The route we took for MM05 was:

Saturday, April 23, 2005: After the LVBMA Founders' Day Race, beached the fleet on the South side of Callville Bay rather than the cove on the North side. The beach was sandy and we were able to get all the boats in there. I "appointed" Mark and Sherry Corthell's son Carson as the "Harbor Master" to set all the anchors and BBQ equipment and chairs up on the upper level of the beach. This to give Carson experience that in the working world, they give out fancy "titles" rather than salary increases, LOL. Murv Barry organized tying the boats sterns together and having the end boats have a line to the shore to a tree or one of Jim Linseth's stakes. Turns out we needed all of this when a thunderstorm came through after Midnight from the NE and then SW with winds gusting to 35 MPH. Everyone was up checking lines and putting out additional lines to the shore on the end boats. We had heavy rain and several lightning strikes right over head, and I thought for sure one of our aluminum masts would be hit. None were TG.



Sunday, April 24, 2005: U/W for Middle Point. Many sailed through the narrows. I motored sailed as I don't trust the blind turns in the Narrows with the "Yahooers" and their speedboats zipping through there on Sunday morning. Once in the Virgin Basin, we got a nice NE wind to sail towards Middle Point's bay. Rather than beach the boats in the North cove behind the pump-out float in Middle Point bay, I felt the winds would be from the SW and convinced the fleet to beach the boats on the Southern sandy shore behind the bluff there. WRONG, wind from the NE and blew all night, LOL. Steve Ledak would never let me forget my "command" decision, LOL.


Monday, April 25, 2005: U/W for Temple Bar Marina. Chose this direction as many had never been to Sandy Point on the Gregg Basin. Also the Corthall had their trailer and vehicle at Temple Bar and needed to return on Monday. Very light NE winds. Mostly drifting. Winds finally came up in the late afternoon. As expected Murv Barry led with Bruce Shepardson ("Tiger-1" Hunter 26) and Newell following on a Wing on Wing sail. The breeze was so good they sailed right down the "blind" bay just to the North of the Temple Bar Bay, LOL. Murv caught one of his wooden rudders between two rocks in the shallows, but was able to work it out with little damage. Pat Gilbert ("Tropico" Mac26X) had to call them on the radio to point out their error. All dropped sails and headed for the correct bay and marina, LOL. Courtesy dock fee now $15 per night, payable at the fuel dock.

Tuesday, April 26, 2005: U/W for Sandy Point on the Gregg Basin. We all were able to sail down (Wing on Wing and Broad Reachs) the narrows to Gregg Basin with a gentle NE wind. Once in the basin, both Murv and Newell set their cruising spinnakers. Got some great pictures of this below. The water was high enough to allow all the boats to beach at Sandy Point's North side. Those that had not been to Sandy Point before were impressed with its bowl shape and all around protection.



Wednesday, April 27, 2005: U/W for Temple Bar Marina. Before leaving, I hitched a ride with Pat Gilbert to go up to Ice Berg Canyon and see how far we could get up river. Jim and Angel Linseth ("Angelsmile" Mac26X) and a late comer, Roy Highland ("Salty Dog" Mac26X) joined us. Pat stopped when the water level was 2 feet. This did not seem to bother the tourist Jet Boat that came flying out of the bend in the river ahead. The boat had been launched at South Cove ramp and tourists arrived there by bus.

Pat took me back to Sandy Point to pick up my boat. Then the strong SW 15-20 MPH with gusts of 25 MPH winds arrived. Both "Angelsmile" and "Salty Dog" (had a swing keel line break or fouled) motored back to Temple Bar, but old salts like Pat and I decided to sail, LOL. Pat got some dramatic video of our boats heeled over, LOL. Finally, I had to reef my main. Got over to the West side of the basin and "heaved too" to put in my reefed main. Had the working jib already up. Poor Pat has a bolt roped Main and didn't want to risk the problem with reefing, he did have only a jib furled head sail. This all worked well until reaching the Southern end of the basin. The combined winds of the SW plus those funneling through the narrows made sailing impossible in the resulting confused waters. Dropped sails and motored, but my head sail started to pick up some wind and open up. I had told Pat of my problem and he position himself on my leeward quarter to nudge me away from the narrows wall (definitely need Auto Pilot) should my weight steer the boat to the narrows wall. After a few attempts at muzzling the jib and running back to correct my course, I finally got it done, LOL.

Thursday, April 28, 2005: Docked at Temple Bar Marina. Decided to remain at Temple Bar due to the weather report of high winds and Thunderstorms coming in from the West. Newell had to leave as he had payroll to prepare and left for Middle Point. He reported by radio that evening that he had made it safely to Middle Point, but that it was rough going (1). The day delay caused all to want to sail directly for Callville Bay Marina to be able to recover boats on Saturday morning after overnighting on the West shore beaching area.

Friday, April 29, 2005: U/W for Callville Bay Marina. Light SW winds so we tacked up the Temple Bar basin and into Virgin Basin. As many of the fleet reached Middle Point, they decided to stop and dump their Port-a-Potties at the Pump-out Float.

I was having motor problems with losing RPM's. So I ran at WOT to clear my motor. Pat and I , dumped our Port-a-Potties at the Hamble Bay Pump-out Float and proceeded into Callville Bay West shore beaching site.

Saturday, April 30, 2005: U/W for Lake Mead Marina. After saying our goodbyes to all heading for the Callville Launch ramp, "Angelsmile" and I motored with Roy Highland ("Salty Dog") to where he had his trailer and vehicle at Lake Mead Marina. Again I tied the WOT to see if that would clear my motor, No Joy. This Saturday at Lake Mead Marina was the annual Used Boat Sale and all the courtesy docks were occupied, so we were not able to land to assist Roy. Bid him so long and I told "Angelsmiles" I needed to go to Las Vegas Boat Harbor to see if they might have a fuel filter. They followed. Once there and turning the boat around to work on the motor from the dock, Jim Linseth determined it was not the suspected fuel filter being plugged, but fouled plugs. I had new plugs and the correct gap setting information (old plugs gap incorrectly set by me as a guess. May have been part of the problem. ). That fixed the problem. Had breakfast with Jim at restaurant (Angel was suffering from the many meals at Temple Bar Restaurant, LOL). Set sail for Swallow Cove, Swallow Bay. This is the cove Steve the K and I saw the coyotes up on the ridge line at dusk one evening we beached here. Jim and Angel were pleasantly surprised at the nice sandy protected cove and planned to come again over Memorial Day weekend.


Sunday, May 1, 2005: U/W for Callville Bay Marina. Motored to Callville Bay. "Angelsmile" had to blow their horn to wake me up as I would have motored right passed it, LOL. Recovered boats. Jim helped me lower my mast and they put "Angelsmile" in the Marina's mast up storage yard.

Captain Kimo
96' MacGregor 26X "FOREVER"
captkimo01@yahoo.com
Second Commodore, Las Vegas Bay MacGregor Association
www.geocities.com/rbniel/

(1) Newell comments on that Wednesday leg:

"Wednesday the day I left the group for return home I sailed through the worst wind ever encountered. I sailed from Temple Bar to Middle Point and I was averaging over 4 kts with no jib and a poorly reefed main. Later in the evening I motored to Callville thinking the wind was dying, well wrong again, got a little wet. To cap off the trip I lost my balence as I stepped onto the rear bumper of my truck for pull out and fell face first into the lake. Even at 9 pm there were witnesses."


Newell
Fast Sunday 96X