High, but NOT dry . . .

[RichN]

Last weekend (Mother's Day weekend) was my first trip to the boat to start prep for the season. Lake Champlain is in a rare position this year. It is 3 feet above flood stage, exceeding the all-time record set in 1869 by more than a foot. This means my marina is flooded, and, what was supposed to be dry storage during the winter has turned out to be 30 inches of water under my boat as it sits in the jack stands.

After several trips rowing my neighbor's dinghies to/from the boat and car, I went and purchased some chest waders to make the job go a bit easier. I filled the dinghy with the gear and walked it to the boat. I was able to do a bit of work on the bottom, but of course a good bit of the bottom is under water.

This weekend I'm making a return trip. So far, the water has receded by 7 inches, but is still above the 1869 record. Also, showers are predicted for the weekend, so another wet experience is in store for me.

Here's some photos of what I encountered . . .

http://i923.photobucket.com/albums/ad76/rsn66125/IMAG0060.jpg

http://i923.photobucket.com/albums/ad76/rsn66125/IMAG0062.jpg

http://i923.photobucket.com/albums/ad76/rsn66125/IMAG0061.jpg

http://i923.photobucket.com/albums/ad76/rsn66125/IMG00026-20110508-0953.jpg

In the photo below, the Lake is actually over my left shoulder. Everything over my right shoulder and to my right is normally land, high and dry . . .
http://i923.photobucket.com/albums/ad76/rsn66125/IMG00029-20110508-1740.jpg

I joked a couple of weeks ago as the water was rising that perhaps I should just go to the boat and tie it to something in case it floats off the jacks . . . boy, it was nearly that bad!

Cheers!

--Rich

[rtg]

WOW!:eek:

I hope the plugs are in. The pictures really show what words alone can not. I have been told that years ago at the place were I keep my boat for the winter that the water rose high enough that the boats in indoor storage were taken out under power. They marked the height of the water. It was about 5'. That must have been some sight......

Keep us posted and thanks for the pictures.

Rob

[RichN]

Thanks Rob. My concern is that the waves may knock the boat off of the jack stands during windy/rough conditions, but as the lake slowly recedes, that concern fades with it. That would be a real mess had that happened, as my marina has no equipment to lift my boat. As it is, I have to hire a tractor/trailer to move it . . .

Also, just for comparison, here are photos before the water came up (these have already been posted elsewhere on the forums . . . )

http://i923.photobucket.com/albums/ad76/rsn66125/HPIM1230.jpg

http://i923.photobucket.com/albums/ad76/rsn66125/HPIM1228.jpg

http://i923.photobucket.com/albums/ad76/rsn66125/IMG00005-20100925-1537-1.jpg

--Rich

[RichN]

Well, the water is still high. It has fallen only 6 inches from the photos above, two weeks later (it had come down, then went back up). The lake is still nearly three feet above flood stage.

In the chart below, you can see the colored lines representing the different stages. At the very bottom of the chart there is an orange-ish/tan-ish line that represents flood stage . . .

http://i923.photobucket.com/albums/ad76/rsn66125/LakeGraph.jpg

Wish me luck for being able to get anything done over Memorial Day weekend. I seem to be working on projects inside the boat--go figure . . .

--Rich

[RichN]

Well, here we are a month later from the photos above and the lake is still in flood stage. The conventional wisdom is that the July 4th weekend may be the beginning of the season this year instead of the middle.

Two weeks ago I posted the lake level graph showing water just before Memorial day. Here's the updated look:

http://i923.photobucket.com/albums/ad76/rsn66125/USGS_04294500_03_00065__20110425_20110609__0__pres .png

We are moving in the right direction, but have a long ways to go before we get below flood stage . . .

--R

[RichN]

On Monday, June 27 at 11 a.m. (Eastern) I FINALLY put the boat in the water!

Photos will follow . . .

Cheers!

--Rich

[rtg]

Great! Just in time for the July 4th.

Have a great weekend.

Rob

[RichN]

Finally got it tied up at my seasonal slip. The docks FINALLY went in on the 4th weekend.

Here's a photo. If you look closely, you can see the bridge construction in the background . . .

http://i923.photobucket.com/albums/ad76/rsn66125/IMG_0003.jpg

Cheers!

--Rich

[rtg]

I hope they are giving you a break on the seasonal rate this year.....

Enjoy the rest for the season.

Rob