Lake Guntersville in Alabama
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Posted: Jul 30, 2010 - 11:27 PM
Has anyone here ever sailed in Lake Guntersville in Guntersville Alabama? They have a sailing club but wasnt sure if there are ever any cats that go on the lake. I thought about making a weekend trip up in the motorhome in a few weeks. -
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Posted: Jul 30, 2010 - 11:53 PM
We stayed at Honeycomb Campground off Hwy. 431 Just north of Guntersville. On campground road. This was in March and the campground was not busy. The manager let us set the boat up on the swimming beach and camp right there. This is where I was able to hit 22mph on a broad reach by gps. We were just north of the Hwy 69 causeway. The wind was coming right over the causeway which is about 7 feet high. There were no waves close to the causeway and we were flying along side the road. Cars on the highway were blowing there horns at us. It was cold but worth it.
If you sail down toward the dam, there is a cave on the water that thousands of bats fly from every evening. -
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Posted: Jul 31, 2010 - 12:42 AM
As far as lakes go in Alabama, Guntersville is one of the better ones for wind. Not many places to launch and fewer to beach on, and in summer time you can hit a hydrilla patch at speed which is ugly. A pitchpole of a different kind. Most of the shore line for beaching consist of small gravel.
There is a ramp near the state park which puts you on the biggest part of the open lake. Call the Park personnel and make sure you are compliant. They can be picky about registration and such.
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Philip
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Posted: Aug 01, 2010 - 12:20 PM
I sailed there when I lived just North of Guntersville, in Scottsboro. Just West of town there is a nice open area to sail, but the boat ramps are covered in bass boats. Then there is the State Park on North East of town, that does have a sandy beach (not next to the ramp) but is also covered in bass boats. I have sailed both areas of the lake and it is one of the better lakes in the area. You do need to watch that often the wind goes up the lake so lots of short tacks. And as Philip mentioned, what out for those weeds.
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Scott,
‘92 H18 w/SX wings
‘95 Hobie Funseeker 12 (Holder 12)
‘96/‘01/‘14 Hobie Waves
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Posted: Aug 01, 2010 - 01:39 PM
Thanks for the replies. I am hoping to take off at the end of August for a week. We will be going to Panama City FL for a few days and I may take the cat then. I am hesitant though being so new to the sailing seen. I am scared I could not make it back in somehow, not to mention there will be a 3yo on board. After hearing what yall say about guntersville it sounds like it would be fairly nice to go there also.
