Land Locked in Oklahoma

[Hal]

I have been posting comments to this forum and remembered I hadn't said hello. Currently Land Locked in Oklahoma City sailing out of Lake Hefner. I know, it isn't much but for a 21' O'Day daysailor it's fair, especialy when the wind is up which is most of the time. The only thing we have to watch out for is the ocassional water spout! We have flying fish in Oklahoma. They are usually frozen and drop out of the sky from around 40,000 ft. Only three more years 'till I can retire. Hope to get a bigger boat. Something that I can live on and sail around the world.

Hello to all and thanks for the nice forum.

Hal

[BadFish]

What's up? I've passed through Oklahoma a time or two. Only Oklahoma memory my shotty memory can recall at this moment is of a fairly seedy strip club in Lawton. Know the joint by any chance?

I was stationed in northern TX for a while (Wichita Falls), I feel your pain. It is certainly a landlocked place. Also, I've lived all over the world but I noticed that the winters there are unexpectedly frigid. That cold wind there cuts right through ya.

I'm jealous. You only got three years till you be a cruisin to wherever the hell you feel like. I got too many years left to work.

Cheers

Bill

[Hal]

BadFish you be Bad. This old seadog needs some salt real bad! Three years is like being a short timer considering I've been here since '82. When I leave here I'll be heading for the Great Lakes for serious training and then to the open sea. I have friends and relatives in New Zeland, Australia, USA east coast and west coast and plan to visit them all.

[s/v 'Faith']

Sounds like a great plan Hal,

Hope it works out for you.

[superA]

Hello fellow Okie!

[drruss]

Hello Hal from a fellow Okie! Nothing like winters in Oklahoma to make you dream of the beach! We recently bought a Tayana 48 and are "practicing" our next big move to the gulf.... in Lake Texoma. A sort of "dry run" with a safety net to get a feel for cruising life. Hefner is a great lake to sail just not too much to see...good luck Hal and hope to see you on the gulf when neither of us are land locked in Oklahoma!!

[swabbmob]

Hello from a former Okie. I learned to sail and windsurf on Lake Hefner - and it ain't for the faint of heart. The trees only get 8ft tall and grow at a 45 degree angle.

Good luck to you on your future plans!

[SkiprJohn]

Aloha Hal,
Welcome aboard!
Good to have you here and dreaming about the ocean.
Kind regards,
JohnL

[SoonerSailor]

Fellow Okie here too! Most of my sailing is in a racing dinghy (Thistle) on Lake Keystone near Tulsa, OK. Sometimes "cruise" on my father-in-law's Catalina 22. And once a year or so get my salt on a Maine bareboat. We too are saving for a voyaging vessel. Maybe in 3 years.... Hey, winter here isn't that bad!

[Pblais]

I know, it isn't much but for a 21' O'Day daysailor it's fair, especialy when the wind is up which is most of the time.

Sailing is more about showing up regular than the size of the boat.

If you are dodging water spouts in OK then you have your hands full. We dodge a few here on the Chesapeake too. I saw three in one day. I didn't see them up close. That's sort of how you play the water spout game even in OK.

Keep sailing any way you can. I've done a bit of lake sailing too. We sailed a Capri. It still counts!

[Bloodhound]

Welome from another OK resident. We're displaced Canucks and Aussies but sailing Lake Texoma gives us plenty of opportunity to experience everything from light air to high winds and very modest seas (to 4 ft but short wavelength). Problem with lake sailing is it can be a lot of work - there are no straight runs (5 to 7 miles max) or constant winds. So it's tack, tack and retack. But it's still the best fun in the world. We sailed a Soling for 2 or 3 years but it was too "unstable" for the admiral. Now with a 20,000 lb Westsail under her, there are no more gasps and demands to "take me back" because it's "leaning too much". Although too much boat for this particular lake, it's made a huge difference to her willingness to sail and heeling is no longer mentioned. If you ever get down this way (near Clarita, OK) let me know you're coming (580 428 3527) --- always happy to meet other sailors, especially landlocked ones. Great excuse to sail.

[Hal]

Paul,

My idea of lake sailing is the Great Lakes. I grew up near Chicago and have relatives near Mackanaw that own a large boat (can't remember what kind). I've made several crossings on Lake Michagan. That is similar to being on the ocean I'm told.

BloodHound,

I might just take you up on that. My wife loves to sail and when we get the O'Day leaning way over she loves it. The faster the better! Last summer we had a small tornado come across Lake Overholser and then over the house. It took out the fence in the back yard. You ever see it rain frozen fish?

[Pblais]

My idea of lake sailing is the Great Lakes.

I grew up on Lake Ontario and lived near Lake Superior That accounts for about 40+ years of my life. They are an amazing place to be around on the water with enough to keep anyone busy a few lifetimes. It's the same on the Chesapeake too. I'm about 200 years short of living to do it all. It all can happen on the Great Lakes and a good Great Lakes sailor is ready for it all except the salt. Oh, and tides too. Neither are the hard part.

If there is more than a lifetimes worth of sailing you know it can't be boring. The season could be a tad longer though but there are times I miss all that fresh water.