Sampson767
Active Member
I'm anxiously awaiting your trip and report! I am also a HB newbie, seeing you go for the 75 footer with a big group on your first trip is inspiring! Hope you guys have a blast.
Houseboat Beach Site Recommendations
- Thread starter RiverRat68
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Marina Bum
Escalante-Class Member
Anchorage is as personal a taste almost as food. Ask ten guys get 7different opinions. I go with sandy beach just at the wet line where wet meets dry sand and the sand is hard like concrete. I just put out four, two on each side as wide as I can. I tighten them up and stretch the ropes on one side with the motors and then use the cleats while still under power to tighten the other side. Then I pull power and they both snap tight. Keeping them tight is your best bet, wiggle room will start a tug of war and can lead to dislodged anchors. Mixing in a convenient huge bolder or two is also good but tight lines is still the key to me. Your rental will have ropes and anchors which should be adequate if you use them well.
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Bill Sampson
Keeper of San Juan Secrets
The west side of Last Chance is a good choice.
SkibumUT
Well-Known Member
Kind of interesting - similar to people that drill into the rock (don't do that), and assuming the sand is able to provide enough resistance, it's a partially proven concept.
If the bar is big enough, there isn't rock in the sand and they aren't too hard to remove, that might work in sufficient quantity for a bigger boat. Did the instructions specify anything about having the face of the "X" parallel or perpendicular to the line running to the boat? Your picture looks like the line was running parallel to the face of the "X" and, given that you said they weren't too difficult to pull out, I'm curious if that leaves the bar angled away from the boat carrying all of the weight, or if the bar angled toward the boat is able to help much.
Perpendicular seems like it would distribute the load more evenly between the two, but maybe that isn't as strong. While it's interesting, everything new at Powell makes me nervous at first.
caverdan
Active Member
Their bigger boats had 4 ropes and 8 stakes. The X is parallel to the angle of rope so one leg is being pushed deeper as the boat pulls on it. The instructions to set them came with the boat. Pounding them deep was the key to success. It held us for two very windy days. ⁹
The geology around Mead is volcanic and the beach sand was a little coarser than Powell, but we were parked on a nice sandy beach. They thought I was crazy wanting to dig anchor holes. This method was way faster, quicker, easier too. But where we parked you could have dug a hole.
I don't see any way you could pound one into solid rock. The ends were blunt.....not pointed.
Edit to add that the houseboats at Mead had ladders off and the front instead of ramps. I prefer ramps myself.
The geology around Mead is volcanic and the beach sand was a little coarser than Powell, but we were parked on a nice sandy beach. They thought I was crazy wanting to dig anchor holes. This method was way faster, quicker, easier too. But where we parked you could have dug a hole.
I don't see any way you could pound one into solid rock. The ends were blunt.....not pointed.
Edit to add that the houseboats at Mead had ladders off and the front instead of ramps. I prefer ramps myself.
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Double check, I went last week and they drew a fat marker on a map and said "don't go past that line" and had me sign. I did not know that and had to adjust on the fly. I wish I had kept it, but the line was basically near the end of Padre and the mouth of West. Apparently, their mechanics can't get much farther without Dangling Rope or something. I mean technically I could have went farther, but I suppose you assume mechanical risk. Maybe it's different with a bigger boat though.
A good beach is crap shoot though with all the other houseboats and changing water levels. #1 thing is you or someone else leave the houseboat relatively soon and scout ahead. I found 4 'decent' spots and we ended up in a small offshoot near the front of Face Canyon. It actually turned out to be an amazing spot.
A good beach is crap shoot though with all the other houseboats and changing water levels. #1 thing is you or someone else leave the houseboat relatively soon and scout ahead. I found 4 'decent' spots and we ended up in a small offshoot near the front of Face Canyon. It actually turned out to be an amazing spot.
RiverRat68
Active Member
Hmmm, ok that's a bummer if there is a do not pass line...I will check that. Hopefully not...
JFRCalifornia
Keeper of San Juan Secrets
That’s interesting about “the line on the map.” I’ve never encountered anybody doing that when I’ve rented a boat out of Wahweap in recent years, but then again, I haven’t rented anything bigger than 53 feet. In my experience, I’ve never had any trouble taking a 46- or 53-foot houseboat from Wahweap to the Escalante and back, no refueling. Might be different for larger boats. I know they don’t want a lot of people running out of gas in remote areas, but there should be no issue at all going as far as Rock Creek and back, even Rainbow Bridge IMO.
As for the difficulty of mechanics reaching past Dangling Rope, I learned something interesting from the mechanic who recently rescued me when I ran out of gas just south of Moqui. He said that Bullfrog-based mechanics cover the north end and all the way down to Rainbow Bridge. Wahweap-based mechanics cover the south end all the way up to Rainbow Bridge. So the lake is covered. It might take a while to be rescued if you’re in mid-lake, but it’s covered.
I do think it matters what kind of tone you use when you rent the boat. If you sound confident about where you’re going and project experience and familiarity with the lake, they don’t even bring up things like the “line on the map”, which to me is really more intended to keep inexperienced boaters out of trouble…
RiverRat68
Active Member
Hoping this is the case. I may not be an experienced houseboater but, I am an experienced boater… and I’ve studied and I’m studying this lake to the point of obsession.
Yeah I've never had that happen before. My two previous spots were Wetherill and Oak Canyon/Bay. I don't think I give off an inexperienced vibe, but... Maybe it was the particular boat we got or they've had some issues lately.
RobertGosselin
Well-Known Member
We tighten our anchor ropes in a similar way. We dig the anchor holes and then after setting the anchor we dig it in by using the boat engines to move the boat to the side away from the anchor. We pull on the anchor until it no longer moves. This simulates the pull that the boat would experience from a strong side wind. When all the anchors are dug in, we manually tighten them so they are equally taut. We set 4 anchors for our 75 ft houseboat when the forecast calls for maximum wind gusts in the 20 to 25 mph range. If they are above that, we set the two bow anchors as well. On rare occasions when the wind is exceptionally strong from one direction we will we will skip the bow anchors and use that anchor to buttress the side experiencing the high winds.
Marina Bum
Escalante-Class Member
Your experience with rentals about the line is a bummer. Going past lines on the map is the basis of most all of human progress. I hope you ignored it. One of my best trips ever to Maui my wife and I were given such a map, don't go past the Seven Sacred Pools in your rental car we won't come help you they said. So I did exactly that and saw the 7 climate zones of Maui on a dirt road from a Trans Am convertible. It was incredible, views of the rainforest and the big Maui Rainbows over them, grasslands leading to the blue ocean, black sand beaches and even cactus.
To me that is exactly why you go, the trepidatious won't. Destiny dances with the daring. It's D Day for heavens sake! I say ignore the line on the map, this is their one big trip, a year of planning. Go out and see what Powell really tastes like! BTW I think Last chance is at the line, it's just around the corner from the end of Padre
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I agree, take "the line" with a grain of salt and don't be afraid to take calculated risks in general. I scouted spots past the line to the front of Last Chance, and just past West (which was my original planned area) but actually found a great spot in Face Canyon... so I settled for their little rule. Which turned out OK because it was quite a nice spot and I've never really hung out in the Padre Bay area so I was able to explore some new areas.
Marina Bum
Escalante-Class Member
Better to have an extra anchor out and not need it that to need it and not gave it out. You'll only do it wrong a few times, I learned the hard way swimming in the dark in a bad storm trying to get that extra line out.
RiverRat68
Active Member
Too funny…I did the exact same thing in Maui with my wife…in a convertible mustang. Drive all the way around the road to Hana and then kept going (where the rental car company said was a no-go zone). We had exactly the same experience. I admit it was sketchy where it was a dirt road carved into the side of a cliff on the southwestern side of a volcano…no people or structures or any sign of civilization in sight for over an hour. But it was a great memory…
That said, I am not a typical risk taker and usually follow the rules (I even succumbed to “the man” by buying a Utah AIS stamp even though many said don’t bother). Sounds like Last Chance might be the place to go. I’m also starting to wonder about even considering Wahweap bay itself. Seems like from the satellite views, there are houseboats beached on the north side of the that bay. I’m sure there are tons of people which likely makes that unadvisable though.
WaterMan
Well-Known Member
That will save a bunch of $$$ on fuel cost and time.
Bill Sampson
Keeper of San Juan Secrets
Wahweap Bay would be busy and rough
andrewvbe
Member
Good thread here. I'll be taking a 62' Journey upstream 11 July, got the preboard. Good advice about showing up early the day of preboard, thanks! Praying for the cut but not counting on it. If I get 'the line' I'll probably comply, seems there will be plenty of spots in or south of Last Chance. Accepting the fact that it will be crowded. I've been asking similar questions about the gas in a different thread. I've still got the topo maps from my first trip in 2006 to study, may try to find a spot in Padre/Face if it's not TOO bad.
Michael Pyle
Well-Known Member
finding a good spot is an art. We send a scout out on a wave runner or boat in the morning. We make sure they have cell phones, portable marine radio and garmin in reach.
My daughter is the best at finding spots that are good when people are leaving. In general people leave their spots in the morning before 10am. So if you are out and see someone cleaning up the beach you know there is a good chance they are leaving the spot soon. My daughter has no problem asking people if they are leaving. My boys wont talk to anyone so they rely more on luck. Haha
Also good idea to see how the beach is, lots of weeds=gnats. with water rising the sand will be clean and not a lot of mud. When water is going down you have to look for nasty mud spots.
So Many variables and there is always a compromise.
Mike
My daughter is the best at finding spots that are good when people are leaving. In general people leave their spots in the morning before 10am. So if you are out and see someone cleaning up the beach you know there is a good chance they are leaving the spot soon. My daughter has no problem asking people if they are leaving. My boys wont talk to anyone so they rely more on luck. Haha
Also good idea to see how the beach is, lots of weeds=gnats. with water rising the sand will be clean and not a lot of mud. When water is going down you have to look for nasty mud spots.
So Many variables and there is always a compromise.
Mike
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