Category Archives: Sailing

Lake lowering. Then not.

Posted on June 28, 2007 | Comments Off on Lake lowering. Then not.

Lake Travis dropping very slowly at this hour, down to 693.63, with four floodgates staying open. Five feet lower than forecast for this afternoon, and nothing obvious on the LCRA automated guages site to change it. KVUE’s radar shows plenty of rain across the area, and more coming in, but little of the red and yellow variety. Plus it’s moving faster than Wednesday morning. The meteorologists have a word for the red and yellow blob that pulled up almost stationary over Marble Falls yesterday that I hadn’t encountered until the other day. In keeping with the age of terrorism, I suppose. They call it a precipitation "bomb."

UPDATE  Within an hour, the lake was rising slowly again. Lots of rain falling in upstream Lake LBJ and being passed down to Travis. By 3:30 p.m., it was up to 694.5.

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Posted in Sailing, Texana, Weather/Climate

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Runup

Posted on June 27, 2007 | Comments Off on Runup

LakeTravis.JPG

 LCRA graphic of Lake Travis on the way up, flooding some homes, isolating some marinas, and covering some private docks, with up to another 5 feet expected, and more possible. By 11:30 p.m., it was at 693.30.

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Posted in Sailing, Weather/Climate

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Catastrophe 2007

Posted on June 27, 2007 | Comments Off on Catastrophe 2007

LCRA is now projecting that Lake Travis will rise to almost 697 feet above mean sea level by tomorrow afternoon, despite having four flood gates open. That would be sixteen feet above full. Have to check but that might be a record height. That’s just from the rain that’s fallen so far. More rain is expected out there tonight.

UPDATE LCRA has closed the lake to recreational boating. City of Austin has, likewise, closed its waterways. Debris, etc. 

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Posted in Sailing, Texana, Weather/Climate

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Sloop’s okay but rerigging is delayed

Posted on June 27, 2007 | Comments Off on Sloop’s okay but rerigging is delayed

Just off the phone with folks at Anderson Mill Marina, who assured me the docks were raised as the water rose and the family sloop and other boats tied to them are okay. Inaccessible, but okay. "Let’s put it this way," said the woman who answered the phone, "you could swim to the bathroom." Meaning the restrooms at the parking lot on the shoreline are an island unto themselves. Obviously won’t be a trip to Yacht Harbor Marina tomorrow for the rerigging. Maybe next week.

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Floodin for real

Posted on June 27, 2007 | Comments Off on Floodin for real

I stare at the LCRA automated rain guages site entry for Marble Falls in disbelief. Seventeen point three nine inches of rain since midnight? The Llano River flowing at 52,871 cubic feet per second? The Pedernales River at 17,548? Lake Travis at 688.31, which means seven inches feet above full and the start of flooding out there on a grand scale. Two floodgates are open on Mansfield Dam with probably more to come, making shore life downstream on Lake Austin unpleasant as well. It’s hard even to get into the LCRA’s site, so many people must be trying. Indeed, there is widespread flooding in the Hill Country and especially along the Highland Lakes, according to the daily, with more rain to come. Austin spared, so far.

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Posted in Sailing, Weather/Climate

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Snickup

Posted on June 26, 2007 | Comments Off on Snickup

Snickup is Mr. Boy’s polite word for screwup. Unfortunately he now knows the impolite word, and we seldom hear snickup, anymore, which I rather like. But not the fact of it. I bought the new, self-inflating Stearns life vest at West Marine this morning, then settled down with the manual to see how to install the CO2 bottle and how it all works. But in my curiosity, I managed to break the little green plastic safety pin. I think I can buy a new one, but I’ll have to go back out to West Marine and see if they agree.

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Posted in Mr. Boy, Sailing

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Safety afloat

Posted on June 25, 2007 | Comments Off on Safety afloat

One thing I will do before Thursday’s long-distance haul to the rerigging is go buy a self-inflating vest. I never wore one before, but I was never 63 before. People drown on Lake Travis all the time, though I’d not heard this story of sudden drowning on Canyon Lake. Singlehanding as I will be most of the time this year, prudent wins the day.

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Posted in Sailing

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