Flathead Revisited

Making the most of free time is an art.  If you can get all of the little odds and ends out of the way and focus on what you really want to be doing you’re in good shape.  If one of you knows the secret please let me know.

            I had a four day weekend and was determined to make the most of it.  I wanted to spend my time on the lake.  Where else?  I was hoping that I would be able to circumnavigate Flathead Lake.  Finally.  No such luck, it was to be an epic failure.  That is, in actually circumnavigating the lake.  I did succeed in spending pretty much my entire weekend sailing.  Unfortunately, the wind gods were not with me, and I spent a lot of time bobbing. 

            To put that in perspective, it took me six hours to go three miles.  It probably would have been faster if I swam towing the boat.  Oh well, a bad day of no wind on the boat is better then a good day at work any time.

            I could have started the motor and made the distance in half an hour but I had motored for twelve miles the day before.  I needed to conserve my remaining fuel to make it back to the launch and that was a good twenty miles away.

Flathead Islands

            That sums it up.  No wind, no circumnavigation.  Now, what I did manage to do is find some really neat areas on the south side of Flathead Lake.  There are at least four good sized islands there and many smaller ones; all very fun to sail in and around.  Even if you are only going half a knot.

            It was in that area where I spent the majority of the weekend.  Also, Finley Point State Park is there and it undoubtedly has the nicest boating facilities out of all the state parks located around the lake, and is the only one with a marina.  Good luck getting a camp site.  Ha ha, don’t need one. 

            I would be back at the lake again the next weekend.  This time I did have wind and accomplished my goal of circumnavigating the lake.  I also managed to find an open spot on an island and camp there.  That was impossible the previous weekend.  It was a mad house out there; everybody and their brother had a speed boat.  Thus all the prime camping areas I saw were already taken.

Levi Sleeping

            This past weekend I had my friend Levi aboard.  He had never been sailing before and much like my own indoctrination into the sport, it was a trial by fire.  One day we were pulling six knots with only my storm jib up.  It was great.

            Unfortunately, the previous weekend (the 4^th) there was no wind, so my friend Donovan wasn’t very impressed.  However, he did get to see the lake.

            I had fun both weekends and will say this about Flathead Lake.  It is a fun lake to sail but is no Lake Superior.  It is too small for my taste but one must make due.  I will be going again and will probably even enjoy it. 

            One other note, I contacted Tim, not “Tim” but a gentleman I met through the blog.  He lives here in Montana and I invited him out for a sail.  He joined Levi and I for a quick cruise around the southern islands.  We had good wind and the boat was healing for a good portion of the voyage.  I think it worried him a bit.  That was probably due to the fact that he had flipped his boat the weekend before.  I assured him that, at least in the current conditions, the Flying Fish was completely stable.  Fair sailing Tim.



Island Camp Sites



Donovan at  Finley Point St Pk.

Bull Island

The Cap'n

The Mission Range