Lake water levels
At Smith Mt. Lake in Va we watch the water level pretty closely because the water becomes quite thin in some spots when the lake is down. The lake provides hydro-electric power, and the amount of water let through the dam or pumped back up into the lake can vary, depending on demand as well as on the previous year's rain/snow falls. The greatest impact is probably felt by trailerable sailboats, especially those drawing two or more feet, because when the water is down in the lake, most ramps don't extend far enough out to launch/recover. Last year I had to wait to pull my E23 until the water came back up after a few snowfalls. Even when the water is down, the bottom is relatively soft in most places, and because my centerboard angles back, it can absorb some contact with the bottom, but it still hurts to feel that tell-tale thump that means I wasn't paying close enough attention. When I build a new board for the boat it will have a kevlar strip molded into the lower part of the leading edge to give a little more protection from such instances. It's a little too cold to sail here now (20s) but late March will see warmer breezes and some pre racing season practice. Until then, the winter projects list dictates my sailing activities.
At Smith Mt. Lake in Va we watch the water level pretty closely because the water becomes quite thin in some spots when the lake is down. The lake provides hydro-electric power, and the amount of water let through the dam or pumped back up into the lake can vary, depending on demand as well as on the previous year's rain/snow falls. The greatest impact is probably felt by trailerable sailboats, especially those drawing two or more feet, because when the water is down in the lake, most ramps don't extend far enough out to launch/recover. Last year I had to wait to pull my E23 until the water came back up after a few snowfalls. Even when the water is down, the bottom is relatively soft in most places, and because my centerboard angles back, it can absorb some contact with the bottom, but it still hurts to feel that tell-tale thump that means I wasn't paying close enough attention. When I build a new board for the boat it will have a kevlar strip molded into the lower part of the leading edge to give a little more protection from such instances. It's a little too cold to sail here now (20s) but late March will see warmer breezes and some pre racing season practice. Until then, the winter projects list dictates my sailing activities.