John, So far, I’ve only dipped my toe into Tahoe for about a week aboard my previous boat, a Drascombe Lugger. I’ve spent a few nights each at Lester Beach (DL Bliss State Park), and anchored in Emerald Bay. You’re correct, except for Emerald Bay, most of the anchorages are open roadsteads, with the prevailing winds from the Southeast (mornings), clocking to Southwest in the afternoon. In these conditions the best overnight locations will be on the north side of any point ie: Rubicon Point, Sugar Pine Point, Zephyr Point. The farther north you go, the more likely you’ll be anchoring on a lee shore. (With strong southerlys, we get surfable waves on the north shore.) I’ve also explored Skunk Harbor and Sand Harbor by kayak and these look promising. Sand Harbor has offshore rock piles that will offer some protection. Monitor the weather reports and choose your anchorage carefully. Emerald Bay offers protection from any wind and provides quiet, calm nights after the tourists and stereo blasting powerboats leave. Along the north and south sides of the bay, the bottom drops away into deep water about 10’ from shore, but there are about 20 mooring balls (Boat-In Campground) that can be reserved through Emerald Bay State Park. But the little known secret (don’t tell anybody) is that anchoring is permitted on a shallow sandy bottom with lots of swing room at the head of the bay for approx. 100 yards on either side of the public pier and swim area. You can use this anchorage as a base for beautiful day-hikes to Eagle Falls, Eagle Lake, and beyond. Remember, lake level is 6,200 ft, so take it easy. A tour of Vikingsholm and a couple hour kayak rental would round out a nice day there. To launch at any of the ramps on Lake Tahoe, you will need to have an Anti Invasive Species Inspection. Your bilge and outboard must be clean and DRY. Cost is about $30, more if the boat needs to be decontaminated. See: https://tahoeboatinspections.com/ The lake water is CLEAR, with 100’+ visibility, but keep your eyes open. I’ve been in 30’ of water along shore and encountered 29’ diameter rocks, just awash! Summer air temps are in the 70s and 80s, but lake temps are mid-50s to mid-60s. I’m planning to be on the lake from mid-August through mid-September. I’ll send out an invite to the group for anyone that might want to bring out their boat and join me. Les My Lugger (also named Poppy) on Emerald Bay.
On Dec 5, 2018, at 7:40 PM, John Schinnerer <john@eco-living.net> wrote:
Welcome Les, congrats on the M-17!
I just passed through Reno yesterday. Definitely not great sailing weather...just around freezing and a skiff (not the boat kind) of snow overnight.
I'll be curious to hear about your Tahoe cruising. There's not a lot of anchorages there it would seem to me...all pretty wide open except for Emerald bay. But would be some gorgeous sailing. I have thought about taking my M17 there some day (originally from Albany in the Bay area, now living in Ashland in southern OR).
cheers, John
On 11/29/2018 10:35 AM, Les Schuldt wrote: Hello Montysians, I was fortunate enough to snap up Mitch Carnes “Grace” (now renamed “Poppy” for my granddaughter). Briefly owned by Craig Smith, she is the boat featured in Craig’s M15-M17 comparison video, (Youtube ibcontent). I only had a chance to sail her a few times before the weather turned cool here in Reno, but I’m hoping to join a few others for a week at Lake Havasu, then on to the Lake Pleasant Messabout. I’ve sailed, raced, lived aboard, and restored wooden and fiberglass boats for the last 30 years on S.F. Bay. As a long-time fan of Lyle Hess designs, I think the Montgomery is going to be the perfect boat for my new home in the Sierras. I’ve already blocked off a month next summer to spend aboard exploring Lake Tahoe. Looking forward to meeting you all, Les & Ingrid Schuldt Reno, Nevada
-- John Schinnerer - M.A., Whole Systems Design -------------------------------------------- - Eco-Living - Whole Systems Design Services People - Place - Learning - Integration john@eco-living.net - 510.982.1334 http://eco-living.net http://sociocracyconsulting.com