Trailered boats and PWCs add to the fun of a Lake Powell vacation.
LAKE POWELL, UTAH
Getting There: Lake Powell, a reservoir on the Colorado
River between Utah and Arizona, is one of the most remote
lakes in the U.S. Scheduled flights are available into Page
Airport, where you can rent a car or take the shuttle
services provided by Lake Powell Resorts. From neighboring
states it may make more sense to drive. www.utah.com/
lakepowell or www.pagelakepowelltourism.com
Where To Stay: Lake Powell Resorts and Marinas rent
houseboats from 36 to 75 feet. Rates vary depending on the
season and size of the boat, but start as low as $2,500 for
a week in the offseason. www.lakepowell.com
The extended Fait family enjoys 30 years
of houseboating on Lake Powell.
scenery is like nothing you’ll see anywhere else. Enormous
cliff walls that go up and up like a mini Grand Canyon!
We like to go about 30 miles from a marina, which also, of
course, means 30 miles from a phone or provisioning possibilities.
You can’t go out for dinner! It’s really up to you how remote you
want to go. At some areas only a PWC will fit between the cliff
walls so it’s fun exploring. It’s like camping on a boat.
SAN JUAN ISLANDS, WASHINGTON
Island Hopping In The Great Northwest
— By Diego Flores, California
After happening across the San Juan Sailing booth at a boat
show in Oakland, California, in 2004, I was eager to obtain an
American Sailing Association certification as a credential for
future chartering. A year later I completed their Basic to Bareboat
and Coastal Navigation courses aboard a Pearson 38 sailboat, and
was ready to hit the high seas. In 2006 my wife and I returned to
Washington for a week’s charter aboard a Beneteau 323 sailboat.
I can’t recommend the family-run San Juan Sailing enough.
The service was friendly and customer-oriented and the vessel was
in immaculate shape. The boat’s standard equipment includes
everything needed to complete the trip safely and comfortably.
The San Juan Islands are beautiful, fascinating, and diverse.
They have so many great anchorages and places to visit that
it’s difficult to pick one favorite. You can head to anchorages at
state parks such as Sucia and Matia Island; pamper yourself at
upscale resorts such as Rosario Resort on Orcas Island; or head
to Roche Harbor on San Juan Island. I’m already planning on
returning to these beautiful cruising grounds aboard a Hunter
356 in July of this year.
BAYFIELD, WISCONSIN
A Spiritual Sail Through The Apostle Islands
— By Rick Voss, Iowa
Every other year my wife and I go with a group of boating
friends from eastern Iowa to Bayfield, Wisconsin, for a week of
sailing among the Apostle Islands. Our most recent charter was on
Low Bid, a 42-foot Beneteau that we hired from Superior Charters
in Port Superior, about three miles south of Bayfield. All the boats
are well maintained and there’s an excellent support staff ready to
help. For the novice charterer, they offer instruction or refresher
