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2008 Season Update

Category: Lake Hamilton, Boats/Boating          Date: 12/21/08

Well, well...here we are at the end of a year to remember. I thought it high time you had an update from Hot Springs and a recap of Lake Hamilton's 2008 season. But I warn you, some of my personal ramblings may have to be endured along the way!

Gas prices through the summer were quite the bummer! However, my theory that avid boaters will go boating regardless of the cost was more than moderately upheld. There was clear evidence of efforts to burn less fuel, namely low speed cruising and an increase in rafting up/socializing, but, in my opinion, the throngs were still out there.

In the past, a glance toward the cluster of boats on the sandbar as you crossed the HWY 270 West bridge would give a pretty good indication of overall lake traffic. These days, however, revelers have created another popular gathering point on the opposite end of the lake, making it more difficult to judge.

We should find out soon enough as Lake Hamilton's 2008 season marked the recurrence of a study that determines changes in boating usage. A physical count is taken by land, water and air. I'll let you know when the results are revealed.

As for the boaters themselves, well, they did about as much screwing up as usual. Two particular incidents of note occurred well after dark up in the Big Mazarn. Uh, hello! You might want to make note of this for future reference if you plan on cruising Lake Hamilton at night. True, there's nothing quite like it but it helps to know where you are, first of all, and a little common sense goes a long way!

One was an old Bayliner full of people, including kids, cruising back toward the main channel just before midnight when their boat had an altercation with a giant stump. If you know the area well, out in front of Lake Forest Shores, then you probably know the stump too. It was a black night, no moon at all and even an experienced boater should not have been out there.

Even though the driver claimed to have intimate knowledge of the lake, he managed to put one lady through the windshield and sent everyone, including himself, to the emergency room. Fortunately, no one was seriously hurt.

The other was an early Saturday morning call to retrieve a Crownline run aground all the way at the back of Big Mazarn Creek. It was the perfect example of "wannabe thinking" that assumes all one must do to become a mariner is buy a boat! This guy's maiden voyage landed him in jail after spending the night stuck on a gravel bar.

It seems he had yet to register the boat in his name, had no proof of ownership and didn't think it was necessary to replace the missing ignition switch that made it appear suspect. I passed by him in one of the Marine Patrol boats looking pretty sad in handcuffs with one of those "Gilligan's Island" life jackets around his neck.

As if all that wasn't enough, further proof of his inexperience was evidenced by the lack of blades on his propeller, which had been completely ground off while attempting to free the boat. I have never seen anything like it in all my personal and professional years of boating. He also managed to trash his lower unit and a few other things in the process. Expensive lesson!

Oh there's more, but it'll have to wait for another post. How about your summer adventures on Lake Hamilton? I'd love to hear about them!

More later..........Clay