Lake Pipin is 22 miles long and about 2.5 miles across at it’s widest point. The wind was light so the water was fairly flat making a very pleasant ride in Therapy (Photos taken on the return trip when a little choppy). There are several sailboats on the water but most seem to be floundering in the light airs. Midway down the lake is the town of Lake City and I decide to idle into the marina and see if I can find some lunch ashore. I am informed there are NO courtesy docks here and the rate of $5.00 per hour is charged for transients. That figures - the only city in miles that doesn’t have a free dock and that’s where I decide to stop.

I wonder around the downtown area and finally decide on a restaurant. Even though is the busiest in the area it proves to be a poor choice.  This adds to the conclusion that this will be the worst trip for finding what I feel is decent food.  But then again, maybe I just hit the wrong places.  Going ashore wasn’t all bad as I did find a drug store and bought a “fresh” bottle of antiseptic for my cut foot.

Back on the water I was approaching the end of the lake when the 20 feet of water I was running in suddenly went to 2 feet.  I need to mention that my Mississippi River chart was an outdated 1989 version.  I should have purchased the newer $40 chart but put it off until it was too late to get it for this trip.  Crossing Lake Pipin the old chart shows only a sailing line and when you are in the middle of a two and a half mile wide lake this can be a little ambiguous. I sat floating and listening the depth sounder beeping its warning (I usually set the bottom alarm for 7’) I scanned the lake for any visual clues.  It was only then I noticed a line of channel markers about a quarter mile closer to the shore than my path. I cautiously idled through the skinny water, sometimes only a foot and a half deep to finally make the official channel.

It was on the return trip that I mentioned in the opening of this story that I found myself too close to the shore and discovered an almost submerged island.  Again, sitting and scanning the water I located another line of buoys that were not on my chart. Once home I checked the new chart (it is on the web) and as I suspected the channel markers are illustrated on it.  Had I been using the current chart I would have been looking for the markers and most likely never gotten too far off course. Yea, I know – plan ahead and spend the $$ for current charts.