We left around 7pm and sailed to Lincoln Marina. We just had kids 5 and 6 with us. The winds were pretty strong, and the waves 2-3 feet. Under main sail alone, we made about 5 1/2 mph.
We’d never been so far south in the lake, so I cut a very wide circle around Bird island.
As we approached Lincoln Marina, a state park boat came out and checked on us to see if we needed help. The GPS coordinates I had for the Lincoln Marina channel were incorrect (but close.) Fortunately I had my cell phone with me, which had a GPS on it along with access to download google satellite images. So i pulled out the phone, and used it to navigate straight into the narrow channel. Awesome technology!
As we tied up to the dock, a low profile ski boat headed out of the marina, loaded with 4 fairly oversized fishermen. We warned them about the waves, but out they went. 5 minutes later they were back, one guy commenting colorfully, “I’ve never vomited so much in my life.” They said they were scared to death, and were just hoping to get back in to the marina without being swamped.
The marina was nice for being so remote. Nice bathrooms in the neighboring campsite. We burned a citronella candle in the cockpit, which did a great job keeping the bugs away.
The next morning I was up early, so I motored out of the marina and set sail for an hour before anyone woke up. Nice winds, easy sailing.
I still want to sail down to the southwest corner of the lake, and investigate the large orchards near the south shore. How there is so much green on such a deserted hill intrigues me…