Carol and Sally are two adventurous sailors from Arizona who are proving that you don’t need an ocean — or a big boat — to have a great time on the water. The duo recently took their Scamp sailboat out for a desert lake adventure at Saguaro Lake, just 13 miles from home. With Carol’s sister Lisa along for the ride, the three women rigged, launched, rowed, and explored their way through one of Arizona’s most scenic reservoirs, surrounded by volcanic cliffs, desert wildlife, and sweeping views of Four Peaks. Their story is a wonderful reminder that the Scamp’s lightweight design, ease of trailering, and dual sail-and-row capability make it the perfect vessel for sailors of all kinds — whether you’re chasing ocean swells or bobbing peacefully on a sun-warmed Arizona lake.
Carol and Sally Sail their SCAMP in Arizona’s Saguaro Lake
By Sally Marks and Carol Brokschmidt, M.D.
Sailing Close to Home
I gazed out the window of our truck and took in the scenery as we towed our small sailboat along the 13-mile trek on Bush Highway to Saguaro Lake. Since towing the SCAMP is effortless, I was able to limit my attention to only a few perfunctory glances at our trailing vessel and appreciate the sweeping desert landscape surrounding us.
Spring is a glorious season in Arizona. On the morning of our voyage, the temperature was a pleasant 65 degrees and the landscape was breathtaking. The Sonoran Desert was dotted with bright yellow brittle bush blossoms, golden poppies and stately Saguaro cacti. The majestic Superstition Mountains loom like a rocky castle from the desert floor.
No Horsing Around and Poppies from the Past
I was on the lookout for the wild horses that live in the area. The stallions and mares did not come into view on this trip, but it is definitely a wonder to behold. Every few years there is a spectacular year for golden poppies. We saw some patches of the flowers, however this picture is from three years ago when the poppies had a super year.
We pulled into the Saguaro Del Norte Recreation Site, home to the Saguaro Lake Marina. Both of us had visited the lake for picnics, swimming and kayaking, but never sailing. Prior to our trip, Carol had scoped out the boat launch to make sure it would fit the needs of a motor-less SCAMP. The majority of watercraft in this area are speed boats, pontoons or jet skis. There are also houseboats, but they obviously don’t use the boat launch. There were a number of kayakers and stand-up paddle boarders on the water, but they have beach access from the other side of the lake.
Sailing Where Few have Sailed Before
Our SCAMP was the only sailboat in the area, and it received a few admiring glances and comments.
We chose a weekday, and not the busy weekend, for our launch. We wanted to have plenty of room, and time, to rig the Scamp in the parking lot. Out of caution, Carol watched the weather and selected a calm day. We got our wish (more about that later).
Saguaro Lake
Our little snub-nosed vessel had fared well on its maiden voyage in the Puget Sound.
But lake sailing is a different experience than navigating Puget Sound. The air current on lakes are flukier due to the friction from trees, hills and buildings, as well as rapid temperature shifts between the water and the land. We had experienced variable winds, both in direction and speed, when sailing our former Catalina 22 boat at Lake Pleasant in west Phoenix. Carol opted for a safer option for the Scamp’s first lake excursion.
But prior to launching, we had to rig the boat. As in our earlier story, we highly recommend the Gig Harbor Boats rigging video.
You can also read more about our first experience rigging and towing our Scamp
Short Gal Tip
Rather than use a step ladder, Carol (who is 5 foot 1 inch tall) found she could stand on the rowing seat for extra height to step the mast. This readily available and stable perch gave her the added height to make the process easier.
This trip, Carol’s sister, Lisa, joined us. We assisted Captain Carol with rigging, as well as hanging the rudder. Most of the rigging process went well, with one or two glitches – the reef lines got hung up and the halyard went outside one of the lazy jack lines and had to be adjusted.
Rigging Lesson
Cool Water Views
With everything in ship-shape, we launched the boat. Gentle breezes were expected in the afternoon, but with no sign of wind, Carol took out the oars and paddled us away from the dock. Saguaro Lake is considered small, but has nearly 22 miles of shoreline. The popular recreation spot is part of a 10-mile long chain of reservoirs on the Salt River that were created with the building of Stewart Mountain Dam in 1930. The dam, and resulting reservoirs, continue to provide hydroelectric power and water storage for the Phoenix and surrounding areas.
Carol, Lisa and I were content to bobble on the water and gaze at coots, seagulls, herons, mergansers and dragonflies. From previous picnic outings and kayaking adventures, we knew the area’s wildlife could include javelina, mule deer, coyotes and even bighorn sheep. On this trip, the wildlife was limited to fish, fowl and a few enthusiastic (but polite) speed boaters, jet skiers, and tourists on the Desert Belle paddle boat.
Friends of the Lake
Since there was little wind, the wakes from motorized vessels provided a little bouncing entertainment. But like our previous adventure on the ocean, our little Scamp felt safe and sea worthy. As the day wore on, the weather hit the mid 70s. We decided to paddle to a shady area adjacent to a cliff. The area has a rich geologic history. Some 25 million years ago the Superstition Mountains were part of a massive super volcano eruption that produced extensive lava flows and massive caldera collapses. The formations bordering the lake include dacite, rhyolite and volcanic tuff. These are porous rocks and create an interesting vesicular texture. Since the three of us like rocks this was a great spot for observation.
We also were excited to get a nice view of Four Peaks. This prominent mountain range in the Mazatzal Mountains, boasts 7,900-foot peaks and consists of precambrian and granitic rock. Four Peaks is estimated to be 1.7 billions years old, containing some of the oldest exposed rocks in Arizona and stands next to the Superstition Mountains, which are one of the youngest formations in the state.
While we were secretly hoping for some gusts of wind, Carol’s plan for a calmer day is what manifested. However, if strong winds had prevailed, we would have been prepared. As Lisa’s son, Garrett, had pointed out, our Scamp was really two boats in one – a sailboat and a row boat, with the potential for an outboard motor.
Row, Row, Row Your Boat
Without wind, our oars became our power source. Fortunately, rowing the Scamp was easier than one would think. The boat is very light and easy to maneuver. Lisa and Carol rowed in tandem, followed by a rowing trial with me and the captain. The three of us decided to individually take turns and use the paddling as a fitness challenge to see who could get the boat to travel the fastest. Carol and Lisa were neck and neck with Lisa clocking 1.8 knots, but Carol stroked to a win at 2 knots.
After a few hours on the lake, it was time to head back. We used a combo of rowing and “wake power” to head for shore. When we cozied up to the dock, I jumped off and tied the lines to the cleats and Carol fetched the truck and trailer. Since nearly everyone using the launch has a motorized vessel, the distance between the side of the dock and the launch ramp was a little farther than we were used to. However, the lake water was 70 degrees and not nearly as chilly as ocean temperatures. Carol waded into the water and made sure the Scamp was centered on its trailer. This took two attempts, but as with all things, practice will improve the process.
Time to Head Home
The de-rigging of the boat went fairly fast. We were back on the road just after sunset. Ironically, the hardest part was backing the boat and trailer into the side yard of our home after dark as the Home Owner’s Association doesn’t allow street parking. The vessel’s safe haven in Arizona is hiding behind our backyard fence where it is out of our neighbor’s view (and the spying eyes of the HOA). In fact, the boat’s low profile is one of the qualities that drew us to it. It could also easily fit in a garage space, but alas, our garage has other occupants.
In our defense, it would have been an easier experience if we had made it home before dark. How time flies when you’re having fun!
What’s Next?
Now that we have one experience with our Scamp at the lake, we hope to sail in Canyon Lake, a small, but more scenic, reservoir, in the area, as well as a repeat excursion at Saguaro Lake. For more familiar territory, we may tow our SCAMP to Lake Pleasant. Other possibilities include Bartlett Lake, Lake Powell, Lake Mead, Lake Mohave, and even tiny Tempe Town Lake. With the nearest U.S. ocean 360 miles away in San Diego (definitely a sailing experience we will eventually indulge) we will have a lot of desert, sailing options.
However, even returning to the same waterways with our Scamp will provide us with unique experiences, as no two voyages are ever the same. Or to quote Henry Miller, “One’s destination is never a place, but a new way of seeing things.”
Want to learn more about this uniquely capable 12′ sailboat? Check out the details here.