Planning a 50 mile boat cruise on Lake Chelan WA....tips and advice?

[americanmcss]

Re: Planning a 50 mile boat cruise on Lake Chelan WA....tips and advice?

Check the water level, they drain it down and I'm not sure when they raise it back up in the spring. I've been there early when the weather is great but the lake is low (and very cold), this may limit your launch options.

Yes you are correct. They lower the lake level in the late winter/early spring to allow for snow melt to fill it back up. I would assume that we wouldn't be going until after the level had come back up to the point where the city marina boat launch would be accessible.

 

[americanmcss]

Re: Planning a 50 mile boat cruise on Lake Chelan WA....tips and advice?

Honestly I think you are worrying too much, but to be honest I completely understand why, its tough for boaters who sometimes spend their lives on small lakes to step out of the box on a big lake and actually test your boats legs out.

I've been in the very same boat(pun intended)...

Never in my life would I have thought about a long trip but a few years ago we loaded up 12 passengers( two whole families) and went from Bullfrog to Rainbow bridge in my boat, all told 130 miles round trip with a few side trips, it was the highlight of the vacation!!

Get after it, you are not going to live forever!!

You are absolutely right! The biggest thing for me is that our boat has never been a voyager. We've always gone to the lake, launched, went out about a mile and either anchored up and hung out, or threw the tube in the water and pulled the kiddos around.

Last year at Chelan we did venture from the city to the state park which is a short cruise, but I think that may have been the longest single leg (5-8 miles maybe?) that we've ever taken it on. So I am a little cautious about the whole thing, and I just like to be prepared.

 

[LippCJ7]

Re: Planning a 50 mile boat cruise on Lake Chelan WA....tips and advice?

You are absolutely right! The biggest thing for me is that our boat has never been a voyager. We've always gone to the lake, launched, went out about a mile and either anchored up and hung out, or threw the tube in the water and pulled the kiddos around.

Last year at Chelan we did venture from the city to the state park which is a short cruise, but I think that may have been the longest single leg (5-8 miles maybe?) that we've ever taken it on. So I am a little cautious about the whole thing, and I just like to be prepared.

Like I said I completely understand, sounds like we boat the same way, so don't worry about it, certainly prepare for it but once you have done it you will have so much more faith in your boat, or not...LOL, Look you will survive just fine, have fun with it and see what happens, if nothing else you will know where you are with your boat right?