2011 - Not Again, Rain, Overflowing Rivers, Flooding Surpasses 1937 Records
The season started with some good sailing and one club race in early April (we took 2nd). Then massive rains along the Ohio Valley. It rained for more then a week without a break. Ponds turned into small lakes, large lakes - well they got way bigger, feilds, pastures, roads, houses and towns have been flooded. River traffic was halted and at times restricted to daylight use. At my slip normal depth is 13 feet. I recorded 28 feet at the height of the flooding. All area marinas were closed and at GTB the roads, boatyard and marina offices underwater. Following are photos of the marina flooding mostly in chronological order. Mosquitoes will be bad this year!
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| May 4, 2011
to May 15th |
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| Dam Spillway Wide Opened |
KY Damn Facility Building |
Marina Docks Float but.... |
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| My Dock's Walkway |
Marina Restaurant Almost Flooded |
Boatyard with water rising |
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| My Gate Underwater |
Water Receding |
Gate and Parking Lot |
Before and After Images, 3 weeks after flooding depth at slip is at 16 feet |
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Paducah Flood Wall, High Water |
Marina Resturant Almost Flooded |
Dry Gate and Parking Lot |
| Sailing and Racing 2011 |
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| Margret & Her Crew (Ladies Race) |
Susanne & Lawrin |
Gov Cup Light Air Regatta |
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Swim Time |
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Commonwealth Cup - Kentucky Lake Race Week
This is our area's biggest racing event. There is a feeder race the weekend before for big boats. There are club dinghy (Sunfish) racing on Friday. Saturday we have the Commonwealth Cup distance race. Small boats, class and one designs have buoy races. This year the weather blessed us with winds of 10-18 mph's. Winds increased and became gusty at 20-30 mph's and very shifty. We took First Place in our class and we worked hard and smart to win. We were bold with a port tack start which got us to the weather mark first. We lost ground downwind to the lighter weight boats. And then the upwind beat showed the power, speed, and pointing ability of Rendova. All the crew worked hard but the guys working the genny worked the hardest.
Rendova's racing can be viewed on YouTube Video at positions 6:40 and 10:00
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| Rendova's Crew |
More Crew Shots - Pre Race |
RC & Our Competitors |
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| Downwind Boats Catch Us |
Upwind Work |
Gusty Winds |
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Trophys |
Aerial Shots Pre Start |
Aerial Shots Reaching |
2010 - The Year We Did Not Sail (much)...
The season started late for us, we missed a few races. My boat was hauled and sat for 6 months due to the reappearance of Blisters. The yard did something wrong while applying the barrier coating. The yard sanded off the original coating and reapplied a new barrier coat(s).
Then the floods came to our area. Parts of downtown Nashville and the Grand Ole Opry both underwater. The lakes and rivers in our area were overflowing and all river/lake traffic was halted.
Then the heat came, its hot with temps in the 90's. On our first race one of the crew passed out from heat. The winds have been light and many our races have been cancelled. Now I sail at night to escape the heat. |
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Marina Under Water |
My Boat Almost Floats Away |
Road Way Four Feet Under Water |
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Suzie my old friend and crew comes to visit. Suzie, her children and I all sailed and raced in the late 70's on Lake Michigan. When I owned my previous boat Suzie, Rita and Steve were my core sailing buddies who help me explore the Great Lakes, St. Lawrence and West Indies. |
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Suzie visits the new boat |
25 yrs ago Suzie at Tadoussac Canada |
The Commonwealth Cup annual regatta is the biggest sailing event for the area. The winds were light and shifting, the is course long and the light air boats almost always do well - except this year we took second place. We worked hard and the boat moved well. |
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2nd Place Trophy |
Crew Ray & Steve |
Pre-Start |
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2009 - Green Turtle Bay Kentucky Racing
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| The Commonwealth Cup is a well attended regatta. This year the winds were light which favor the light displacement boats. We had the best start and port tacked the fleet. We were first to the marks but after 5 miles the fleet caught and passed us downwind mark. We finished fourth, better then I thought we would. The crew worked well in very difficult conditions. |
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| Starting with visiting skipper Deanna |
Felicia my regular crew |
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Bailey on Deck |
Ray working the Foredeck |
Club Race in August |
The Riddle Cup is a local attended distance regatta in mid October. It was cold and windy with gusts in the mid twentys. We had a great start, second around the windward mark. After my homemade $20 wisker pole broke the light weight boats caught and passed us downwind. My boat moved well upwind and we had fun. I roasted a chicken in the oven to keep us warm. |
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Crew on a cold day |
Steve and Todd |
Homemade Wiskerpole for $20 |
Sailing sailing season is over. Sails will be pulled and re-stitched. Some hardware will be removed, repaired and repainted. And I will hang a third place trophy on the wall. |
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New Years Eve
My new years celebration, build and fly a hot air balloon. I have done this since high school. Most of my balloons fly high and far. I always fly these guys on cold windless nights. Candles power the balloons and are easily seen. I use a dry cleaning bag where any holes are tape. I build a 'X' base of straws where birthday candles cut into the straws. The base is push threw the bag and taped. I pre heat the bag with a toaster and then light the candles and enjoy the site. I have to try basla wood next time. |
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| Materials |
Construction |
Flight |
2008 - Racing
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| Motoring to the start |
Happy Crew |
Boats Passing in Light Airs |
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| Little Crew Member Emma |
Riddle Cup Regatta |
Hard Work Won a Trophy |
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| 3rd Place Series |
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Green Turtle Bay Kentucky, my dock and Hurricane Ike's visit
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| Ike visits my dock |
Rendova heels at the dock |
Trees block the way home |
Other then hurricane Ike, my lake sailing is a laid back. A lot of southern history. A lot of commercial river traffic. A lot of southern charm. Many sailors live up north and had their boats on Lake Michigan. To get more sailing time they moved their boat on Kentucky Lake. They now can sail almost year round. This area is mostly free of snow and the water rarely freezes. |
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| Delta Queen's Visits |
KLSC Sunfish Races |
Tug Boat Pushing Barges |
 will dock along the waterfront and passengers will disembark and explore the downtown)
 worked the foredeck with Steve, walking back the sail and jibing the 20 foot wisker pole.)
 helped by getting us drinks and things from below.&img_name=Position/KY_Lake/racing_2009_09_commonweath_05.jpg&img_name2=Position/KY_Lake/racing_2009_09_commonweath_06.jpg&desc=Crew has to be quite and move gently on the boat so as not to knock the wind out of the sail. <br>Charlie and Steve unable to do much going downwind in lightwinds.)
