From: forda@gtephx.UUCP (Andrew Ford @ AGCS, Phoenix, Arizona)
Subject: Re: Houseboating on Lake Powell
Organization: gte
Date: Fri, 25 Sep 1992 16:54:41 GMT

In article <72689@apple.Apple.COM>, earlw@Apple.COM (Earl Wallace) writes:
> I'm considering renting a houseboat on Lake Powell and was wondering if
> anyone has any experience with houseboating on this lake.  My primary
> concerns are:
> 
>   - How well maintained are the houseboats?
>   - How much time would you suggest spending on the lake?
>   - Any problems you might have had.
> 
I've not rented a houseboat up there, but I've had the pleasure of talking 
to quite a few folks who were on the water at the same time I was.

#1, fairly well from what I've heard.
#2, At least a week -- even then you won't begin to capture the
    beauty of that lake -- I've been going for 6 or 7 years and I
    still find new things.
#3  ????? -- Make sure you have a marine radio on board (and know how to use
    it.)  I'd also advise having a 2nd, smaller boat to run around in.

Unless you stay very close to the marina, 8(, you'll find yourself
making long trips to get ice every 2 or 3 days (1 or 2 days at the 
peak of summer).  90% + of the houseboats I've seen up there are
towing a small runabout.  

Be extremely cautions on this lake: you can be in a secluded canyon
with no wind and blue sky above while there's a major storm blowing
out in the main channel (Lake Powell doesn't really have a main body,
it is a collection of canyons with small arms jutting off all over 
the place).  I've seen the lake go from perfectly calm to 4ft waves
in under 30 minutes.  

From late July through August you can expect scattered thunderstorms
daily.  These are seldom more than 20 minute showers and no one
spot gets rain every day.  (It's really nice in August, we've
been going every year in mid - early August.)

Also, be vary careful about where you camp: there are many 
nice sandy beaches which are really the end of a wash (dry creek).
These are very tempting camping spots, but a storm up on top
could send a 10 ft wall of water down such a wash before you even 
realized there were clouds in the sky.  (Many of the canyons have 
300 ft cliffs -- a major storm can be brewing and you'd never see 
it is almost overhead.)

When you make camp, look for an open strecth of sand, not the
end of a wash.

You'll *need* to purchase a chart or you'll probably end up
asking someone just where the heck you are.  I'd suggest
buying one of the nicer ones with info on sandy beaches and
points of interest.  

Navajo Canyon is a nice place to stay.  About 1/2 - 2/3 
the way up the canyon (it's headed south, but you're
still going up river), there is a *really* nice half moon 
beach protected by 250-300 ft cliffs for about 190 degrees.
(At high water, it's just a sand dune, but when the water
is 40 -60 feet down, it's a gorgeous beach. -- A couple
of the better charts that I've seen have this beach
labelled "Sand Dune").  the following is an attempt
at an ascii chart (from cold memory so DON'T try 
to use it, PLEASE -- it's just here to make
finding the aforementioned beach a little
simpler):

[*s == lighted-buoy marked channels]  

                                \  Warm  |
                                 | Creek |
                  \___           | Bay    \     N^
                      \_________/         |             
                   *  __*___*__ *   *     |           __
      Wah Weap Bay   /         \           \____------        
                 *  |           \    *   *    *     *  Padre Bay
              .     | Antelope   |         _________   
               . *  | Island     |  *     |         ---__
                     \          /     __   \_
              \/ *    \________/   * /  \    \
        to Glen   ___*___*_____*____/    |    \<Navajo Canyon
        Canyon          ^The              \    \
        Dam              Narrows           \ 
                     (To be avoided unless
                      you can't get around 
                      North of Antelope Isl.)
          
          
          
When you clear the north end of Antelop Island and start
heading south, you are still returning from sea; however,
once you head south past the entrance to Padre Bay,
your heading to sea, so (a) the buoy numbers "jump"
and (b) get those red markers to left after Padre
Bay (except the first one -- it's in center channel).

Here's a close up of Navajo Canyon near the beach --
keep in mind that the canoyn winds around a lot before
getting here:          
          
             
Note: Take the corners in this canyon wide -- they're blind
corners and often have rocks just under the surface near the
inside edge.
                  .
                 /                . 
                /                /  
               /                /   
              |          ___   /           N ^ (Very roughly)
              |         /   \ |    
              |        |rock| | <---- 
               \        \__/  |      \ -- Space between rocks and shore (cliff)
                \          __  \     /    is wide enough for a 24' boat -- but
                 \        |  \  \<--      any sane person would want to slow
                  \        \_/   \        to wakeless (as there is no room
                  |               \       for manuevering).  
          _-_     |                \
         /   \___/                  \
        |        . Caution: enter    |
        |      _-| to starboard -    |
         \____-  | very shallow       |
           beach|  to port.           /
               /                     /
              /                     -
                                   /
                                  |  miner's steps (interest hike -- 30 min)
                                   \___



Again, this beach is submerged unless the water is 40-60 feet low;
but when it's there, it is wonderful.          

You'll probably want to see Rainbow Bridge (quite a ways up past
Padre Bay).  Face Canyonm (off Padre Bay I think) is a fun 3-4 hour
hike -- boat to the back of Face Canyon, take the right fork and
continue to the end (you'll have to have a 20' or smaller 
runabout and you'll probably have to push it in with a 
pole (gaft's are handy for something 8).  The Canyon forks
again very near the waters edge (just before at high water,
just at water's edge when the  water is about 40' down) --
take the left fork this time.  Then hike to the end of 
the canyon -- I forget the geologic term, but you'll 
find yourself in a sort of vertical water channel
(rain run-off) carved out of sandstone.  It's hard
to put into words, but it is certainly a unique 
experience.

You've picked a *beautiful* lake and I highly recommend it,
but I wouldn't recommend camping close to WahWeap.

If you want, e-mail me when you get a date -- if it's in
August, there's a good change that I'll be up there too --
we just might get together.

-- 
"25 States allow anyone to buy a gun, strap it on, and walk down the street with
no permit of any kind: some say it's crazy.  However, 4 out of 5 US murders are 
committed in the other half of the country: so who is crazy?"   -  Andrew Ford
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