Lake Havasu Questions
 

Planning a casual R&R trip with one of the boats. Can anyone help me with lodging & marina recommendations?
Thanks in advance !!

Londen bridge resort has a marina and has some of the best views. Nautica resort is where all the poker run boats stay.

Nautical Resort is great as long as you can get a room. Get a 1st floor room so you can beach the boat and have easy access to it.

London Bridge Resort or Queensbay Condos....

Recommend The Nautical Inn and Conference Center.
You can also store your trailer there.

Recommend Beach Suites.

Which boat will Mr. Scott be taking to Havasu?

Not sure about Mr. Scott but Dave will be bringing one of the Bud Select boats. Not sure which one. Thanks a bunch for the info guys !!

Dave, I will be at London Bridge Resort tomorrow thru Sat with the Caveman. Call me and I will give you the 411

We stayed at the London Bridge Resort. The rooms were decent, but I hope you bring one of the smaller boats or get a better slip than we did.

Did you have to use a shoe horn to get Hammertime in the dock??:(

Nope, just a little grease from the 200 In and Out burgers we ate during the trip:D I miss those burgers:grinser010:

The Nautical inn is the only lodging where you can beach your boat, and not worry about pulling it out of the water every night. the Bayview and Parlor Suite rooms are about a '3" on a scale of 1-10.

The Beach Suite rooms at The Nautical are newer, and worth the extra money. The only downside it that if you beach your boat in the cove, you can't see it from your room, and have a 2 minute walk to get to it. no biggie.

Beach boat spaces are first-come, first served (can't reserve except during Desert Storm), but usually not too big of a deal if you get your boat back to the beach in the early evening.

The Nautical ramp is small and a little tricky, but we haven't had issues lanching 40' boats there when the water is up. Trailer parking at the Nautical is a big dirt lot, but lots of room.

The London Bridge Resort and Queens Bay Condos have nicer rooms, and are right next to the bridge. They do not have a beach, but some overnight slips. The overnight slips are not really made for big boats, so you'll need to end-tie. End-ties are not always available, so it could be hit and miss whether you'll have to trailer your boat at night.

Trailer parking at the LBR and Queens Bay for larger boats is not good.

No boat ramp at LBR or Queens Bay- you'll need to use the public ramps, which can be a pain when busy (not real "big boat friendly"). The only public ramp that is 'big boat friendly" (Havasu Marina) doesn't allow boats over 30'...go figure.

Widsor Beach is the main public ramp. Cat Tail Cove is a 15 minute drive, but has a similar ramp. Windsor has a "large trailer" dirt lot, and can be a little tricky to get around, but we don't have issues with boats under 40'.

There are now condos being rented on the other side of the channel, but they are hit-n-miss.

When is your timing?

Thanks again to everyone for all of the information. Tentatively planning to visit sometime in May. Read where the London Bridge Resort has some nice suites but must keep the boat in the water so it looks more like the Nautical Inn may be the lodging choice by default.

That is a funny pic Hammertime in that little slip! LOL

We recently visited Havasu. I didnt have my boat with me, but we stayed at the Agave Inn, adjacent to the London Bridge. Nice place, I would recommend it. Dont know if they have accomodations for boats though.

Sorry to laugh, but that is a funny shot.

We are bringing the 51, the promised us the end of the dock,
they also said we could launch it next door. Should I have any concerns?

London Bridge or Nautical will do whatever needs to happen for you Dave, I can hook you up with Todd from Jokers Wild, he makes stuff happen quick.

Here's what you can expect from both spots. You rally shouldnt have to worry about getting an end slip on a weekend during May. It's really during the poker run that EVERYTHING is full.

Beaches at The Nautical...

The first two are of "the cove" in the pic of 'Gone Again' you can kind've see the long beach on the other side of the cove.

Here's some pics of the London Bridge docks. Like I said, it's not realy difficult to insure one of the approx. 10 or so end docks at the london bridge.

The pic of our boat is while tied up at the end tie with Tom Abrahams 45 Cig and The Strenght/Honor 46' Cig. The end slips will handle big boats (though you kinda block off the entrance to the slips but there's two end slips that you would've block off. I'm sure with all the "bud select" stuff (i.e. pop up, banners, flyers, etc etc) it would be easy to "block off" a particular slip.

By the way..."casual R&R"!!??

Not likely at Havasu. You're going to need a few days to recover after partying out there.:D:D

The concrete dock next to The London Bridge Resort (in front of the stores) usually lets BIG boats dock there......but I'm sure it costs $$

I have stayed at Queens Bay Condos numerous time.....centrally located, very clean and very organized for good prices.

if want to pull the boat out stay at the island inn
cheaper and nice the last time i stayed

Jeez, I still remember jumping off the first floor of Kokomos into the swimming pool below.....

Dave,
Look into renting a house for the weekend. Something with a boat deep garage to keep the toy. That will take al of the stress out of the trip. Launch from Cattail cove. Best ramp, nicest rangers and protected from wind. Its an extra 15 minute drive by truck and at the rate you go about an extra 30 seconds and $1000 in fuel back!
Food in town is interesting... the places that charge the most arent always the best. Che Bons has great meals, Mudsharks is another good call for a quick meal. Maddogs hotdogs may kill you, but you will die with a smile. BJ's tavern is an eclictic mix that has to be seen to believe. Keoreki singing while people dance... interesting, but fun.

Have a great time and post pictures!!!

MD

Help a guy from the flatlands out here. WTF is the deal with all the pop-up tents in front of everyones boats in some of those pictures? Is that the left hand coasts way of marking territory?
Why are there no/limited quanity docks on Havasu at the resorts? I've never been to a place on a lake that didn't have a boat slip for my beater.

I don't think KiloCat will have a problem getting an end-tie at London Bridge Resort. Some Bud Select goodies can go a long way. I liked Nautical, but for a BIG boat, and the requisite marketing, an end-tie at LBR would be awesome.

During Desert Storm (when those pics were taken), you can mark your beach spot. The EZ-Ups keep you from baking your melon in 115 degree heat.

I believe all of the AZ lakefront land is owned by the Bureau of Land Management, so there is very little change in the development of the lake from the 80's (even the docks and ramps are still stuck in the 80's...lol). The Colorado River supplies much of the irrigation and drinking water for AZ and Cali, so the government regulates the land.

On the Cali side, I believe it is situated on indian reservations.

Besides the land restrictions, it is in the middle of the desert (not really near polulated ares), so there is a pretty big commute to get there. Rooms are at a premium during the summer, but empty for more than a few winter months during the year.

The lake is fairly narrow, but has always been a hotbed for performance boating with no speed limits, flat water, great weather, and big, fake boobies.

:D

Invaluable info for a first timer ... Thanks !!

KiloKat, if your looking for a house to rent get a hold of me @ 805-896-6886. I have a very nice crib in Havasu that's brand new. 56dx20wx20high door RV garage with a 20x40 garage atached next to it. A large main house, a 1400sq guest house with an observation deck with great veiws of the lake and mountains. Guest house is right off a very nice pool and spa area. It's 5 to 8 minutes from either launch ramp and 5 minutes to the London bridge. I also have a food thing set up with Shagrues, so if you don't feel like leaving for the day or whatever, they will cater for you. I don't rent it out but would be honored to set you up with it. And if John is coming with you I'll really set you up, I owe him a few favors.

Greg

Couldn't agree more with Matt (aka Schwanzee:D)

We usually rent a house too. But having the boat in the water and not having to f*ck around with launching is kind'a nice. Plus the London Bridge has suites that over look the docks/water. Kind'a nice to be on the water. And there's Kokomo's and the martini bar under you.

If you don't end up staying at the Nautical and don't use their private launch ramp (glorified dirt ramp...but works well), def. take Matt's advise and launch at Cattail. The rangers are always nice and accomidating, the ramp is decent and there's usually ample parking. Def. worth the drive. The main marina launch ramp is owned by a bunch of nature nazi mother f*ckers that control the marina like they don't need the business. Windsor is the other ramp and it basically sucks. Shallow in spots and crowded...(hate to see you ding one of those herings, though it wouldn't be the first time someone did!).

While on the water, take a run to the south end of the lake (havasu springs) for a beer. Nice run. Don't forget to see Copper Canyon which is on the west side of the lake as the lake narrows while running south towards havasu springs. There's also steamboat cove (you'll need some help getting there, it's kind've hidden as you pass). And of course don't miss the sandbar! Good times up there. Hit it at the right time and you'll know why it's a cool hangout. You do have to beach in some seriously shallow water, or anchor on the inward side of the sand bar.

Either way, let everyone know when you're going. Maybe some of us can make it out there that weekend. And post some pics!:D

Here's the sand bar:

Launching at Cattail cove...
Tie up at Steamboat cove...
Docks at Havasu springs (recocnize any of those faces??:D)

WOW - looks like a blast ! Definitely will advise before leaving. Think the sand bar will be a favorite stop ...

That Black boat is gonna be rough at Havazoo......:eek:

I highly doubt he will have any problem getting anything he wants driving around in any one of his boats

I just want to know if Masher is bringing Slim out for the poker run. I got a bottle of Patron Platinum waiting for you SBRT boys............

More pics of the sandbar....Different trips...Always a good time at the sandbar....

Ok my opinion is to stay at the Nautical in the beach suites and tie up at the end of the dock or beach it in the cove. The Nautical has a launch ramp as well, and parking is plenty.

I know you got several opinions, but I've stayed everywhere mentioned, rented houses, and I think the Nautical is the most convienent.

Shugrue's, is an upscale restaurant with surf and turf overlooking the bridge. Martini Bay is a pretty classy bar at the LBR, Kokomo's is for the younger croud, (and crouded is an understatement) also at the LBR. The RedRoom is another loud crouded bar outside the LBR.
There are plenty of other places to eat and go out to, but those are some I would try if you haven't been yet.

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