From the Pacific Northwest to the Southwest Desert Stella Ma

[Stella Maris]

Were Sinking!

We arrive at Wawheep Marina at 10:30 after the four-hour drive from our home in Henderson. Stella Maris does great trailing right behind our one-ton Dodge Dually. The ramp is devoid of other vessels so our launch goes off without a hitch. With the dinghy is unloaded from the back of the truck, it is time to head out.

Prior to heading out, I check the bilge for any sign of water. The week prior to our trip, I had to pull the plug housing off and reseat it. It seems when the sealant was placed on it at the factory; it did not get it seal properly. All is well. No water in the bilge.

The winds are blowing steady at 20 knots gusting to 30. We head directly into them as we follow the main channel. The wind waves are running between two to three feet however, Stella Maris handles them perfectly. While Maureen pilots us, I continue stowing and securing last minute items. While placing a stern line under the cockpit seat, I notice the bilge pump is running. I stand and observe it to see how long it runs. After a couple of minutes, I realize it is not going to shut off.

I open the aft bilge inspection area and discover two to three inches of water in the bilge. I move to the forward inspection hatch and find that the water is flowing through the weep holes from the bow.

While Maureen continues to pilot us along, I remove the bedding from the V-berth to allow me to check the two forward seacocks. Neither is leaking. I look forward of the holding tank and realize the water is coming from the bow. Could the Bow Thruster be leaking? I feel all around the housing of the thruster and find it dry.

Water continues to stream aft. I pull the inspection hatch off of the anchor locker and empty all of the line and chain into the exposed area in the V-berth. All is dry. I sit and watch as the water continues to pour in. Then I notice that it “pulses” as we rise and fall in the waves. I quickly go to the bow to observe what is happening. Each time we dip in a wave, the bow eye and the anchor locker drain both go under water. Maureen calls out each time another pulse of water comes in. The timing is perfect. One of these two areas is allowing an amazing amount of water to enter.

We know we will soon be out of these waves as we make our way deeper into the canyon. The rush of water should stop at that time. At last, flat water. The bilge pump shuts off. The water stops rushing in.

We reach Navajo Canyon and turn east to look for a place to spend our first night. Deeper and deeper we head into the canyon. The walls continue to rise higher and higher all around. After about six miles, we locate an area that looks promising. I jump into the dinghy and go in looking for a suitable location. I find one at the back end of the middle canyon. While the water is shallow enough to anchor, there will be no room to swing. Once back aboard Stella Maris, I fill Maureen in on what the plan is. She will back us down to the end of the canyon while I deploy our bow anchor. Once it is set, we will place two stern anchors out to hold us in place. This should keep us off the walls. However, in the event it does not, we place fenders out on each side!

With Stella Maris secure, we fire up the BBQ and throw on a couple of steaks. I break out a bottle of wine. We sit back in the cockpit and enjoy our first evening in one of the most incredible places in the world. As the sky darkens overhead, stars begin to twinkle.


Line in the Prop!

Morning dawns. A new day begins. After yesterday’s event, we hope for an uneventful day. We do however, talk of having a plan as to what we will do in the event we should have to abandon Stella Maris and move to the dinghy. I place my wallet, truck keys, and cell phone in my short pockets. Maureen places hers in her small backpack. In the event we should have to abandon ship, I will grab both and we will climb into the dinghy. Never hurts to have a plan…

The sun finally finds us deep at the bottom of the canyon. A light breeze blows up canyon. With breakfast complete and the dishes washed, it is time we continue our journey north.

As we make our way north, we decide to stop at one of the floating pump-out stations. With a seven-gallon holding tank, you do not want to pass up the chance to pump out.

I take Stella Maris in until it is time to deploy the fenders. Maureen takes the helm, while I set the lines and deploy the fenders. With the fenders secure and lines in place, we head to the pump-out. Suddenly, we are hit with a large wake. Maureen places Stella Maris in reverse to keep us from hitting the dock. Suddenly the motor stops! Quickly I realize we failed to pull the dinghy in. The painter has wrapped itself around the prop! We are dead in the water.

As if by queue, a light breeze blows us right alongside the pump out. I simply step aboard and secure the lines and we proceed to pump. Once the task at hand is complete, we talk of how we are going to get the line off of the prop. We decide the best thing to do is to tow Stella Maris to a small cove with a sandy beach. There we can secure her with the stern in four feet of water and I can “dive” on the prop to untangle it.

I lash the dinghy alongside. Maureen takes Stella Maris’s helm and guides us in. Once all is secure, I grab the underwater camera. Placing it in the video mode, I scan the area near the prop. When we view the video, we can see that the line has wrapped itself around the prop five or six times.

Now for the tough part. While I am already standing waist deep in the 65 degree water, I now must completely immerse myself and go under Stella Maris. I will have to do this with no mask as I failed to load one onboard before we departed home. Much of the work will have to be done strictly by feel.

Again and again I dive under. Each time I am able to remove a bit more line. After a half a dozen dives or more, the line is free. I have Maureen fire up the motor. With two stern lines ashore, I have her place Stella Maris in forward. We get prop wash which means all is working!

Now, we can settle in for a nice lunch and relax. While we had planned to go further north today, the fowled prop has slowed us. Besides that, the cove that we chose to remove the line in is quite nice.

After lunch Maureen heads to the bow to take advantage of the sunshine. I lie down to take a nap in the cockpit. No sooner do I doze off and we are struck by strong gusty winds. To top it off, we are on a lee shore with no more than five feet behind us to the beach. Time to move.

We talk about how we are going to get all of the lines aboard while keeping Stella Maris from beaching. We move quick bringing in the stern lines. I move to the bow as Maureen bumps Stella Maris ahead allowing me to pull in the bow anchor.

We make our way out of the cove and head to the next canyon. Slowly we proceed in looking for a suitable location to drop our hook. I take the dinghy ahead and check out all of the little nooks and crannies. Suddenly, I spy a small opening in the rocks ahead. Slowly I enter. As I round the corner, I am treated to a pleasant surprise. It is a dead end pool. No wind, no waves, just beautiful scenery all around with 360 degrees of protection. I head back out and direct Maureen in. Once she enters, I climb back aboard and head to the bow. Right in the middle of the pool, we let the bow anchor go in 15 feet of water; I run a stern anchor to prevent us from swinging into the rocks to the north or onto the beach on the south. It seems, the wind gods simply wanted us to find this incredible location. Once all is secure, it is time to break out a bottle of wine for happy hour.

Hopefully, tomorrow will bring an uneventful day.....

 

[trailertrawlerkismet]

David and Maureen:

Thanks for taking us on your Lake Powell adventure, it's refreshing to read of real life boating.....as we all know boating is not always without situations to overcome....it is part of the adventure.

Keep the posts coming and enjoy Lake Powell, one of our favorite cruising destinations,

Jim n Lisa

 

[walldog]

Thanks for the interesting (spell binding) post. Glad all is OK. I look forward to seeing the rest of the story....

Walked by Senor Moose's this morning, sorry we missed you, maybe next time.

 

[Stella Maris]

Day Three

Blown Away

I awaken this morning to a dead calm. Not a breeze ruffles the water. While Maureen sleeps, I prepare a fresh pot of coffee. Once it is brewed, I wake Maureen. We sit in silence, just taking in the beauty of this incredible space. Not a sound disturbs us. It is simply us and nature at it finest. After a leisurely breakfast, we depart with Dangling Rope Marina as our next destination. There we will replenish our ice and water as well as enjoy one of the best soft-serve ice creams within 45 miles.

We make our way north following the old Colorado Riverbed, the wind once again begins to build. We have 20 miles to cover today and it appears it is not going to be the smooth cruise we had hoped for. After three hours of cruising, we make the final turn for a very long run up the canyon. The wind directly behind, waves of three to four feet rolling under and then ahead of us. We estimate the wind is sustained at 25 knots with gusts much higher. With the wind on the stern, we are actually getting a push. Our speed increases from the 5 MPH we were cruising at to 7 MPH! Boy, that sure helps the fuel economy!

At last, we spot the opening to Dangling Rope Canyon. Maureen takes over at the helm while I prepare the lines and fenders. We enter the marina and locate our spot at which we will tie. Just as I finish tying, a very large houseboat enters. They attempt to enter the slip next to us ending up sideways on the dock. They struggle against the wind and then we hear it. They are talking of coming into the open spot right next to us. With the wind blowing the way it is, if they end up sideways again, they will use Stella Maris as a fender. Fortunately, the dockhand convinces them they are good where they are. Once again, we make it through unscathed.

Once the head is pumped and the fresh water filled, it is time for what we have been waiting for. Soft-serve ice cream! We walk to the head of the dock and visit the snack bar. We take our ice cream to a near by bench to sit and relax.

With everything completed, it is time to head out and find a suitable location for the night. We decide to head deeper into Dangling Rope Canyon. We cruise through the very tight maze of sheer sandstone walls until we round a bend and find what we believe is a suitable location. We will need to deploy two bow anchors as well as two stern anchors to keep us off of the walls.

We set the first bow anchor and begin to back down to drop the first stern. Suddenly out of nowhere we are slammed with strong winds. Stella Maris is heading right for the canyon wall. We fight for 20 minutes to keep her from hitting the wall. I use the dinghy to pull her away. Even with the dinghy at full throttle, we are being pushed dangerously close to the wall. The only thing we can do is, I must re-board Stella Maris as quickly as possible. Maureen will go to the helm while I quickly make my way to the bow. Once there, I must pull the bow anchor in as quickly as I can as she is going to have to use power to keep us from hitting the wall. I pull as fast and as hard as I can. Once the anchor is off the bottom, Maureen gives Stella Maris more power. Finally, I have the anchor aboard and once again, we escape the winds of Powell with nothing more than a few bruises and sore arms.

Our adventure is not over yet though. We still must find a suitable location to anchor. We find nothing in Dangling Rope Canyon so, we head out into the main channel to make our way to Mountain Sheep Canyon. The winds are howling. The tops of the waves are being blown off. And, if not as if by queue, the National Park Service broadcasts a severe wind warning for gusts in excess of 60 miles an hour in our location!

We make our way another mile down the main channel fighting the winds and waves. At last we reach the mouth of Mountain Sheep Canyon. We make the turn in. The winds drop. The waves diminish. We make our way deeper and deeper in. At last we find a branch off the canyon. I jump in the dinghy and speed in to check it out. At the back end, I find a beautiful pool. A light breeze dances across the water.

I head out and direct Maureen in. We decide to do a stern in tie. We will deploy two bow anchors and run three stern lines. We are now tired and weary. We do not want to have to move if the winds should find us tucked way back in here.

With all secure, we break out the Halibut and prepare Fish Tacos for dinner. While we dine, the wind begins to pick up. We however are not concerned as we are securely tied in our little oasis. Then as if by magic, we hear a whistle. It varies as the wind gusts and drops off. The holes in the sandstone are acting as a natural whistle. We sit back enjoying a glass of wine listening to this incredible music produced by Mother Nature.

What a way to end a day!

 

[Jake]

Thanks for posting. Always enjoy reading of others' boating adventures. Just glad my wife doesn't read this forum, she would never go on a boat with me again. 🙂

 

[Stella Maris]

Day four of our Lake Powell adventure!

Rainbow Bridge

Wednesday morning, we are now halfway through our Lake Powell adventure. We sit in the cockpit reading our magazines enjoying our morning coffee. The sun shines down brightly from overhead. A light breeze just stirs the air.

Now we must decide. Do we continue north another 10 miles to Rainbow Bridge or, do we turn south and head back towards Wahwheep? After checking the fuel, we decide we will continue north. Rainbow Bridge is one of the most amazing scenes you will see on the lake. It is the world’s largest natural arch.

With our coffee finished, we begin to retrieve our lines. We always retrieve them in the reverse order of how we set them. With all of the lines secured, we make our way slowly out of Mountain Sheep Canyon.

Reaching the main channel we turn north. It is amazing the conditions we experience this morning compared to yesterday afternoon. The water is flat calm. Not another boat is in sight! Maureen relaxes in the cockpit stretched out on the seatee reading her magazine.


We are experiencing the type of cruise we had hoped for for the entire week. Flat water, a light breeze, and abundant sunshine.

We enter Rainbow Bridge Canyon in complete awe. The sheer walls that surround us along with the narrowness of the canyon. It is hard to imagine how many people would find this great place if it were not for the signs. When you get ready to make the last turn into where the dock is, the canyon is no more than 15 feet wide. If it were not for the sign, no one would turn.

With Stella Maris secure on the dock, we make the mile and a half hike to the arch. Maureen is in complete awe of this incredible sight! We spend time just staring as well as taking numerous photos of the arch.

At last, the time has come to return to Stella Maris. It is now time to start our return trip south. We had identified a couple of canyons we wanted to explore on our way south. The first being Driftwood Canyon. We enter from the main channel and find a fairly narrow canyon. I decide it is best to take the dinghy in and check it out. I run for thirty minutes before coming to the end. The walls are straight up towering above me more than 500 feet. I reach the end of the canyon to find a dry fall that is more than 300 feet high. The water appears very deep so, anchoring was out of the question.

I returned to Stella Maris to find a worried Maureen. She is just getting ready to come in looking for me. Radios in these canyons will not work so you are out of communications a good part of the time.

With the dingy secure we head back out into the main channel and cross to the other side. We enter Cathedral Canyon and immediately had our breaths taken away. This is the most beautiful canyon we have visited yet. The walls are sheer. The fading sunlight casts shadows across the various colors of sandstone. At one point, the walls at the top almost come together to form a tunnel. We pass easily enough under it but the way it funnels the wind is incredible! At last we reach the end to find that there are no suitable anchorages. With the sunlight fading fast, we know we can find an anchorage in Mountain Sheep Canyon just another two miles down stream.

We make our way out of Cathedral and into to the main channel. Turning south, we make our way to Mountain Sheep Canyon. We head to the back of the canyon and find ourselves a small hole that we can stern tie in. At one point as we cross a bar into what we named the “Wedge” we have just nine inches of water under the keel. That is what you call skinny water!

With two bow anchors set, I run three lines ashore from the stern. The winds are beginning to gust and we do not want to worry about dragging once we go to bed. Once all is secure, we break out a bottle of wine and enjoying the last remaining rays of sunlight. Another incredible day on Lake Powell has come to an end.

 

[Gin]

Pictures David, pictures!

Gini

 

[Stella Maris]

The next chapter of our Lake Powell adventure. Once we get shoreside with "real" internet connections, I will post pictures to our photo album.

Desert Thunderstorm

We depart Dangling Rope Canyon with Warm Springs Bay as our destination. The sun is shining brightly with just a hint of a breeze stirring the water. As we make our way south, the skies begin to darken. With three hours left to reach our intended destination, the National Park Service issues an advisory for severe thunderstorms in our immediate area. The storms are expected to hit within the hour and they are advising all boaters to seek immediate shelter. In other words, get off the main body of the lake and get your boat secured!

We are just approaching Friendship Cove and make the decision that we will duck in and find ourselves a little nook to hunker down in. Deeper into the cove we head, Maureen takes over at Stella Maris’s helm, I jump in the dinghy and race ahead to find a suitable location. The winds begin to build. Lightening strikes off in the distance.

At last I find a great little nook with plenty of rocks on the shore to secure lines to. I signal Maureen to bring Stella Maris in. Climbing back aboard, I head to the bow and prepare to drop the bow anchor. We drop the hook in ten feet of water and back down to set it.

With the winds continuing to build, the rain begins to fall. Lightening is striking ever closer. I take the first stern line and run it off of the starboard side to a large boulder on shore. Quickly I return to Stella Maris retrieving the second stern line. Once it is set, I am just left with setting the second Bow anchor.

With two stern lines and two bow-lines set, we can sit back and watch the storm close in around us. The sky turns black. The rain begins to pound on the roof. Lightening fills the air. Thunder rattles Stella Maris. All the while, Maureen and I sit inside and watch the amazing storm around us. We are secure in knowing that we are safe where we are. Four lines hold us in position; the tall cliffs around us will hopefully keep the lightening away.

Most desert thunderstorms will only last a couple of hours and this one follows the norm. Once it blows through, we are treated to beautiful blue skies and a light breeze. We move from inside out to the bow to take in the sights while enjoying a bottle of wine.

Does it get any better than this?

 

[Olytuggers]

Love sharing in your adventures through your wonderful postings. Between your stories and Anne's stories of her Alaska cruise, we are getting our eyes open to all kinds of possible places to cruise, or at least to dream about! As you say, it's a good life!

Lois and Dan Cheney
Hoku Kai R25SC

 

[Stella Maris]

The final entree to our Lake Powell Adventure:


The Big Storm

Our last full day and night on an incredible Lake Powell. We cannot believe it is already coming to a close. We will head as far south as we can today to position ourselves close to the marina. Tomorrow we pull out and head home.

Our departure from friendship cove was bittersweet. We found a beautiful cove to ride out the storm and now we were readying to depart the lake.

We make our way south following the main channel making a brief stop at the infamous floating pump-out where we wrapped our line in the prop. As we draw nearer to the marina, I run ahead in the dinghy to seek out our final anchorage.

We locate an incredible spot in Gunsight Bay. We cannot believe that with as many boats as there are tied up in the bay, this location is not taken. Once again we secure with two bow anchors and two stern lines run ashore. From our vantage point, we do not have a single boat in sight!

It is not long and the skies begin to darken. We are in for another afternoon thunderstorm. We watch as the sky turns from an incredible azure blue to the black of night, the leading edge of the storm approaches. Lightening dances all about. Thunder echoes through the canyon. Suddenly, the storm is upon us. 35 plus knot winds come out of nowhere. Stella Maris tugs on her anchor lines. We sit and watch wondering if the anchors will hold. The wind howls around us and grows even stronger. The VHF crackles to life. Boats are calling out Mayday as the winds pull them from their anchors and set them adrift. All we can do is sit, watch, and listen. Rain begins to drum on the windshield. Lightening fills the sky. And then, as quickly as it started, it is over. The wind drops to a light breeze. The rain turns to a mild shower. The sun burst through a break in the clouds. What an incredible place the desert is.

We move to the cockpit to enjoy our final bottle of wine. The warmth of the sun has returned. It is not long and the sun sets for the final time for us here on Lake Powell. Gunsight Butte is lit as if by a spot light. It glows an incredible orange. As the sun drops below the western horizons, stars begin to light up the east.

Heading Home

We awaken to a dead calm. Not a ripple on the water. We enjoy our coffee in the cockpit and then prepare Stella Maris for the final cruise. We are three hours from the marina. Today we will save twelve miles returning to the marina by being able to use the Castle Rock Cut. The Army Corps has recently dredged it down to 3580’ making it passable once the lake reaches 3582’. The depth today is 3582.5’. This means we will have a mere six inches of water beneath the keel as we traverse the 1.5 mile cut.

We make our way to the cut. As we enter, the water turns from a beautiful blue to a muddy orange. There are two dozen other boats using the cut. We pass by closely as boats make there way north in the cut. I chose not to look at the depth meter but to instead follow the boat ahead of us. We move through the cut at idle speed.

At last, we exit the cut having never “bumped” the bottom. Slowly we make our way to the ramp. For being Memorial Day weekend, we are very surprised that there is not a single boat using it. It is Sunday however. We figure that this will be the best day to pull out and head home.

I walk the three quarters of a mile up the ramp to where the truck and trailer are parked. Maureen stows and secures gear on Stella Maris while she waits for me to return.

Once Stella Maris is on the trailer, we head for the open highway, already planning our return trip to Lake Powell!

What a great life we lead!

 

[Stella Maris]

I have posted the pictures from our trip in our photo album.