O'neil forbebay lost?

Georges · Joined: 10 Apr 2000 Posts: 249

I have sailed ONEIL for years great weekend get away,buy in the last 2or 3 years it has been plaged with low water problems{the weeds you could work around weed fin wave fin ect}Nothing is more hart bracking than pulling up to ONIEL have it blowing 4.5 with no water.I fear we have lost this one for good.

goinoff · Joined: 01 Feb 1998 Posts: 154

Yep, it has been typical these last couple of years where the water seems low almost every sailable weekend. Im going to ask the Rangers who we can write too about the problem. Ive heard that the water group that controls the flow through the forebay are real NAZIS and think its a privilege that they let the public use the forebay. Typical gov. a-wipes ruining the day again..

carl · Joined: 25 Feb 1997 Posts: 2674 Location: SF bay area

Instead of going home with a broken heart, why not sail the big lake??
I know it can be done, not sure why more dont sail it.

goinoff · Joined: 01 Feb 1998 Posts: 154

The big lake launches include Goosehead point area and the boat ramp..Additional rules for sailing the upper res include: flare gun, 20 ft of rope, knife and you have to sail with someone. I think people just feel more comfortable sailing the forebay and dont feel like hasling with the additional safety gear.

carl · Joined: 25 Feb 1997 Posts: 2674 Location: SF bay area

Guns and knives required?? Are there some
territorial fishermen there? :>)

Have you sailed it? How is the wind at the launches, any big shadows?
I have heard the chop can get very sweet.

goinoff · Joined: 01 Feb 1998 Posts: 154

Yes, I have and the chop is sweet. Goosehead point (close to the Basalt camp ground) has a dirt road around the base that any car can navigate. There are mulitple pull-outs where you can launch. The tack is toward the dam (the towers you see in the center of the dam) and there are no wind shadows except for downwind of Goosehead point. The wind at Goosehead is generally sweet with a tight wind range (not quite as puffy as the forebay)

The strange rules are a byproduct of our strange gov. who always likes to make rules with studying the situation. These rules are posted in the information windows at the ranger booth at the entrance to the Basalt camp ground. These rules are OLD and you can probably get away with sailing without the stuff as long as you sail with a friend. I ask a ranger last year about the posted rules and they were like: What rules?

Have fun and check it out the next time youre down there on a Low Tide day...

carl · Joined: 25 Feb 1997 Posts: 2674 Location: SF bay area

Cool!! sounds like a plan the next time the bay is fogged in.

Search Yahoo for San Luis Reservoir and click on the campground maps. There is a nice map of the lake. It looks like theres a dirt road over to Quien Sabe Point too.

goinoff · Joined: 01 Feb 1998 Posts: 154

Last I checked, the road out to Quien Sabe Point was blocked. No access, and yeah, it looks like a good place to launch. Goosehead and the boat ramp are the best options I know about.

artnvicky · Joined: 19 Aug 2005 Posts: 38

Sailing up in the res: How is compaction? Many years ago I sailed there and if it werent for the boat ramp It would have been almost impossible to get out of the water! All around the bank the compaction was so bad I sunk up to my hips in mud!