I'd like to share some info about current sailing conditions at the lake, and a few tips.

If you've been sailing this year, you likely know there is another aquatic weed in the lake - this is called Curly Leaf Pond Weed (CLPW), and it is listed as an invasive species by the state of Washington.  From a distance this can be mistaken for milfoil, but the milfoil treatment last year was quite effective and there is no sign of milfoil at this time. The two plants compete with each other and the absence of milfoil has given a boost to the CLPW, in fact it was spotted in the lake late last year.

The good news is there are plans already in motion to treat the CLPW, and the treatment is effective and non-toxic to people and wildlife.  The bad news is the next biologically appropriate treatment window won't be until sometime this Fall.

So in the mean time, here's a few tips for sailing at the club this summer:

Since we began sailing in earnest a few months, especially on Tuesday and Thursday evenings, the sailing conditions have been excellent!  the afternoon and evening breezes have been quite nice.

We have several "free sail" events coming up on the calendar, including one tomorrow afternoon at 3pm, and I highly recommend you make arrangements to sail your boat during these events, or on a Tuesday or Thursday evening, when we have Chase boats on the lake and there are fellow sailors out as well. Sailing is always fun even when you're the only boat out, but its even more fun when others are out as well - and safer.

The CLPW seems to be more concentrated in the center and South part of the lake, so if you head straight out when you leave the docks, you'll eventually sail right into the worst of it. Instead I suggest you sail out only a short ways before changing course and heading North, as the upper part of the lake has much less weeds. In the channel between the island and the NE shore currently there's hardly any at all.  Just be sure to stay well off-shore, just North of the club, as it's quite shallow in that area.

Those who have been sailing on Tuesday and Thursday evenings already know all this; and if you watch them leave the dock, you'll see most of them head North, and skip the middle of the lake entirely.

See you on the water!

Philip