Thanks for the photos John They make me drool. Connie On 10/11/2020 12:53 PM, John Schinnerer via montgomery_boats wrote:
Here's a couple shots of 'Pajarita' at her rustic berth at Westlake resort on Siltcoos lake (different days, different weather).
I had her in the lake for a month, give or take a day, late July to late August.
Mostly it's calm overnight and mornings and wind comes up starting about 10-10:30 am, pushing in from the coast just a few miles away. Within 1 1/2-2 hours it is up to full force for the day, which in summer is often upper teens in knots and more on 'windy' days (when there are small craft warnings offshore). A forecast under mid-teens is considered a mellow day in that area...
Prevailing winds are from the N to NW. There were a few days with different conditions, one with wind from the S to SW which was swirlier because there are more hills in that direction vs. flatter land to the N to NW.
So there's a window of somewhat mellow sailing for a bit starting mid-morning and then it gets to be good practice conditions for high & generally gusty lake winds. The wind is smoother on the far (SE, from the marina) side of the lake. It is strongest and gustiest in the W-NW corner, including Westlake/Dunes City, where the marina is. In particular the approach to the marina is normally upwind and more intense (stronger, gustier) the closer you get. If you look it up on a map you can see Jernigan island that creates a pinched area for some extra swirl and gustiness heading towards the marina.
Most of the time I left the first reef in my main, as I knew I'd have to reef soon after setting out anyhow. I just put the full jib out to start, if I was out early enough, and then reefed it in progressively as the wind picked up.
Definitely a nice lake to sail on if you're within hauling distance & don't mind strong winds most of the time. Westlake resort is quiet & funky, the owner Brandon & his family & sister-in-law etc. run the place,all very nice people. County park boat ramp is directly adjacent to their little marina.
cheers, John