Overnite beaching

[Will Watters]

In the past we have camped out overnight at Banks Lake in Eastern WA at the local state park which has a nice beach. I have always beached our boat with no trouble. Many boaters will leave their boat anchored slightly off shore with a stern line to the beach and the bow anchored in 5 to 10 feet. I plan to get my first \\\"new\\\" boat this year (05\' LSV) and I know beaching is out of the question. With my large investment I am inclined to go the extra effort and bring the boat in every night. Just wondering what other folks do. When camping overnight or for several nights, do you bring your expensive boat in every night, or anchor off shore with anchor and stern line? Having the boat in the water overnight sure helps getting out early.

[Yellowmobius]

I ususlly take the boat out, wipe it down and cover it. Never know what the weather will do overnight here in North Dakota.

[lowdrag]

I'm not one to leave my boat in the water overnight either. Especially with all the gear that most of us keep loaded in them for playing out on the water. You just never know what kind of turds are wandering around at night. I've had several friends who have discovered missing items out on the lake the next day or have come back to their boat to find it cleaned out.

[SkiKY]

We do a lot of shore camping and I have always left the boat in the water with an anchor and stern line. It's the best way to get an early start on the great water before it's destroyed by the crowds. I use an extra heavy galvanized anchor with 8' of chain on the stern specifically for the overnights. The regular lightweight anchor is attached to the bow and usually wrapped around the closest tree.

We stick mostly to slalom skiing so I can lock the skis and good jackets in the floor locker. I also have a large dry bag that I can pack the radio face plate, CD's and other valuables in and swim them ashore for safe keeping.

Another option at many state parks (at least here in Kentucky) is to rent a slip at the marina. At least around here they are usually covered slips, run about $10 a night and provide a little more peace of mind.

[tygger6069]

WILL

I have also spent several nights at Banks Lake in Eastern Washington. We will anchor off shore in about 10 feet of water if we have the camp sites next to the lakeshore, if not, then we pull the boats out every night and park them next to the campers. Hope that this helps. We also use an anchor buddy that we got from OVERTONS. Hope that you enjoy the new boat, which one are you getting. Maybe we will see you there this year.


Tygger

[zabooda]

I boat in Eastern Washington too. Beaching is an option you have to decide and I usually make that decision as I'm coming up to the docks. If the docks are busy and people messing around its better to anchor off at the same time the winds can pick up at night and test your anchoring system. Anchoring has its advantages. You don't have many curious eyes looking in and you don't have some yahoos boat with the raised outboard banging your hull or the kids discovering a method to getting back on the dock after diving in...the ski deck. I use a "bungi-o-matic" as I tell other people. It's a about an 8' section of the big bungee cord attached at the anchor and about 14' up the rope. When you anchor off, you anchor the front and then pull the boat back stretching the bungee then tie the back of the boat the bungee then moves the boat out further out in the water and keeps the ropes tight. The bungee helps take the shock from wave action and puts the boat in deeper water which is important where the level fluctuates and keep lookers away. When you want to take off you pull on the boat from the rope attached to the stern and pull the boat into shallow water where you can step in. Drawbacks of this system is the waves and wind do push the boat around so you have to have some space on the sides to allow it to sway. They have a similar system in Overtons I believe.
I go to Lake Roosevelt every year at least once or twice but never landed at Banks. I have an invite to go to Banks for a jazz festival in May. Perhaps.

[Will Watters]

Thanks Tygger.

We really like it at Banks and have been camping there over the past seveal years. We have 4 trips planned this summer, one in June, one mid July and twice early/late August. We will pick up our 05 Mobius LSV in late March early April. If your there around that time look for the Navy Blue LSV, that will be us. We usually get the north ring 80-90 sites close to the beach. I agree that we will most like use the Anchor Buddy and leave it in the water as long as we are in close prox of the beach location.

Will

[tygger6069]

Will,

Congrates on the new LSV, sounds like you will have a full summer at Banks this year. We will try and get over there a few times this year also. We have a 2000 Kamberra that is white and viper blue with a tower and speakers on it. Hope that you have fun. Did you get the wakeplate with you boat? We did and have really enjoyed the ability to trim the wake to our liking. Well enjoy and again congrats on the new boat.

[Will Watters]

Jeff,

Hope you are enjoying your boat, I should get mine this week end....

Trying to understand your hookup on the Anchor Buddy. I will most likely get one too for anchoring at the beach in East Washington State this summer...

Do you tie your bow to one end of the anchor buddy and the other end ties at the anchor line loop at 35 feet with other end of the anchor line (rode) tied to the anchor ? So the hookup is Boat - Anchor Buddy - Anchor Rode (line) - Anchor?? Also, do you have any chain between the rode and anchor??

I suspect I may tie Stern to the anchor buddy (typically a no no, however, I do not expect anything to be able to swamp the boat on the lake) and then slow motor in to where you can hop off the bow at the beach, let the anchor buddy draw the boat out to about 25 to 30 feet and tie the bow line to a beach anchor. This would allow a little more depth for my prop. The beach depth does not drop off to more than 3 feet until about 10 to 15 feet out or so. To board, pull the boat in remove the bow line let the anchor buddie pull the boat out to deeper water and away we go!!

Do you use a bouy to mark your anchor location or do you always lift anchor after you leave a spot? Several folks at the beach we camp at "save" their spot with an anchor bouy.

[fdawg]

what are the odds of this? my friends and i go to Banks every year in July, and then also in August. There are three Mobious lsv boats in our group (black, red and orange).

We will be at banks over labor day -it'd be cool to see you there, will!



oh, by the way -we've been anchoring and tying off about 10' from shore but we get the sites that sit right on the beach.

Originally posted by Will Watters


Thanks Tygger.

We really like it at Banks and have been camping there over the past seveal years. We have 4 trips planned this summer, one in June, one mid July and twice early/late August. We will pick up our 05 Mobius LSV in late March early April. If your there around that time look for the Navy Blue LSV, that will be us. We usually get the north ring 80-90 sites close to the beach. I agree that we will most like use the Anchor Buddy and leave it in the water as long as we are in close prox of the beach location.

Will