Spring is just a few weeks away, the lake temperature will slowly climb and the sailing season begins anew. For most of the larger cruising sailboats, the water temperature is not as large a concern as is the atmospheric temperature. In my Thistle and other sailing dinghies, both media temperatures are safety concerns as a capsize in chilly water can have some serious consequences. I usually wait until mid-April, by then the water temperatures have reached the mid- to upper 60's. Fishermen, especially those in pursuit of crappie, usually start hitting the lake hard around that time of year, maybe a bit earlier if the ambient temperature is comfortable.

Grand Rivers is the address of Kentucky Lake Sails, one of three major sailboat marinas in the Kentucky-Barkley Lakes region, the other marinas being Green Turtle Bay, located on Lake Barkley, and the Kentucky Dam State Park marina. The Kentucky Lake Sailing Club conducts all of their races out of the Kentucky Lake Sails facility. Both Kentucky Lake Sails and Green Turtle offer sailboat maintenance and repair services, check out their websites for more information.

While on the subject of Grand Rivers, I need to mention a few other attractions. Patti's 1880's Settlement is probably the most popular attraction in our area, excluding the two lakes of course. Check out their website for the particulars. Grand Rivers is located at the North end of Land Between the Lakes, aka LBL. This is one of the largest recreation areas in the Midwest, operated by the US Forest Service. Amongst the many adventurous activities available, mountain biking has become one of the most popular. Miles and miles of trails of varying degrees of difficulty abound in the park. One of the best bike shops around is Wood n Wave located in Grand Rivers, swell people, super helpful. And last but definitely not the least is the SoCool Shop across the street from Patti's. My friend runs the shop, the super cool Ms. Laurie. She too is an avid sailor. Check out her website for more info.