Despite getting off to a slow start this season, we have managed to get a little sailing in and as well as a bit of boat camping. The first night out, of course, is a bit nerve-wracking, as we have a tendency to pop out of the cabin like prairie dogs when strange noises or mysterious swells wake us at 2 a.m.

Our first boat camping trip this season was a return to our summer routine – pack up and head to the high country to avoid the heat. I think I’ve finally discovered a “protect the skin at high altitude” solution for sailing at Lake Tahoe: linen pants! I was wearing nylon sweatpants to protect the pelt, but it was just too hot, so I found some linen pants on sale and it’s the hot tip.

At any rate, the sailing has been great, and I was thinking about why that is. First, don’t let anybody fool you. When it comes to sailing Lake Tahoe, the west shore is the best shore. Good winds, no lee shore for five miles and more, and pretty smooth sailing because of the smallish wavelets. Even when we reach our max hull speed in 20+ knots of wind, you rarely get water over the bow.

But back to boat camping. We dropped the hook in nine feet of water, fired up the BBQ and settled in as ducks gathered and nearby beachgoers packed up their gear and headed home for the night. About a half-hour before sunset, one of our sailing acquaintances came steaming up from the south aboard Le Crapaud, a 1968 Columbia 36 that we’ve seen out and about for years. I determined that the next morning, I would row over and say hello.

To my delight, Ancil, the captain of Le Crapaud, rowed over first thing to say hello to us. We had a great chat, and he invited me over later in the day to take a look aboard the roomy 36-footer.

After coffee and chores, I rowed over to take a quick tour of Le Crapaud. I learned that Ancil had purchased her from her previous owner at Lake Mead, which is about 440 miles south of Reno-Tahoe, near Las Vegas. He restored her and put a new engine in, and added great amenities like a stack pack and a wonderful bimini that features zip-off side-awnings as well as a zip-opening mesh feature on top, in case it gets too cool under the awning. I was impressed with the spaciousness of the cabin and especially the roominess of the V-berth, as sleeping aboard is still an issue for us in the otherwise comfortable Catalina 270.

As boat owners do, we shared war stories about fixes aboard our respective boats, and Ancil got me thinking about solutions for a mysterious disappearance of coolant from our Perkins Perama M20 diesel engine. Ancil – who works in the mechanical world – offered to lend me his radiator pressure tester to help diagnose the problem. More on that later, but I appreciated the kindness and the camaraderie. It gives you a sense of hope that maybe we’re not as divided as a nation as they say on Twitter and TV.

Fair winds and smooth sailing. DB