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.............-- Lake Powell – Monday – Oct 9th ---...... …...............To Boat Ramp at Halls Crossing ….......................and On to Home .................................................................................................................... ................Motored/motor-sailed = 13.4 miles …...Sailed up lake = 7 miles

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Our last day on the lake was motoring and motor-sailing to the ramp where we took out.

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It might have been better if we would of gone to the ramp and taken out the day before.

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A front was going through and the temperatures had dropped and the wind really picked up back into the 20+ mph range. Dottie read some and I let the boat run on the auto-pilot most of the time and read, took pictures and ….

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..... enjoyed the scenery.

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We ran the Genoa at times as the wind was mostly behind us and the boat would easily run 5-6 knots on partial throttle.

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Finally the wind just picked up too much and we just ran on the outboard.

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As we neared the ramp we were treated with one last view of Navajo Mountain to the south. It and the east banks of the lake are all in San Juan County, which is where we call home ...

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.... there was a cloud over one of the Henry Mountains to the north. When we got to the dock at the ramp there was one boat tied out near the end of it with just enough room to pull in ahead of it but the wind would also be pushing us hard to the dock. We were about 100 feet off the dock when a small open power boat cut us off and pulled into the space we were headed to. I was not happy and let him know it. He said he would only be 20 minutes or so and we had to go back and circle around just past the end of the dock for 30 minutes as he loaded up supplies for someone who had a houseboat out on a mooring.

We finally got to go in and Dottie did a great job of coming in at an angle, cutting power, putting it in reverse and putting the tiller and outboard over so that our forward momentum stopped and the boat then lightly backed into the side of the dock nice and parallel to it. Considering the space we had to get into and the high wind I was really proud of her and how she handled it. I just stepped off the boat with a spring line and tied us off and then added another line.

We got the boat out with no major problems but it was sitting down into the bunks and side supports heeled over due to the wind. I then backed down again and when the wind stopped for a minute pulled back out and the boat was then sitting square on the trailer. We deflated the inflatable and de-rigged the Mac and were home just before dark.

It was a great trip and one we will remember for a long time. If you have a sailboat, forget all the stories you have heard about how hard it is to sail on Lake Powell. Take that boat there and even if you motor more than sail, I'll guarantee you won't forget the experience,

Sumner and Dottie

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