Kerri On's Walkabout

I've been on Lake Powell for ten days now. Will be here a while yet. What an awesome place! It's a big lake and up some of those canyons I'll admit to being disoriented and a tad lost at times. Seemingly solid rock walls open up to slot canyons where we work our way up and find a beach to overnite. Running the bow up on the sand and then putting the anchor up the beach a ways sure is simple. I'm in wahweap tonight. I've put close to 300 miles on Kerri On and she's running like a top. Trying to stay with Chris on some runs is a challenge, Rana Verde is quick. I have my sea level prop on and a pretty good load and flat out I turn 5100 rpm and 21 mph. I can stay with Chris but I think he has some throttle left. Next year more stuff stays in the truck. I have learned so much from the c brats about running canyons and staying to the outside of turns and the geology of the place thank you everyone who came to the gathering and cruise. Thanks Chris for showing the rookies the ropes. I'll be back.
 
Was a real pleasure George, relaxing around the fire & at different beaches in your company. Both Jo-lee & I were very interested in your artic stories having both read of your adventures. Hope your travels continue on as well as they have so far.

Jay & Jo-Lee
 
Hi Jay, thank you, it was fun meeting both of you also. You have put some miles under your boat and lots of adventures. Keep on going be safe. See you down the road again.
 
I'm in Littlefield Az tonight at the Chief Sleep Easy RV park. I left Lake Powell Monday and explored up toward Zion Nat Park and area. I wanted to get over to St George and on down to Lake Meade and Lake Mohave next week. The park folks at Zion were quite discouraging, the park fee of $25 of course is fine, and they wanted $10 for my trailer being too wide for the tunnel? ...and then $28 to camp overnight. I thought a tad rich, so made lunch and headed on back to Kanab which is a delightful small town full of interesting shops. If there was a western movie made in the last 50 years it was shot in Kanab in all probability. Planet of the apes was shot here too. Lots of fun things to explore and a great milkshake at the Three Bears Creamery. I parked off the main drag and had a great snooze overnight. Breakfast at the Parry Lodge which did most of the catering and lodged the stars of all those movies. Very interesting to peruse the walls for old pictures. At the moment it is pouring rain and I have the heat on!! It is only 54F and such a change after the 85F of Powell. Kerri On is comfortable and dry and turning out to be all that I thought a C Dory 22 would be. Capable and comfortable afloat and ashore. Thanks Scott and team Triton. I plan to put in at Calville Bay on Lake Meade for a few days of exploring and then on down to Lake Mohave for a few days.
 
Hey George, Those park folks at Zion probably saved you a bit. Been a long time, but some of those roads there are more suited to motorcycles than P-Up and trailer. Might have needed and articulated hitch or 2 to get Kerri On through some of the turns. Wonder if it would have worked to park the trailer somewhere (safe) and drive through in the P-Up? Just to get in and see the park.

Sounds like the walkabout is going well. Good to hear from you. Stay warm and safe.

Harvey
SleepyC :moon
 
Launched at Calville Bay marina at Lake Mead today. The lake has a very good launch ramp and lots of room to side tie while you move the truck. It's a five minute walk back down from parking. Fuel is running $4.76 which is odd as it gets trucked in. Oh well. It is what it is. Very pretty spot. Much different than Powell. Mostly shallow coves here. I loaded fuel and popped a couple miles around the corner into an intriguingly named cove. Water barge cove. Surprise there is a water barge in there. I dropped a bow anchor and stern tied in. Getting settled I saw some really ominous dark clouds approaching. The vhf was calling for scattered thunder showers and winds 20 to 30. Nice... Within about 15 minuted I had 20 plus right on the nose. It didn't build much chop but I figured what's it going to do after dark? After a while I thought I's best hit the road as I was on a lee shore. Hard to clear out if it blows up. I scooted back around to the marina where they only charge 15 bucks a night. I went up and had a nice beer. It is absolutely flat calm out there now. Capricious lakes. I wanted to talk to someone to get some local lake info. Which coves for what winds etc. Kerri On seemed to enjoy tossing her head up and throwing water on the windshield. Like a frisky colt.
 
There was a bunch of engine noise pre dawn this morning. I got up to look and all I could see was a swarm of red and green and white running lights. Looking up the ramp I saw a steady stream of trucks launching boats. Bass Boats. Must have been a hundred of them launch in the next 30 minutes. There's a fishing tournament on by Bass America. As soon as they cleared.the marina it was full throttle and gone. I've not seen so much horsepower since Reno. These guys are serious. 200 and 250 outboars. No grinning out there either. Serious fishin'. Sun is up now it's a warm morning.
 
Very much enjoying the telling of your Walkabout. Great to see one making their life an adventure. Please keep the updates coming & thanks for sharing with us.

Jay
 
George,

...enjoying your Walkabout Reports.

If you proceed uplake to Temple Bar (and beyond Meadeview) you can actually get into the lower reachs of the Grand Canyon. Pretty area, and you can tell friends back in BC you boated the Grand Canyon!

Casey
 
I spent 5 days on lake Mead and then moved on down the road a ways to Lake Mohave. Quite different lakes. Mohave is smaller of course, but has much more small easily found coves with shallow water and good protection. The Colorado is more easily seen in Mohave as the lake never gets to be more than 4 miles wide. Somewhat different landscape at Mohave also as the trees have an easier time to get going as the lake level is much more stable. Mead can go up and down a lot and the greenery can't get established. I've gone on thru Laughlin Nevada overnited and invested a few bucks at the Colorado Belle casino, and then moved on today to a little spot on the Colorado river at a place called Pirates Cove resort. I got detoured off the highway on the way to Lake Havasu, so wanted a spot early to overnight as it is hot here, 102F I let serendipity take over and enquired about a spot to overnight. They said just park and enjoy. No cost, nice place. Right on the Colorado where it is only a few hundred feet wide and shallow and slow. Some geese (canada) cruised in to land so finally I'm getting as smart as a goose. GO south my boy! for winter
 
Ah, Lake Havasu!

BTDT!

Following a sailboat National Championship on Big Bear Lake, we decided to take in the Great Mojave Desert.

After visiting the Provident Mountains to hike and view desert wildlife, we came into Needles in the afternoon and found the smallish highway town scintillating at 114 degrees!

Seeking some relief, we stopped at a campground on the lake to cool our heels in the 76 degree cool water of the river & lake. What a godsend! A true oasis! Can you live under water all summer in a climate like this?

Feeling somewhat revived, we set up the motorhome for a nice relaxing evening, but then were disappointed to find the thermometer bottomed out at 98.5 degrees at 3 am., so we we packed it up and headed for Death Valley to enjoy the sunrise and visit the sights including the aptly named Furnace Creek and Stovepipe Wells, which offered the same heat, but without any water features in which to cool off.

I guess some folks just seem to get what they either deserve or secretly desire.

At the time I thought that vapor lock was something we occasionally experienced with hot automotive engines, but what I didn't realize was that a much greater form of vapor lock could occur in your own head, apparently due to the hot weather.

At least we certainly seemed to have a case going, jumping out of the frying pan into the fire, to use the trite phrase.

I guess The Devil has his ways in the heat of the Summer.

Joe. :rose2 :hot :rose2 :smiled
 
A bit cooler today 95ish. Moved into Lake Havasu and thought......wrong place for me. Every boat on the ramp and long lines of 'em streaming in for the weekend were triple axle, big power flame painted testosterone monster go fasts. Poor guys. I drove down to London Bridge area. It's tacky, touristy and I thought cool. I have to run Kerri On under that thing and tie up for lunch. So I did. And yes it's hot, loud with big engines and it was way cool coming under that thing. Good lunch too. It ain't c dory country though folks. Not cold enough yet to put the go fasts away. I got so many paople looking at that "different" boat. It has a cabin and one can take a nap? Live on it? You nutty? I won't get heat stroke like these guys. Most don't even have a bimini. They do come with bikinis however. Still won't trade. A couple days here and then back on the road.
 
Interesting observations about boating at Lake Havasu. As far as I'm concerned, boating in the Arizona desert is a winter sport and it's not winter yet. We leave the lakes to the crazies in the summer. Be careful out there. Lake Havasu is one of the most dangerous bodies of water in the country due to the large number of accidents. There are days when carbon monoxide builds up so high in the London Bridge Channel that it can be hazardous to your health.

Tony
 
Hi Tony you are right. Only took an overniter. Couldn't get out of town fast enough. 0600 a million bass boats went by at warp 7 and then the macho boats. I was trundling along the marshes trying to console the waterfowl that we weren't all trying to run over them. I was on the trailer by 0830. I did my laundry just up the road at the gas station. Another several hundred go fasts went by to launch. Crikey! All from the same mold types. Lots of tatoos and agressive people. Wow. Goodbye. Got groceries at walmart and talked to a fellow in the parking lot about c dorys. Just what he was after. Different boat for Havasu but come winter.....nice. I ran to Kingman Az for some cooler weather. Enroute to Sedona by month end. Cruise some route 66 tomorrow.
 
After overnighting in Winslow, I had to look at the corner the eagles sing about. Not much there but it's pretty cool anyway. I backtracked to Flagstaff after the hike down into Oak Canyon to see the pueblo style ruins. Great hike. Into Flagstaff, I thought to wash the boat, it's been in a lot of desert for a while. Spotting a rv wash I worked my way across traffic and into the bay. Most of the way in I am suddenly stuck! Getting out I see the bays are different heights, I never noticed that on my way in, I saw the tall one next to me and didn"t even dawn on me. I have put a orange paint smear down the cabin top arrgg/ The boat is a 1/8" or less too tall. Back out? Nope I'll hit the cabin as the slope of the top going in made it work ok. Let the air out of the tires right? Yes do that, then back out. In Arizona there are some HUGE inclines at the sidewalk to allow for flash floods. I carry the outboard in the mostly down position and raise it a bit for in town. Not enough. With the lower tires the motor is hitting the pavement! Ever have a day that just goes sideways and then keeps on a going sideways? This was one. A passing bus driver helped slow traffic enough so I could back on out and limp over to refill tires. The attendant came out and said "one is for cars and one is for rvs" And when your hands are full with traffic and those big dips sometimes these details slip. I went on down to Cottonwood to the walmart and got some gel paint remover and with about an hours work with that and some crest toothpaste, (did you know it makes a great gel coat buffer?) I have a field repair that I would have to point out the boo boo to you. It ain't a bad job. No structural issues, these boats are strong. Consoling myself over a cold one last night I asked the question, " what would I rather have... a pristine c dory at home that hadn't done anything or gone anywhere or one that had adventures and a bit of battle damage?" Easy answer. I'll try to keep it down on the damage. Momma told me there would be days like that. hence the name on the boat. Kerri On. Just be calm and Kerri On . I'm off to see Casey and Sandy in Sedona tomorrow. If you haven't been to this area do come it is absolutely stunning. George
 
George,

Sorry to hear about the low overhead, but these things happen. I have a Makita buffer (which would have save you some elbow grease) so if anything needs to be touched-up we can do it here.

Your parking space is ready. I looked for you when I was in Cottonwood yesterday but it sounds as though you were already sightseeing in metropolitan Winslow.

See you later.

Casey
 
George -
Yep - a different boating crowd on those s.w. lakes - we used to canoe them with kids - then chugged around some on the C-Dory - real challenge with wakes when in the canoe. But, Lakes Mead and Mohave have some beautiful areas to explore.

Have a great visit with Casey and Sandy - two fine folk. Best wishes - El and Bill
 
Hi Casey see you after lunch. I was a few hours in a really great automotive service station in Cottonwood. Tire Pro run by Dan and his crew. What a great bunch, did an oil change and tire rotation on the truck. I had service done in Nanaimo in late July I've done 3500 dusty miles since then. They showed me the air filter I had put in in July it was full of Nevada dust. Changed it out. Also serviced trailer brearings they were all good except one had the back seal blown out a tad. I think I did that by being too zealous in my greasing. Leave em alone if they run cool, the man told me. If you are looking for a good shop in this part of the world I can really recomend Tire Pro automotive in Cottonwood Az, really good guys.
 
George,

Love the "Kerri On" attitude. AND love the philosophy new, unused and pristine, or experienced with priceless memories. Glad it's only paint. Nice tip about the Crest toothpaste. I have a few spots to try that on. Keep Kerri-ing On and thanks for the interesting updates,

Harvey
SleepyC :moon
 
Kerri On is safe and secure at Casey and Sandy's place in Lake Montezuma. We've had many early morning walks and backyard fireplace talks solving the problems of the world. We were pretty sure we had Greece's situation figured out but maybe not. We turned our attention to boat stuff, Casey was instrumental in getting the towing charger system figured out and we should be good to go. My little solar panel did a pretty good job enroute here as there was much sun. In a few weeks I'll be heading North for the Sacramento Delta and the PNW. I have a feeling the sun may not be as available on the way back. I'll go nutty with battery use and see how the truck charger works. I'll burn lights and stereo with abandon. I like to see how things go prior to cutting holes and such so will run the cord from the plug up over the anchor roller and down the deck to the house battery and keep the cord aboard with little velcro straps attached to rails and cleats etc. Casey and Sandy and their friends and family have opened their hearts and home to one canuck traveler. I am truly grateful and honoured that the C Brat family is a real entity and wether you all know it or not you have friends all over the place because you own a c dory. It is a special priveledge in todays uncertain times. Thanks Casey and Sandy, George
 
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