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Old 07-08-2012, 04:41 PM   #7
angus99
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City: Signal Mtn., TN
Vessel Name: Stella Maris
Vessel Model: Defever 44
Join Date: Feb 2012
Posts: 2,742
Quote:
Originally Posted by Moonstruck View Post
Angus, that auxiliary channel is marked on the charts . . . That area is used regularly in course racing at PYC.
Yeah, I'm pretty familiar with that spot, Don. In addition to racing around it, I've been on several PYC committee boats that set the pumping station mark, as we call it, as a reaching mark. The fetch there with a NW wind is 4 or 5 miles.

Racing sailboats with fixed keels usually stay away from that side in the winter, when the water's down . . . some of us learning the hard way . . . although depth should not have played a role in this tragedy.

You're also right about the effects of the ridges creating turbulence on that lake. I've seen sailboats on the same tack pass each other going in opposite directions almost close enough to toss each other a beer. Mostly, that can happen close to shore where the wind eddies strongly. But the wind hardly ever blows from one direction consistently anywhere on Chickamauga.
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