sense, sometimes you pass between the marker and an island, other times you stay on the far side of a marker from the island).

Remember the Navaids !!!! :

Red-Top Stay south or west of them. (if you're going north/south stay west, if you're going west/east stay south.

Black-Top: Stay north or east of them. (if your going north/south, stay east, If you're going east/west, stay north).

All Red, and companion all Black. Go between Red and black.

How to remember the above?

Think of Red as a warm color, and is warm like the South West USA
Think of Black as a cold color, and is cold like the North East USA.

Good luck and enjoy the lake. Learn the surrounding hills and features, for example Gunstock Mountain ski slopes can be seen from most parts of the lake, it helps you get your orientation.

Take a ride and watch your chart, never follow another boater thinking he must know where is safe. Often they do, but often it's someone just as confused are you are!

Good luck and have fun! Feel free to ask for help or go for a ride together.

[jayhawk_nation]

Originally Posted by Rich

Welcome to the lake!!

I remember my first year! Lot's to learn and I'm still learning.

I'm often around during the week also, normally Wednesday on, but it varies. I'm happy to meet up or take you for a ride.

Get your chart, find the following to know where they are so you can avoid problems and be prepared:

1) The Witches (off Governer's Isle and Timber Isle)
2) Spindle point, find the navaids, it's sort of an S turn get through the area
3) No wake zones, for example Eagle Island and Governor's Island pass, inside Governor's Island pass, through the Weirs Channel until south of the area about at the Ice Cream shack.
4) The graveyard (yes).

If you have the Bizer chart (highly recommended), find the 'suggested path' that will show you how best route yourself past many islands and the markers (some don't make sense, sometimes you pass between the marker and an island, other times you stay on the far side of a marker from the island).

Remember the Navaids !!!! :

Red-Top Stay south or west of them. (if you're going north/south stay west, if you're going west/east stay south.

Black-Top: Stay north or east of them. (if your going north/south, stay east, If you're going east/west, stay north).

All Red, and companion all Black. Go between Red and black.

How to remember the above?

Think of Red as a warm color, and is warm like the South West USA
Think of Black as a cold color, and is cold like the North East USA.

Good luck and enjoy the lake. Learn the surrounding hills and features, for example Gunstock Mountain ski slopes can be seen from most parts of the lake, it helps you get your orientation.

Take a ride and watch your chart, never follow another boater thinking he must know where is safe. Often they do, but often it's someone just as confused are you are!

Good luck and have fun! Feel free to ask for help or go for a ride together.

Thank you for that. My only question is how well-marked is those spots with rocks. The Witches and graveyard? Are they easy to navigate around and avoid?

[thinkxingu]

Originally Posted by jayhawk_nation

Thank you for that. My only question is how well-marked is those spots with rocks. The Witches and graveyard? Are they easy to navigate around and avoid?

They're well-marked, and there's plenty of room to navigate, BUT if one gets confused or isn't 100% on how markers work, or is approaching too quickly, it/they can become a problem...and often do.

That being said, if you've got your chart and know where you are—and keep to that "safe passage" line—you'll have no problems.

If you get mixed up, turned around, etc. just slow down/stop until you figure it out. There's no rush out there, right?

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