Cuda, Don't go to Lake Havasu!

[Last Tango]

Just back from a week in Las Vegas and Lake Havasu. Both were excellent. On Sunday my son took us boating for the day. This particular Lake Havasu weekend featured Sleek, Ultra, and Magic gatherings. Yummmmm! Hundreds of spectacular boats of all manner description on the water this past weekend. Pick up any issue of Powerboat or Hot Boats magazines and look at the ads. Think those are dreams? WRONG! They live by the hundreds of each at Lake Havasu, and they are there EVERY weekend. Hot Boats Magazine is home-ported there for a reason. Want to see HUNDRED'S of HTM's, DCB's, Advantage, Cobra, Magic, Conquest, Domin8r, Nordic, Sleek, Millers, and several more? No two boats alike when it comes to wild graphics and thunder motors.
We go each year, and on EVERY weekend there are hundreds of these West Coast boats there on any given Saturday and Sunday.
Yep, there were the occasional Fountains and Baja's and Donzi's, though only a few of those. Most of the boats we East Coasters are used to seeing are absent. Not in attendance are the East Coast ubiquitous Sea Rays and Monterey's, and Bayliners. Oh they are there in onesies, but the predominant vessels are the 30' twin-hull pickle fork deck boat or open bow, and a large family of various pontoon boats, many with huge inboard power.

Cuda! Do not go! EVERY boat on the lake and river has a Bimini, including the 3 Donzi's I saw (22 Classic, 28ZX, 33ZX), and they all run at full tilt boogey with the Bimini up all the time. The temperature on Sunday was 112 deg, not a cloud in the sky, and nothing bigger than a tumbleweed for shade. In the upper section of the lake where it narrows back to a river through a canyon, the temp was 133. Water temp is only 59 degrees because of the way the water comes down from the Rocky Mountain snows, pools up in Lake Powell, then Lake Mead then Lake Havasu, and only the coldest water on the bottom is what runs through the power generators and down the river because the generator wheels need to be near the bottom of the lakes to make sure they have a big and continuous water supply (Mead is down about 60 feet, but there is still plenty of water). The upper few inches of warmer water evaporates quickly.
Lake Havasu City is built for toys. The vast majority of homes have 3 and 4 car garages, most of those with the taller 3rd slot to take big boats or motorhomes. And everybody had a 4-wheeler of some kind. Dirt bikes, and motorcycles, dune buggies and hot rods, SeaDoo's and flat bottom river race boats abound.
Gas prices? Who cares. This city is all about toys. Gas prices are not a concern in that environment. Prices were average, but many stations feature AVGAS or race gas for the super performance toys.
Pick a spot by the London Bridge and watch the show...

[VetteLT193]

I was just watching the latest episode of Powerboating in Paradise... They went there and WOW. Better than the Miami boat show.

[ITTLFLI]

Yeah...very cool place! It was about 4 years ago but here is a gas station that sells av gas at the pump :eek!:

[Carl C]

The temperature on Sunday was 112 deg. In the upper section of the lake where it narrows back to a river through a canyon, the temp was 133. :eek!::kaioken: I wonder how crazy it is during the week. Was the heat really unbearable? I can't imagine those temperatures.

[Cuda]

I hadn't planned on going to Lake Havabrew. Biminis are for rafting up and drinking, neither of which I'm interested in doing when I'm on a boat! :)

[DonziJon]

:eek!::kaioken: I wonder how crazy it is during the week. Was the heat really unbearable? I can't imagine those temperatures.

CARL: Not to worry about the heat. It's OK: It's a "DRY HEAT". 133 is Nothin. Just jump into that 59 degree water and cool off. :nilly:

I went through there back in '85 on a big motorcycle... with full leather. We did 11,000 miles that summer. Now that's warm. My wife was not happy. I kept tellin her to drink more water. She really gets cranky when it gets over 110. Needles, CA. for example. Anyone on this board ever been THERE? We ain't been back since. We went to Grand Canyon after that and were grateful for the cool off. It was only 100. John

[BUIZILLA]

Needles, CA. for example. Anyone on this board ever been THERE? We ain't been back since. I was there when it was 117 in daytime and about 102-104 at midnight... I remember tying up and eating at a riverside restaurant/drinking hole by a bridge in Needles??

[Carl C]

Well, anything over 100 sounds pretty damn hot. I suppose you could find some water that was a little warmer.

[RedDog]

I remember in the late 70s leaving Phoenix on my motorcycle. It was 117 and the faster you went the worst the heat was - kind of a reverse wind chill. More like a blast furnace.

[zelatore]

Daytime highs predicted around 110 in Needles, Mojave, etc today. That's why I decided to leave for Powell last night and just drive all night instead of getting some sleep and heading down early this morning. I had images of wheel bearings spinning and spinning away in that heat and just couldn't sleep!

BTW - 100 even on the truck thermometer when I pulled into Page at 1:00 this afternoon.

[Cuda]

I remember in the late 70s leaving Phoenix on my motorcycle. It was 117 and the faster you went the worst the heat was - kind of a reverse wind chill. More like a blast furnace.
When we moved from Oregon, to Florida, I was in the Ryder truck with dad, coming across Kansas, and I remember the exact same feeling. Blast furnace is exactly how I decribed it. It was 115, and I think there are about three tree in that entire state.

[Cuda]

I've been through Needles before. I think it was in '74, when my two cousins and I drove to Oregon. I remember not hardly being able to find gas, until we crossed into California. Then it was everywhere.

[Carl C]

That does it, I'm visiting Lake Havasu City next summer. I need to experience this heat and see how crazy the lake is during the week. I can't tow the boat there, will just fly in and rent a car for a couple of days. I'm getting sick of long Michigan winters even though the Great Lakes are probably the best boating in the world, If LH City has a week-end flea market big enough to support my business...............hmmm, there might just be one more Donzi out west in a few years....:propeller:

[mrfixxall]

Was their last aug 07! Me yorke and his 22 their..Had a blast, was their with a friend from england and he told me the story on the bridge that was brought over from his home town, and he stated that he remembers walking on it when he was a kid..

Did you happen to go to party cove? Lots of pasties their :biggrin.: (got pics)And yes every boat their seemed to have a huffer sticking out of their sunpads..The weekend i was their teague was their withe his pickel fork with a pair of 1200 and ssm # 6 on it boy did he tear up a new ass..

[Last Tango]

To "fly" to Lake Havasu City, you must fly to Las Vegas and rent your car there and drive SR 95 south from Boulder City, I-40 East to Arizona Exit 9, and south again on 93 to LHC. About 2 1/2 hours drive. Plenty of places to stay on the island. Make reservations well in advance. Nautical Inn is the best place to see the show.
Flying to any other city in Arizona will add hours to your trip.
Although there is an airport in LHC it has no commercial aviation services in or out. You will waste time and big money trying to puddle jump to a closer city than Las Vegas.
Check the websites of Lake Havasu City ( or any Hot Boat magazine) to find out all the hot boat builders there and link to their annual gathering weekends. We don't have an event on this board that matches even their smallest gatherings.
Desert Storm Poker Run in usually in late April.
Winter month sux. Cold and wet. 300 days of sunshine. The other 65 are in January and February.

[Carl C]

To "fly" to Lake Havasu City, you must fly to Las Vegas and rent your car there and drive SR 95 south from Boulder City, I-40 East to Arizona Exit 9, and south again on 93 to LHC. About 2 1/2 hours drive. Plenty of places to stay on the island. Make reservations well in advance. Nautical Inn is the best place to see the show.
Flying to any other city in Arizona will add hours to your trip.
Although there is an airport in LHC it has no commercial aviation services in or out. You will waste time and big money trying to puddle jump to a closer city than Las Vegas.
Check the websites of Lake Havasu City ( or any Hot Boat magazine) to find out all the hot boat builders there and link to their annual gathering weekends. We don't have an event on this board that matches even their smallest gatherings.
Desert Storm Poker Run in usually in late April.
Winter month sux. Cold and wet. 300 days of sunshine. The other 65 are in January and February. Wouldn't Pheonix be about the same distance as Vegas? Is there no commercial airport at Lake Havasu City to get a connector flight to? The city does look pretty small on the map. I'd be going during the week when rooms are a lot easier to find. My problem is that I need to keep my week-end business running and the nearest big city is Pheonix. I wouldn't want a three hour drive to the nearest lake. Some of this stuff I can research on he web but I still really need to see it and experience it. I'm thinking about replacing next summer's trip to Alaska to visit my family with a trip to Lake Havasu, Then going to Alaska in the winter which I've always wanted to do so I can see Alaska without all of the tourists and see the night sky and northern lights (it's never dark in the summer).

[Last Tango]

Carl,
Phoenix is not about the same distance. And there is no simple direct driving route between Phoenix and Lake Havasu. Most of the roads are run N/S or E/W. My son lives there and will confirm that Phoenix is not the best choice for flying/driving to LHC.
I repeat: NO commercial flights to the airport there.

No clue about their flea market facilities, but the weekend is when the crowds from all over Southern Cal, Nevada, and AZ are on the water there.

Plenty of discressionary income flowing in that city.

[Carl C]

Carl,
Phoenix is not about the same distance. And there is no simple direct driving route between Phoenix and Lake Havasu. Most of the roads are run N/S or E/W. My son lives there and will confirm that Phoenix is not the best choice for flying/driving to LHC.
I repeat: NO commercial flights to the airport there.

No clue about their flea market facilities, but the weekend is when the crowds from all over Southern Cal, Nevada, and AZ are on the water there.

Plenty of discressionary income flowing in that city.OK, thanks. I'm not interested in seeing the crowds. I love my week-day boating sans crowds.

[mjw930]

Carl,
Phoenix is not about the same distance. And there is no simple direct driving route between Phoenix and Lake Havasu. Most of the roads are run N/S or E/W. My son lives there and will confirm that Phoenix is not the best choice for flying/driving to LHC.
I repeat: NO commercial flights to the airport there.
No clue about their flea market facilities, but the weekend is when the crowds from all over Southern Cal, Nevada, and AZ are on the water there.
Plenty of discressionary income flowing in that city.

Actually, Phoenix is about 50 miles further away from LHC than Vegas but a lot will depend upon where in the valley you live.

The drive from Phoenix to LHC is very straight forward, I-10 West to AZ-95 North.... It's no big deal.

It takes a little less than 3 hours to get from Glendale, AZ to LHC pulling a trailer, less if you don't have anything to tow and have something German :wink:

[yeller]

Was in Havasu last week. (Went in 06 as well.) 115Deg but it cooled to a nice 108 at night. :) The water may only be 59 but it doesn't feel like it. It's so damn hot, you can't stay out of the water. Can't imagine what it would be like in July/Aug. Usually you can fire up the boat and go for a ride to cool down, but the air at Havasu is so hot it feels as if it's scorching your face when you drive.

Tango, you're right about the biminis. I think I was the only one without one.

No better place in the west....and maybe the world to see multiple go-fasts in one place.
Week days are nice for boating there. Lot's of cool boats, but not enough to crowd the lake. I know they get 10 times the boats on weekends. Not sure I'd like to be out there then.

Saw 110 octane at a couple stations.....about 7.50/gal.

[gcarter]

No one should complain about flying into Vegas. There are probably 2-3 times as many, and cheaper, flights into Vegas than Phoenix. Rental Cars are cheaper too. From the new rental car facility, take I-215, through Henderson and you can be heading south out of the area within 30 minutes.
As an alternative, on the way out of Vegas, stop in Laughlin and take the fast boat to LHC. Takes less than an hour and your through parts of the river you'd never see. You could make a day trip out of it. This is particularly good if your in Vegas and you want to do something different.

[Cuda]

If I couldn't take the heat, I'd buy an airconditioned Sea Ray first. At least people won't laugh at you in an air conditioned Sea Ray.:smash: