29-Jul-2004 -- Our first nautical confluence! As Russ Irwin describes in his visit narrative, this is one of the most easily recognized confluences in the US. It was also far easier to explain, and for others to conceptualize, visiting a prominent vertex on a map rather than some imaginary intersection of lines on a chart.

In South Lake Tahoe, we rented a 190 H.P., 19 foot ski boat from Tahoe Keyes Boat Rental ($95/hour). After a brief orientation my wife, daughters, and our golden retriever set out for 39n120w. Our dog liked sitting up front as we slowly made our way out of the marina and she soon became convinced that this trip was just for her to go play in the water. Sensing an impending jump, we decided it would be better if she sat back in the middle of the boat with her leash on.

Conditions on the lake were quite different than the calm, wind sheltered waters of the marina. We had lots of wind and waves. The speedometer on the boat indicated about 35 miles per hour at full throttle. My GPS ground (water?) speed showed the same. Throttling back made the ride much easier by not bouncing off the waves and allowed us to stay relatively dry.

It was relatively easy to get within 100 meters of the confluence. Zeroing out my GPS units would be a challenging dance. Considering the wind and swells of the waves, my intent was to take my pictures as we drifted through the confluence point. Picture 5 shows us only 20 feet away. Examination of my track file shows my closest point of approach was also 20 feet. At this point in the lake, water depth is over 1500 feet!

We were now 30 minutes into our one hour rental and it was time to head back. It was easier going with the wind and waves and we enjoyed watching the various types of watercraft out on the lake – from jet ski’s to para-sails behind power boats. We made it back with a few minutes to spare. Another great confluence adventure!