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Hello Members

by LPYC Manager, Gary Yantis

December through February is the quiet time for boaters on Lake Powell. Some hardy souls will venture out in the colder temperatures to experience the serene surroundings. Others will try their luck at fishing. Our southwestern sun will warm you on a clear day, while the flat water and quiet surroundings will renew your mind and body.

Behind the marine business signs however, there will be a quiet flurry of activity as we move on through January toward the spring. Several dealers will have major houseboat refurbishment projects underway, along with their normal maintenance tasks left by boaters that are envisioning the thrill of next season on the water. All of this is coming together for your next boating pleasure on the lake. If you need repairs on your boat, contact your service provider as early as possible to get on their schedule.

December 31, 2012 will mark the end of most 2-stroke PWC use on Lake Powell. All personal watercraft that do not meet the 2006 EPA emissions standards are banned by the NPS (National Park Service) after that date. Note that this rule only applies to PWCs, not to other boats with 2-cycle outboard motors. The same restriction will apply to Lakes Mead and Mohave. For complete information, see the 2-Stroke Vessel article elsewhere in this issue.

The Oktoberfest and Winterfest Socials were held at Wahweap Marina. The annual meeting, which includes the election of officers, was conducted along with the Oktoberfest Social. A full board of directors was elected to serve during this season, until the 2012 annual meeting.

We are extremely grateful to Steve Carothers and ARAMARK for allowing us to hold our socials near the Wahweap Marina store. They have provided a houseboat at little or no charge and assistance as needed while at the marina. Thanks to Steve and his crew!

Beginning January 3, 2012, when entering Wahweap through the south entrance station, take note of the lower speed limit on Lake Shore Drive. The NPS has dropped the speed from 55 MPH to 45MPH.

Early in November, boaters at Wahweap began to receive Warning Notices from the National Park Service for “expired registration”. NPS, along with Arizona Game & Fish, had conducted a sweep of Wahweap Marina to locate expired registrations. They found some – in fact they found many! A large number of the boats the NPS had recorded did have expired U. S. Coast Guard Documentation – according to a website the NPS Ranger later consulted. Upon finding these boats reported as expired on the website, warning notices started to fly. During my call to the Ranger, she indicated that about fifty six warnings were sent.

After calls from many boaters and mine from the Yacht Club to the NPS and/or the USCG Documentation Service, the website miraculously became updated. The Ranger soon discovered that the registrations were now listed as current on the updated site and apology letters were sent out. The Ranger vowed that future warnings for expired documentation will be more diligently verified and the notice will also be accompanied by a cover letter of explanation. With some digging, I find that the website that she used (and I have also used) for boat documentation information is run by another branch of government, NOAA Fisheries. (It was out of date on some boats by as much as 9 months.) After updating, it listed the “Data current as of December 13, 2011. That web address is http://www.st.nmfs.noaa.gov/st1/CoastGuard/VesselByName.html . This was a very irritating situation for the boaters and a very embarrassing event for the NPS Ranger. I have contacted the USCG, and have a call in to NOAA to encourage them to keep the renewals more current on the site.

As reported earlier, the NPS added a layer of approval last year for projects within national parks and recreation areas. The long anticipated Wahweap Marina store and office complex, which was planned to be in place by now, has been caught up in this change of the approval process. So the construction plans backtracked to the local NPS. The plans are now ready to be presented for NPS regional approval in February 2012, and then on to the federal level in May for the final step. After that final review, the construction will begin and carry through next summer into the fall. It should be put into place during the off season a year from now. If that schedule holds, we hope see it open for the 2013 season.

Bullfrog Marina is getting two more sets of covered slips. The 60 and 70 feet long slips are completed and wait to be pulled uplake from the Stateline Rental area at Wahweap, to Bullfrog around the first of January.

The National Boating Federation (of which the LPYC is a member) has alerted us to a potential hazard. A recall notice has been issued for some Mustang Survival inflatable PFDs. The recalled products were sold in the US in 2011 with model numbers MD 2010 or MD2012. For more information or to return a PFD, contact them at 1-800-526-0532 or www.mustangsurvival.com/22lb-product-notice .

While here during your upcoming vacations, plan to spend a few extra days to experience some of the many other attractions in our area. The Glen Canyon National Recreation Area (GLNRA) has so much more to offer than the lake that we come here to enjoy. Contact the local Park Service at 928-608-6200 or their website at www.nps.gov/glca, for information. For other exciting points of interest contact the Page Tourism Bureau at visitpagearizona.com or 1-888-261-PAGE (7243).

The Yacht Club is the “Boater’s Voice on Lake Powell”, but have you wondered where our members reside? Over three hundred and thirty member families strong, our members berth their boats or launch from Halls Crossing, Bullfrog, Antelope Point and Wahweap marinas on Lake Powell. Some trailer their boat from local dry storage facilities or their home town location. We also have some that just love Lake Powell and appreciate what the Yacht Club does for the lake and the visitors that it lures. Our members currently hail from 15 states, and one in Ontario, Canada. The uplake segment of our membership totals over thirty families. Although they rarely attend our functions due to the distance to travel, the uplake members recognize that our accomplishments benefit boaters at all locations on Lake Powell. With this wide representation, it is easy to picture doubling our membership with a little effort from every member. When your thoughts turn to boating this spring, plan to enlist at least one new member for your club. This partially answers the question often asked “How can I help?” Your voice on Lake Powell issues and concerns will become that much louder! I will provide membership information for you – contact me at the LPYC office.

Contact the office to store your houseboats, cruisers, PWCs and also RVs in the Yacht Club storage yard. It is lighted, secure and you can work on your boat with personal access 24 hours a day. Reserve a space by contacting the office at 928-645-3992, or email at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .