Snug Harbor Sailing News is a new monthly newsletter with topics of interest to the sailing community on Lake Lanier and surrounding Southeastern lakes. Issues will cover featured boats, sailing events, racing, seamanship, profiles of local sailors and advice on common maintenance issues.

Lake Lanier is open and people are getting out on the lake in record numbers.

Last month we reported that the facilities of Lake Lanier are open and available to boaters as long as social distancing is observed. Families living together can be together on a boat or other facilities but should avoid gatherings of more than 10 people.

DNR boats are patrolling the lake and will be ticketing safety violations as well as people violating the social distancing guidelines on boats, docks or shoreline areas. They also strongly discouraged boats tying up together or “rafting up”.

According to the Lake Lanier Sailing Club (LLSC) Keelboat fleet, the Wednesday Night Race Series I will begin on June 3 ^rd. There are 4 races left in the series and results will be communicated by email and posted online as there will be no onshore gatherings for the time being. Series II will begin July 8 ^th and the Encore series is still planned to begin September 16 ^th, both barring any future Covid 19 restrictions.

A Lake Lanier sailor we know recently bought a pontoon boat. He still owns his Catalina 320, remains passionate about racing and supporting youth sailing programs, but wanted a way to get out on the lake quickly without having to recruit crew with the constraints of Covid 19. We can’t blame him under the circumstances, although he appropriately named the pontoon “Dark Side”.

We often speak of sailors who buy powerboats as giving in to the “dark side”, perhaps unfairly. But you don’t often hear about power-boaters embracing the “bright side” of the force and buying a sailboat. Why is that? Power-boaters and sailors share a love of being out on the water and most seamanship is common to both. A sailboat has much to offer a power-boater; the peace of sliding through the water with just the sound of wind in the sails and waves against the hull; the challenge of tacking through shifting winds to maximize boat speed toward a mark or just enjoying the motion of the boat through the water with no destination in mind. Sailing is the Zen to the powerboat’s Zoom, so why not own both? Snug Harbor has more than 40 sailboats for sale and is beginning to list a few powerboats just in case the dark side beckons.

Snug Harbor has sold more boats in March and April of this year than in any 2 month period in our history. Boating is a great way to have fun as a family while observing social distancing and people are anxious to get out. If you have a boat you aren’t using and you’re tired of the expense of slip fees, insurance and overall maintenance, list your boat with us. We will take full charge of the sales process, help you establish the right asking price and advertise it in a global marketplace like Yacht World and other high traffic internet sites where it will get maximum exposure. We’ll show your boat, bring you all offers and give you our best advice at every stage of the process. Once you accept an offer, we handle all the paperwork required to close the deal.

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Visit snugharborboats.com and check out our brokerage listings online. You’ll find lots of photographs and detailed descriptions of more than 40 sailboats of all sizes and price points currently available. If you see one or more that you like, call us at 770 831 0403 for more information and make an appointment to look at them. We’ll drive separately to the boat and maintain social distance while you look. Virtually all of the paperwork required to buy a boat can be completed at a distance leaving you in possession of your new boat and a summer of fun on the lake while social distancing all the way.