MacGregorSailors.com

Ahoy Lake Mead and all other sailors,

Here is the Las Vegas Bay Macgregor Association schedule for 2011 events:

• Mead Madness Sail '11 : April 15-22, 2011
• 13th  Annual LVBMA Founders' Day Cup Race : April 16, 2011
• Fall Flotilla Sail '11 : October 7-14, 2011 (Including 3nd Annual "Lake Mead Sailing Rally" while transiting the various Lake Mead Basins)

WHAT: The two schedule Sails are non-sponsored week long group sail to the five basins of Lake Mead.  Overnight in either sheltered coves or one of Lake Mead marina's courtesy docks.  Newbie skippers are welcome. We have a group of regular Lake Mead sailors that have sailed together for many years and have a wealth of advise and assistance.

The LVBMA Founders' Day Cup Race is open to all trailerable sailboats and skipper experience.  Minimum racing rules apply.  A small donations from participating skippers will be appreciated for off setting the cost of the awards. Request registration at [email protected] with:
• Name of the boat
• Boat's Manufacture and model
• Name of the skipper and crew
• ETA at Callville Bay

Winner award is a engraved SS Coleman coffee cup and the "Bitter End" award for last boat to finish. DNF boats are disqualified.

The Lake Mead Sailing Rally is timed sailing runs ("legs") between various navigation buoys/markers along the transit route of the lake basins. Maps of the four route legs and timing start and finish will be supplied to registered participants.

Award is the yellow winner's T shirts (ala' Tour de France Bike Race) for best adjusted time for a given leg.

For detailed maps of the both:
• Mead Madness and LVBMA Founders' Day Cup Race go to http://tinyurl.com/4jm92hj

• Fall Flotilla and Lake Mead Sailing Rally go to http://tinyurl.com/4rof9wd

WHERE: Launching at Callville Bay Marina ramp.  Callville Bay Marina is located 12 miles East of Junction RTs 147/167 on the Northshore Scenic Drive, Lake Mead NV.  Group to assembly at a SW sheltered cove of Callville Bay just outside and to starboard coming out of the marina's tire jetty entrance.  Will be monitoring VHF Channel 68 on the hour to provide directions.  Overnight courtesy dock fee at Callville Bay Marina is $15 assessed about  11 PM.  Mast up boat camping overnight in the Callville Bay camp grounds $10.  If available, use the camp sites along the South side for widest spaces in the camp ground.  A $50 fine could be assessed for boat camping in the marina parking lot.  Limited vehicle&trailer parking at the top of the "Low Water Ramp" area with overflow parking on the down slope to the old ramp.  Recommend parking in the Long Term parking lot at the lower level of the parking area.  Water, ice, fuel, food, small grocers available at all the marinas.

WHEN: Group Sails usually start out from Callville Bay in the AM on first Sunday.  If winds are favorable during the Fall Flotilla Sail, we will conduct the annual Lake Mead Sailing Rally between designated navigation buoys / markers along the transit routes to the various Lake Mead basins.

LVBMA Founders' Day Cup Race (Saturday of Mead Madness Sail):
8:00 AM Captains' Meeting at the courtesy dock to provide time 'hack', minimum rules, preparation and race start signals, the designated race course with a map.  Those overnight in the sheltered Callville Bay cove on Friday will already have the information..

9:30 AM Start of the Race at Navigation Buoy CB-A (Callville Bay entry buoy) and closest point of land.  This will also be the finish line.

~3:00 PM No Host BBQ and Awards ceremony and group picture at the overnight cove.

PROVISIONING: Recommend provisioning before entering the tolled (increased fees after March 15, 2011) Lake Mead National Recreation Area.  Food4Less (with Ice and Dry Ice), Wal-Mart, West Marine are located at a strip mall at Lake Mead Drive (Rt 147) and Boulder Hwy.  Recommend fueling vehicle and boat before entering. Expensive vehicle and boat fuel is available at the marina.

Please pass the "word" to any of your sailmates that might be interested.  Hope to see you all there.
 
"The Goal is the Voyage, Not the Destination"

 
Captain Kimo
96' Mac26X "FOREVER"
Second Commodore & Events Coordinator
Las Vegas Bay Macgregor Association
http://las-vegas-bay-macgregor-assoc.webs.com
[email protected]
Callville Bay, Boulder Basin, Lake Mead, Nevada[url][/url]

Hello Mead Madness Sailors. I will definitely be there. I will arrive a few days early and hang around the northern end of the Boulder Basin until Friday, April 15 where I will be in the vicinity of Calville to assist rigging and launching of arriving boats. Look forward to seeing everyone.

Patrick Gilbert
"Tropico" (99MacX)
Canyon Country, CA

Please Note, the LAKE MEAD FEES HAVE INCREASED AS OF 15 JANUARY 2011.

LAKE MEAD FEE INCREASE
Entrance fees Jan. 15
Vehicle/motorcycle, five-day pass $5 Discontinued
Vehicle/motorcycle, seven-day pass $10
Annual pass $30
Additional vehicle, $30
Lake-use fees (per vessel)
Boating, seven-day pass $16
Boating, seven-day senior access $8
Boating, annual pass $30
Additional vessel, annual pass $30
Annual pass, senior access $15
Individual pass fees
Seven-day pass $5

Hi Folks,

Can't believe it is only three weeks away. It doesn't really feel like spring yet.

We will be there during your Mead Madness sail but will probably not participate in the sail per se. It's not that we are totally antisocial, a lot, but it is spring Break for our kids and we usually try to find nice secluded coves and chill for a few days.

It is highly likely we might see you at Middle point though. I checked one of your custom maps awhile back that had an interesting anchorage marked in the Overton arm but can't seem to find that particular map again. Actually we really hope to meet up with you guys for a day or two. Our experience is that fellow Maccers usually have excellent booze. (too bad AYA16 isn't coming.)

To that end our itinerary looks as follows. We will leave the SoCal area and arrive at Lake Mead marina near the Hemenway ramp on Saturday April, 16th. We prefer that area to launch and retrieve as well as camp for a night. It is a little further off the beaten path but still very accessible from the West. We plan to sail through Boulder basin and out the Narows to Middle point on Sunday. After that our plans are very open depending on our whims and supplies. We will probably return to the marina Saturday April, 23 and drive back Easter Sunday.

We are looking forward to maybe meeting some of you guys.

Theo

Ahoy Theo,
Take care in launching and recovery at Hemenway ramp. I found it very shallow last October and could not lower my rudders and had only the O/B to pull off the trailer. Had shallow hazards on either sides of the ramp area and with only the O/B steering was difficult maneuvering in close quarters with other boats heading for the nearby fuel dock.

Check out our web site at http://www.las-vegas-bay-macgregor-assoc.webs.com for the Google maps of some of the sites on the lake we stop at. Especially the one across from Middle Point. Sailed to Middle Point last weekend and beached the boat in a cove we usually go to. Water still shallow. Take care when beaching and use rudders up to be safe. Hope to see you at Middle Point on 17 April. Monitoring VHF Channel 68.

Ahoy Cpt. Kimo,

I had a great time last March with you guys during that good blow. I'm not going to make it this April but hope to see you all in October. I am racing our Mac26D "Chicken of the Sea" in the Newport to Ensenada, Mexico ocean race starting on April 15th. Have a great time on the lake and thanks for continuing to put together these great events!

Mike Nelson

Ahoy Capt. Kimo,

Thanks for the heads up on the Hemenway (Henway?) ramp. When we were there last April, I was feeling pretty smug knowing my Mac only needed 9" of draft. A few tow vehicles were easily 10 feet out onto the lake to get their boats floating. I think we should be OK though. According to my info here

http://www.usbr.gov/lc/riverops.html

we are only about 5 feet below last April and about 12 to 13 feet above last October. That should make it a lot easier to find old landmarks and favorite spots.

On that note, is there any way you can re-post the custom Google maps you had up recently. I tried to load them again but for some reason your instructions do not work anymore. I think Google changed their page layout or something. Those were excellent maps by the way.

Hope to see you at Middle Point, and we will keep an ear to channel 68 and 16.

Theo

PS Capt. Mike,

I totally forgot about the Newport Ensenada. It usually conflicts with school and work schedules also. Maybe next year. That would be a hoot to do as a group! The way things are going this year though, weather could be a serious issue.

Theo wrote:
....On that note, is there any way you can re-post the custom Google maps you had up recently. I tried to load them again but for some reason your instructions do not work anymore. I think Google changed their page layout or something. Those were excellent maps by the way....

Theo

You are right Theo. Google has done something to my maps.

For detailed maps of the both:
• Mead Madness and LVBMA Founders' Day Cup Race go to http://tinyurl.com/4jm92hj

• Fall Flotilla and Lake Mead Sailing Rally go to http://tinyurl.com/4rof9wd

Darn...

I thought this was a thread about mead, not Mead! /chuckles

(I make mead, it's honey wine for those that don't know, and I usually carry some on the boat for the guests. hehe)

RickD wrote:Darn...

I thought this was a thread about mead, not Mead! /chuckles

(I make mead, it's honey wine for those that don't know, and I usually carry some on the boat for the guests. hehe)

Right RickD. Had it at a Castle tour in Ireland many years ago. Too sweet for my taste, but an interesting one time drink and to aid conversation about the "good ole' days".

Speaking of "good ole' days", planning to host a BBQ beach party FOR MY 75TH BIRTHDAY on Monday April 18, 2011 at our first stop, MIDDLE POINT COVE, (JUNCTION OF OVERTON ARM AND VIRGIN BASIN, LAKE MEAD, NV) of the MEAD MADNESS SAIL 11. May not be any mead but plenty of "brewskis", and "lying and bragging" about sailing adventures. Be monitoring VHF Channel 68 during the MM Sail for any one interested in joining me for my 3/4 century bash. Don "Shoes" Rhodes has promised me a Porsche to match the VW Beetle that Mylissa gave me years ago, for my birthday (inside joke .

Group,

What is it about Mead Madness that trips me up. Last year it was triple by-pass and this year I have left leg and right hand in splints from a fall. Not throwing in the towel just yet. Found a crewmate, that owns a Chrysler 20 who may want to do the heavy lifting. Worse comes to worse, could use the raising system.

Ahoy Mead Sailors.
Leaving for Callville Bay on Sunday morning. See you all there. Hey Newell, you have to show up because it wouldn't be the same without you.
Will stay on the North Shore of Boulder Basin untill Friday and then back to Callville to meet arriving boats.

Patrick Gilbert
"Tropico" (99MacX)
Canyon Country, CA

WOOooo, just MISSED a big one with the possible shutdown, and more importantly, closing of Lake Mead National Recreation Area and cancelling Mead Madness Sail 11. Had my boat all rigged and sitting in the Callville Bay Marina lower parking lot for the last month, but move it back to my RV slot today, Friday, April 8, in fear of the boat getting "trapped" at the Callville Bay Marina during the shutdown, and closing of the LMNRA.

MEAD MADNESS SAIL 11 IS ON SCHEDULE, APRIL 15-22! SEE YOU ALL ON THE WATER MacGregor26D/S,

Pat G., probably be launching Friday April 15. Dinner on board at the BBQ beach, SW cove of Callville Bay.

Congrats Capt on no shutdown - - - however I don't understand why you thought you might get trapped inside Calville? Even with no one at the gate you can always get out; you just can't get in - - - right???

Have fun at the event - - -I still have NO BOAT so I can't join you

Rick

If anybody is going single-handed and would like crew for the first couple days, email me. My crew had another committment (wife). I'm still in splints but doing better, could help out and I'm good luck for racing.