Cruising Lake Harriet - A Sailing Resource

One of the nicest things you can do about a small cruiser is have a hot meal. Just like when camping, most anything warm will taste great. Cold sandwiches in the cooler will hold you over, but there is nothing like having something filling, tasty, and HOT. But how? If you have a galley with a stove, that's a good place to start. Soup and stews are easy, and if you plan to fry meat, I suggest you stay away from beef, the grease and spatter are dangerous and messy. Pork, fish, and chicken are better. If you crave a burger, how about a Turkey Burger? Just be sure to bring lots of spices; I find them bland if you don't spice them up. The stove is also a way to boil water, so tea, coffee and cocoa are easy. Another GREAT way to go is a gas grill. Magma (link) makes a full line of Stainless Steel grills designed for sailboats, with all types of secure mounting. We have a pretty full galley on our boat, but we prefer to grill off the stern pulpit. It keeps us in the cockpit, and in t...

One of the challenges of sailing on a small lake is that there is 'nowhere to go' Unlike larger lakes, there are no ports of call, marinas or bars on Lake Harriet, and we seem to spend a lot of time just sailing back and forth. On our Beneteau 235, we have chosen to stop often and drop an anchor on the lee side of the lake. For dinner, drinks or a swim, it brings a sense of adventure and purpose to our sailing. The picture above was taken after dinner on warm September day, after an afternoon of sailing. Good times  Anyone else? -Tech Note: I cannot overstate the importance of having an anchor on your boat, and having it easily accessible. It seems there is a direct correlation between ease of anchor access and actual use. Beyond the safety issue, it makes impromptu stops much more likely. If your anchor is stuffed in a cabin locker under a berth cushion, you are much less likely (and able!) to pull it out. For our 20-23 foot boats, a 10lb Danforth anchor with a chain and 1...