OBSERVER’S SEAT RAY LEE The Fourth of July festivities are just around the corner, which had me thinking of my plans for the upcoming holiday weekend. Then I started wondering what everyone else had planned, as well. I imagine a lot (if not most) of you will probably head to your favorite waterways across the country to spend time on your boats with friends and family. It is an unofficial national pastime for the Independence Day celebration as American as apple pie and backyard barbecues and one that I enjoy
A Time to Be Loud and Proud participating in. After all, it is the birthday of our great United States of America. My “home” waterway is Lake Havasu, Arizona and where my boat lives so it’s an easy and convenient option for me. It is always a popular destination for us here on the West Coast and there’s never a shortage of horsepower or hijinks. However, it’s not all debauchery and shenanigans. That is a common misconception. If you choose to stay away from the madness, there are plenty of spots to do so. Our routine for “the fourth” is simple yet tried and true. And one that we’ve repeated for years. It’s always an early launch day.
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Some opt for the pre-dawn hours, but sunrise seems to work well for us. Those that don’t start early run the risk of the launch ramps filling up and closing. My crew is usually the same. My fiancée Julie is always my first mate and the remaining seats on my Lavey Craft 2750 NuEra will be occupied by my friends and their kids, who aren’t so little anymore so the boat has gotten smaller and tighter. We stock up on food, snacks and beverages the evening before because the stores aren’t usually open at that early hour. The fried chicken from Smith’s has become a staple. We also fuel the boat during that
same outing. The less we have to do in the early morning, the better. We all know it’s going to be a long day, but my crew has been meticulously conditioned over years of strict regimen. There is little room for tomfoolery. (Publisher’s note: I seldom use this word, but it felt appropriate in this instance. Plus, I thought it would look cool in print.) Once on the water, we usually head towards the south end of the lake to Havasu Springs, followed by numerous stops on the way back up––sometimes just for a cool-off “dip” in the lake when the temperatures are regularly well over 100 degrees. Three Dunes, Steamboat Cove, Copper Canyon, and a number of other lesser-known coves are among the options lists. All the while being serenaded by my on-board stereo with some of the best classic rock and country tunes ever recorded. Then it’s a cruise through the ever-bustling Bridgewater Channel to witness the aforementioned “debauchery and hijinks,” which there is never a shortage of. Then it’s northbound, we go, where the options become the Sandbar, Devil’s Elbow in the Gorge, Pirate Cove Resort or Topock 66. It’s usually a majority rule decision, as I am OK with any of them. Or all of them. As the sun begins to set, I am cognizant to eventually start making our way back to Thompson Bay, where the annual fireworks show is displayed, usually at 9:00 p.m. I’ll
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S P E E D B O A T | August 2021
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