2015 Mid-Atlantic Boat Show - Highlights

I attended the 2015 Mid-Atlantic Boat show in early February.  The boat show is always a lot of fun, and I usually learn new information and see some interesting things.  I'll share a few of the highlights with you, as well as some useful tips!

Visiting with Perry Johnson of Dockmasters, I saw pictures of several docks that I recognized on Lake Wylie.  There are lots of designs, to fit every need and budget.

As an owner of a boat with an uncovered dock, I've always been intrigued by the "touchless" boat covers.  Just push a button and the cover drapes down over the boat, with no snapping, tugging, or excess effort.  One thing to consider with these covers, however, is that they count as square footage on your dock.  The square footage of a dock is determined by factors such as the amount of shoreline on a property, and the dock permit will reflect the allowed square footage.  Because the touchless boat covers "cast a shadow," according to Perry, they are considered part of the allowed square footage.  So not all docks would qualify for this addition.

If you own a pontoon, there is a neat boat cover that is almost as easy as the touchless.  The Boat Guard retractable boat cover is operated by remote control!

The Boat Guard has rails that attach to the boat itself, so wherever the boat goes, the cover goes.  Excellent idea!

Speaking of pontoons, have you ever seen a 2-story one?  I saw The Lake Wylie Man real estate team checking out a double decker pontoon with a built in slide.  Now that looked like fun!

Floating around in the lake is always fun, especially on a hot summer day.  For the ultimate in relaxing, there is now an alternative to sitting on an upside-down life jacket while chillin' in the water:  The Bum Float.  This device straps around, well, your bum, and allows you total range of motion without the bulkiness of a life jacket.  It isn't intended to substitute as an official floatation device for boating safety, but it IS quite comfortable and functional for hanging out on the lake.  I'm not too sure about it as fashion accessory while on land:

After you've been out on the lake all day, sometimes it is a challenge to dock your boat in the dark.  I saw some nifty Underwater LED lights that could really shed a little light on a dark situation.  The lights float, and are anchored wherever you need them.  They even have an anti-theft activation code.

What about tying your boat to a dock that has no cleats?  We've all been there - - pulling up to a friend's house or T-Bones when the cleat is either missing or not in the right place.  The Dock Key is a handy little device that allows you to attach your boat to almost any dock.  Attach the key to your boat rope, slide it between the slats on the dock and give it a twist, and you're tied up:

For lakeside fun, how about a hot tub?  Yes, they're expensive to operate, and require special electrical hook-ups . . . unless you have a Softub.  These tubs are made of foam, can be rolled up and easily transported, and are powered by a standard 110v outlet.  They are a lot less expensive to operate than a standard hot tub, can be used indoors or out, and come in various sizes:

It was fun visiting the various exhibits, and I also enjoyed seeing some of my favorite Lake Wylie residents, including David Coone with The Lake Wylie Man and custom homebuilder Dana Anthony.  They were hanging out at the Classic and Antique Boat display, of course!

The Boat Show certainly got me in the mood for some lake fun.  See y'all on the water!

Lake Wylie Boat Parade

I've always wanted to see the Lake Wylie Christmas Boat Parade, an annual tradition with festively lit boats sailing into the night.  However, I haven't been able to make it in years past as it is usually scheduled on one of the busiest weekends of the year:  the second Saturday in December.  It usually conflicts with the Choralier Christmas concert, company parties, and other Lake Wylie events and activities that tend to fill our calendar just before Christmas.

This year, I rearranged my Choralier concert attendance so I could go to the parade.  And what fun it was!  I took lots of pictures from aboard a large houseboat docked at T-Bones.  The night was clear and cool, perfect for getting into the holiday spirit and watching the boats.

The winner was clear from the start:  a 32' Trojan Flybridge transformed into a Christmas train, with moving lights synchronized to train inspired tunes such as "The Polar Express" and Blackfoot's "Train, Train".  A smokestack on the bow of the boat produced a steady stream of smoke to complete the picture.  It was a sight to behold!  At the craft headed for the far side of the lake, only the lights were visible and it truly looked like a train chugging across the water.  Brad Thomas of Belmont was the captain of this creation, and easily walked away with first prize.  He is a repeat winner, having scored highest for several years in a row.  Can't wait to see what he comes up with next!

Second place also went to a repeat contender, Sid Smith of Boyd's Cove.  He and his team converted his pontoon boat into a replicate of Santa's Sleigh, with painted wooden sides and lights all around.  There were several other impressive entries as well.  For more pictures, please visit the Lake Wylie Events page on http://www.lakewylieinformation.com/.

Thanks for reading my blog!  Have a blessed Christmas and happy new year!  If you want Lake Wylie living to be on your wish list for 2012, be sure to visit the best source for Lake Wylie real estate.

Season Opener

Manicurists in Clover & Lake Wylie are gonna be busy today, honey, 'cuz there was some serious NAIL biting going on at the Clover Memorial Stadium last night. The Blue Eagles kept us on the edges of our seats as they finally triumphed over Belmont's Red Raiders 48-42. Ninety points! That's thirteen total touchdowns, twelve extra points! That's a whole mess of excitement, folks.

Despite the threat of rain, the stadium was absolutely packed. The visitor side ran out of general admission tickets, the home side ran out of programs. The concession stands didn't run out of anything, because not many fans left their seats!

Clover's Blue Eagles had a strong first half, leaving us cozy and comfy with a score of 28-14. But South Point's coach must've lit a FIRE under them boys in the locker rooom, because they came out and scored two touchdowns to tie the score. Clover turned up the juice and drove the ball almost to the goal line, only to fumble inside the 5 and turn the ball back over to the Raiders, who then made short work of scoring their THIRD unanswered touchdown.

The end of the third quarter was upon us, 28-35 with South Point in the lead. Clover got the ball and tied the score, then scored again to take the lead 42-35. There was a trick play in there somewhere; I was in a tizzy so it's all a blur now. South Point tied the score at 42-42 with about five minutes left to play. Those precious Clover boys took it slow and steady, finally scoring with about 30 seconds left on the clock. They missed the extra point, leaving the door open for more tension.

It's not over 'til it's over, though, and South Point kept us on the edge with about 4 plays within the 28 seconds they had to play. It was a LONG 28 seconds, but ended as Clover protected the lead and won their first game, 48-42. The announcer said it best when he quipped, "Folks, we're gonna set up a collection plate. You all are going to have to PAY to leave this stadium, 'cuz we have seen a FOOTBALL game tonight!" Hallelujah!

Congratulations, Clover Blue Eagles!


Thanks for reading my blog! I love Blue Eagle football - - it's one of my favorite things about living in Lake Wylie. Leave comments and let me know what you love about living here! For more blogs about Lake Wylie Events and Activities, Lake Wylie waterfront living & resources, and Lake Wylie real estate, visit The Lake Wylie Man website!

Getting Around in Lake Wylie

Have you ever asked for directions from Charlotte to places around Lake Wylie? Quite likely, you received an answer such as "Go across the Buster Boyd Bridge, drive a couple of miles, then turn left onto Hwy 49. Then, when you get to Five Points, hang a right onto . . ."

Now, first of all, you never saw anything that identifies Buster Boyd Bridge. There are lots of bridges in the area. How do you know Buster Boyd's??

Then, you were ON highway 49 coming from Charlotte. Why would you have to turn to get onto Hwy 49? And where was this Five Points, anyway? Five Points would generally describe a place where five roads (not four, not three) would come together at one point.

I remember asking directions one time while in Yadkin County, North Carolina. I was told to go just past the place where Jim's Grill used to be, then cut back on the dirt road. That was really great, since I had no idea where Jim's Grill USED to be, and I didn't know what "cut back" meant. Left? Right? Reverse? Who knew.

So - - allow me to enlighten you on getting around in Lake Wylie. First of all, the Buster Boyd Bridge. It USED to be a grand thing (see picture above, courtesey of the Lake Wylie Pilot.) It was a bridge that joined North & South Carolina, just past what now is The Palisades on Highway 49. Buster Boyd was a farmer who used to own the land in that area, and the bridge was named after him. The two lane bridge was torn down and replaced by the 4-lane, rather ordinary looking bridge, around 2001. It was sad to lose such a landmark, but commuters are much happier now! As far as I know, there is no sign that identifies the bridge as "Buster Boyd", but we all still call it by that name.

As for turning left on Highway 49 . . . if I remember correctly, the road used to curve around the intersection of Hwy 49, Hwy 274, and Hwy 557. That area was actually called "Three Points", and sometimes still is. When the shopping centers with Food Lion and Bi-Lo were built, an intersection was redesigned with a traffic light. Highway 49 now turns left at that intersection. Of course, some people traveling to York on Hwy 49 sort of miss that turn and end up in Clover. I've done it several times myself!

The highway around "Five Points" has been redesigned a couple of times in the past ten or fifteen years. Lake Wylie Road, Hwy 274, Hwy 55, and Hwy 49 north and south used to converge right in front of North's Grocery. The most recent redesign added an intersection, so there are now two traffic lights rather close together. Don't try to do the math, just know that we describe that area as "Five Points".

Hopefully that clears things up a bit! If you really want to start sounding like a local (with or without the Southern accent), go ahead and start incorporating these "used to be" landmarks into your conversations and directions. If nothing else, the recipients of these directions will get a lovely tour of our countryside!

For local expertise on the Lake Wylie area, information on events and activities, and resources for Lake Wylie real estate, please visit my website: Lake Wylie Waterfront Real Estate. For fun things to do with your whole family,visit Lake Wylie Events and Activities.