Boating

Sailing Lake Travis with sailATX

Written by Todd Hower | July 28, 2016

Back when I was a kid growing up near the waters of Lake Michigan, my parents had a friend with a sailboat. I was too little to be interested in learning anything about how to sail, but always remember the excitement when the opportunity came to be out on the water in a sailboat.

The waves on Lake Michigan are notorious for making the hardiest of sea captains lose their lunch. At my age, I couldn’t be compared to any sort of skipper, so I had no problem losing my lunch every time we headed out of the breakwater and got into the rhythm of the Lake Michigan waves. But that never stopped me from getting completely surrounded by water and in a boat powered by the wind.

When Steve from sailATX asked me if I was interested in sailing on Lake Travis, the excitement of sailing — something I haven’t done for 20+ years — came alive again. This time it would be without the Lake Michigan waves that stole my lunch. If you can handle being in a boat on an inland lake, you can sail on Lake Travis.

Lago Fest and Austin Yacht Club’s Turnback Canyon Regatta: Great Fun at Bar-K Park

Written by Sandra Spicher | June 1, 2016

If you happened to glance at Lake Travis on Saturday or Sunday, you might have wondered what was going on. Sure, it was Memorial Day weekend. Makes sense for people to flock to the lake. But why all the sailboats?

For the first time in years, the weather cooperated enough to hold a two-day race the Austin Yacht Club calls the Turnback Canyon Regatta. One sailor, whose team came in fourth in his division Saturday, explained that there has to be enough water in the cove at Bar-K Park to allow the sailboats to tie up overnight.

You may recall the Memorial Day weekend of 2015, when there was too much water (not to mention debris) to hold the race.

Lake Travis Area Parks Guide: Pace Bend Park

Written by Mandy Spivey | July 1, 2015

It’s a special time of the summer when the sun is out and Lake Travis is (almost) full.

To get your best views of the water and maybe even dip your toes in a bit, don’t forget one of the most popular of Travis County Parks, Pace Bend Park.

Take a drive west through the Hill Country along Highway 71 to Spicewood and just before crossing over the Pedernales River, head down Pace Bend Road to arrive at the park. You’ll be hard-pressed to find better glimpses of the blue waters of Lake Travis.

Austin Yacht Club: Sailing on Lake Travis Since 1952

Written by Cathy Hale | June 11, 2015

If the words “yacht club” conjure up images of Thurston Howell III from Gilligan’s Island in a yachting cap and ascot, well, you’re not alone.

Yachting very well may be misconstrued as a stuffy pastime, but not at Austin Yacht Club. This laid-back Lake Travis gem has been serving up serious sailing since 1952.

Austin Yacht Club is just a few miles off of RR 620 and Hudson Bend Road. If you follow the bright green scenery past Infamous Brewing Company and the neighborhoods of Travis Landing and Lakeland Hills, you’ll discover AYC on your right at the end of Beacon Road sitting on 30 acres with wet and dry slip storage.

How Much Rain Do We Really Need to Help Lake Travis?

Written by Cathy Hale | May 14, 2015

While the recent stormy weather may be wreaking havoc on outdoor weddings, festivals and baseball playoffs, and the tornado warnings have been unsettling, it’s filling up lakes throughout the state of Texas. Yesterday Austin got more than an inch of rain in only three hours.

Sure, it’s not the “Rain Bomb” of Memorial Day in 1981, when we got 11 inches of rain in three hours, but hey, it’s better than nothing. Plus, Camp Mabry has already observed more than five inches of rain in May which is more than we we typically get all month. That’s good news.

So how much rain would it actually take to fill the lake? Experts have said a major storm system or a series of storm systems could definitely do the trick.

Boating

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