LONG DISTANCE CIRCUMNAVIGATION OF CHEROKEE LAKE

The entire CLSC club was invited to a Cook-out at the Wilsons Lake Resort and Marina. It was a fantastic day for leisurely cruising up the lake in 4 to 9 knots of wind. It was a sailors wish on a beam reach to a run.  The few high clouds added to the majesty of the day and predicted a fair and pleasant return trip the next day. There were five boats that braved the bright sun and unmarked shallows for this epic journey. The journey started on the south west end of Cherokee Lake at Black Oak Dock just south west of the dam. The destination was just short of the bridge at 25E which is not navigable in the summer, only the winter during our annual low tide. The German Creek access is also blocked in the summer by a bridge, so for practical argument, this is as big as our "Ocean" gets.   In a way it is reminiscent of the BVI where you are in constant sight of land, but there is plenty of room to explore.

There are plenty of Islands and coves to explore in the summer. The area is alive with wild-life both on the islands and in the water. It is important to know where the coves are when the weather turns bad.

The lake cartography can be a little tricky so it is most wise to have  an updated chart and pay attention to the day boards that are placed up the main channel. At night they are most difficult if not impossible to see.

 
We arrived earlier than planned due to the exceptional weather and were soon joined by those that decided to travel by land. Was it one lantern by land and two by sea? What if it was both? We tied up at the Wilsons Lake Resort and Marina.

The Harbor was well protected from the prevailing winds and we were safe to venture ashore for some great eats and a few "Mud Slides".  Our hosts were most gracious and we all had a blast.

The weather  started to change with ominous dark clouds forming and we were greeted with a light shower. When it cleared we decided it would be best to find  a deep anchorage closer to home should the weather be more challenged in the early AM.

We thanked our hosts and pulled anchor on the departing tides to begin our cruise into the sunset.  The winds had turned light with the majority of the storms were missing us to the south.  The sun started to sink in the horizon and the cast a ruby sheen on the clouds and water.






Even at the BVI, it doesn't get much better than this. We were soon sailing in the dark with the moon peering between the clouds. The humidity from the rain causes a fog that rises from the trees as they transpire in the evening, thus the Smoky Mountains



We were able to see the shadow of the islands when the moon was out. I had the fortune of having the local lake cartography on a chart plotter to aid my night time navigation.Kirk decided to return home instead of overnighting.  I slowed and tried to wait for the others to catch-up but only Mariah was in sight. We turned the corner at day board 9 and proceeded to the the secluded cove at Panther Park Cove Anchorage.


After an hour we were concerned that Went Crazy and Sierra Hotel were lost. We were able to raise Ken first, he had found a quiet cove on the north side of he lake and dropped a hook. Sierra Hotel was still on the way . We hoisted lanterns and a set of christmas tree lights to light up the cove, but still no Sierra Hotel.  Finally we tried a cell phone to locate Sierra Hotel. He had been found. " You see there is this island and trees, lots of trees , yes lots of trees."  Just a minor distraction err, detour for all of  the blind botanists aboard that wanted to get close and personal with nature.  In most sailing circles, it would be far too expensive to hire a dedicated  charter to visit the many islands and study their diverse indigenous botanical inhabitants.

 SO for those that are interested there is a new service available to you:

Sierra Hotel had difficulty in locating us due to the darn  house with Christmas tree lights and the bright porch light. But after circling the cove for a while, we were all tied up on the hook for a safe nights sleep.

After a quiet night sleep on the hook we were greated by a cool morning. The night was cool not cold for a comfortable sleep.  I slept in more than than the others but we still had planty of coffee and coffee creamer. The sun greeted us as we poured the last of the thick coffee, pulled anchor and we all headed home.  

6-19-06 ER