Re: calling all lake mead boaters! nevada
I've been boating alot in my life but mostly with parents, boats I rented and other's boats and have never seen that kind of aggressive lake action. I couldn't show it at the time but I was very concerned for my family's lives because of my poor decision to head out.
I got a glimpse of Team Sikora's boat on the trip to the dumpster....very nice looking even with a cover on it.
I got to thinking about how we make our decision to go out if it looks bad after I read that. With a group, which we pretty much always go out in, we see each other all the time and there's always conservations about the lake, the weather, etc., so it's usually a group decision based on information and discussions with several people. It sure is a lot easier to watch the white caps from the comfort of dry land than when you're in them.
My little story about the 5 footers and the family hails from Havasu about 17 years ago. We went there to plant a dedication tree on the island for a friend that died several years before. I had an 18' open bow i/o at the time. We decided to take a trip from the island up the river to Topock for lunch, which is about 20 miles from where we were. I saw the wind was starting to pick up and wanted to keep passengers to a minimum so I went to ask a couple of people to go, and when I got back my wife had done the same thing. We had a small argument, and instead of being the bad guy, I went out with a boat filled to legal capacity against my better judgment. I didn't even enjoy the trip that much because my gut feelings told me I shouldn't even be out there. the trip up was fine, but all I could do at Topock was stand overlooking the river and watch the wind conditions. The bummer was I couldn't feel the wind from where I was standing because it was blowing over the building which I was on the leeward side of.
When white caps picked up - on the river, mind you - I told everyone we needed to head back right away. I thought about calling someone to drive up from the lake with the trailer and pick us and the boat up, thinking I had been in worse, but I decided to go for it. I didn't realize how bad the lake was until we got to the mouth. WOW. I had never seen it so rough, and this is with many years spent there. So I passed out the life jackets.. I think this scared everyone even more.. The waves were so big and the troughs so deep that my outdrive was hitting in every one until we got into deeper water. I watched the waves pass by my side, towering above me as I had the bow pitched as high as she would go. Adult women crying, with my wife calmly trying to deal with them. I saw boats here and there in distress and calling to us on the way back to the ramp, but there was absolutely nothing I could do except send help when I got in. If I would have stopped, I would have swamped and sunk with out a doubt.
When we made it in it was almost surreal, like it didn't really happen. Everyone regained composure and all was back to normal, but boy did we party that night!
In the end, lesson learned..and my wife has never again questioned my judgment - when it comes to boating anyway..
