My wife and I are going to Scottsdale in April to look at potential retirement properties. Equally important are marinas. We plan to Check out Lake Pleasant but I would like some suggestions on others we should check out. Basically within an hours drive of Scottsdale would be of most interest.
Need some Advice on Phoenix Area Marinas
- Thread starter 320Bob
- Start date
HUMPH
Well-Known Member
- Nov 4, 2009
- 7,618
- Boat Info
- 2003 410DA
2009 Walker Bay 13’
- Engines
- CAT 3126TA's 350HP/
50HP Honda
Had enough of the Winter huh?
No, but in 5 years I will have!:grin:
keokie
Well-Known Member
- Dec 27, 2006
- 1,486
- Boat Info
- 2002 310 Sundancer, Westerbeke 4.5 Genset
- Engines
- 496's, Bravo III's, 2.2:1 Gears
Bob,
Within an hour of Scottsdale you have 3 choices; Pleasant, Bartlett, or Saguaro. Pleasant is the biggest with the nicest facilities. It is also the most crowded and has become the party lake. It is the hottest in the summer and commonly windy. Saguaro is the smallest with the least fancy marina, but the folks are very nice, the marina crowd is great and the lake is the prettiest. Bartlett is really a cross between the two, but the scenery is more like pleasant (plain desert) and not as pretty in my opinion.
Roosevelt is about 1.5 hours north of central Scottsdale. It is about 25 miles long with decent scenery, pretty good fishing, nice facilities, and far less traffic.
The real gem of Scottsdale is Powell is within 6 hours. This has to be experienced to be appreciated. I believe it is some of the best freshwater boating in the country. Mead, Havasu, and Mojave are all decent as well and within 6 hours.
The waters of San Diego and LA are within 8 hours and also offers outstanding boating.
If it were me (and it kind of is), I would slip the boat at Saguaro (which I do occasionally), and trailer to Powell and San Diego. Boats the size of your 320 and larger are commonly towed out here. Most of the waters are accesible by interstate or very well developed highways.
Here are a few picks below:
The first is Powell. That white water ring on the far wall represents about 70 feet, which gives some idea of the scale.
This one is in reflection canyon, which is about 50 miles uplake.
Here's another Powell pic from the '09 CSR calendar.
About 60 miles uplake at Powell in the San Juan.
Back in Padre Bay about 20 miles uplake.
Within an hour of Scottsdale you have 3 choices; Pleasant, Bartlett, or Saguaro. Pleasant is the biggest with the nicest facilities. It is also the most crowded and has become the party lake. It is the hottest in the summer and commonly windy. Saguaro is the smallest with the least fancy marina, but the folks are very nice, the marina crowd is great and the lake is the prettiest. Bartlett is really a cross between the two, but the scenery is more like pleasant (plain desert) and not as pretty in my opinion.
Roosevelt is about 1.5 hours north of central Scottsdale. It is about 25 miles long with decent scenery, pretty good fishing, nice facilities, and far less traffic.
The real gem of Scottsdale is Powell is within 6 hours. This has to be experienced to be appreciated. I believe it is some of the best freshwater boating in the country. Mead, Havasu, and Mojave are all decent as well and within 6 hours.
The waters of San Diego and LA are within 8 hours and also offers outstanding boating.
If it were me (and it kind of is), I would slip the boat at Saguaro (which I do occasionally), and trailer to Powell and San Diego. Boats the size of your 320 and larger are commonly towed out here. Most of the waters are accesible by interstate or very well developed highways.
Here are a few picks below:
The first is Powell. That white water ring on the far wall represents about 70 feet, which gives some idea of the scale.
This one is in reflection canyon, which is about 50 miles uplake.
Here's another Powell pic from the '09 CSR calendar.
About 60 miles uplake at Powell in the San Juan.
Back in Padre Bay about 20 miles uplake.
Keokie,
This is precisely the insights I was looking for. My concern about close in lakes to Scottsdale are crowds which you confirmed about Lake Pleasant. From your decriptions it sounds like Lake Saguaro is more what we would be looking for especially coming from boating on the Illinois River. One of the primary reasons we chose it over anywhere in the Chain of Lakes area was weekend crowds and the number of drunken boaters up there. I am not looking to cruise around with bunch of drunken 20 or 30 somethings. Thanks again for your input and we will also check out what it would cost to haul our boat to Lake Powell every once in a while. My wife and I took a dinner cruise a couple of years ago there when we were in Las Vegas so I have seen the lake.
This is precisely the insights I was looking for. My concern about close in lakes to Scottsdale are crowds which you confirmed about Lake Pleasant. From your decriptions it sounds like Lake Saguaro is more what we would be looking for especially coming from boating on the Illinois River. One of the primary reasons we chose it over anywhere in the Chain of Lakes area was weekend crowds and the number of drunken boaters up there. I am not looking to cruise around with bunch of drunken 20 or 30 somethings. Thanks again for your input and we will also check out what it would cost to haul our boat to Lake Powell every once in a while. My wife and I took a dinner cruise a couple of years ago there when we were in Las Vegas so I have seen the lake.
boughtabouy
New Member
- Jun 6, 2008
- 434
- Boat Info
- Sea Ray 36 SD/Caribe DL12
- Engines
- Twin 496, 8.1 Horizon/Yamaha 40HP
Hi Bob,
Correction: San Diego is 5 1/2 hours from Scottsdale, door to door, traveling at 10 MPH over the limit, and stopping once for gas in Yuma (which will last you to San Diego and back to Yuma). Spend one summer here on your boat, and you'll be ready to move it to San Diego the next season. You'll need a break from the relentless heat. I've seen 15 years of it, and have found great relief in San Diego several times per summer. Since the boat, it's a monthly trip. Slip prices are about the same, and the playground is much bigger.
Correction: San Diego is 5 1/2 hours from Scottsdale, door to door, traveling at 10 MPH over the limit, and stopping once for gas in Yuma (which will last you to San Diego and back to Yuma). Spend one summer here on your boat, and you'll be ready to move it to San Diego the next season. You'll need a break from the relentless heat. I've seen 15 years of it, and have found great relief in San Diego several times per summer. Since the boat, it's a monthly trip. Slip prices are about the same, and the playground is much bigger.
keokie
Well-Known Member
- Dec 27, 2006
- 1,486
- Boat Info
- 2002 310 Sundancer, Westerbeke 4.5 Genset
- Engines
- 496's, Bravo III's, 2.2:1 Gears
Boughtabuoy, I'd say more like a little over six hours from Scottsdale (400 miles) with a fair amount of traffic on both sides, but definitely worth the drive. Towing an overwide is close to 8 hours, but still well worth it. San Diego is an awesome destination, but I still prefer Powell.
Bob, if you went on a dinner cruise near Vegas, you were on Mead. It is also on the Colorado river, and a beautiful lake. Powell is typically considered to be even prettier.
Saguaro is a great local lake, but it is small. You will see the whole thing in your first afternoon cruise.
Bob, if you went on a dinner cruise near Vegas, you were on Mead. It is also on the Colorado river, and a beautiful lake. Powell is typically considered to be even prettier.
Saguaro is a great local lake, but it is small. You will see the whole thing in your first afternoon cruise.
boughtabouy
New Member
- Jun 6, 2008
- 434
- Boat Info
- Sea Ray 36 SD/Caribe DL12
- Engines
- Twin 496, 8.1 Horizon/Yamaha 40HP
Hi Keokie,
We're pretty close to the 101 and 51 freeways, so maybe that helps. We do this trip monthly, and make it in 5 1/2 hours almost like clockwork. We usually leave after rush hour, and make it there about midnight. We're also not pulling a boat, so you are probably right on with 8 hours there.
I can't comment on Powell or Mead from personal experience, but I hear they are spectacular...
We're pretty close to the 101 and 51 freeways, so maybe that helps. We do this trip monthly, and make it in 5 1/2 hours almost like clockwork. We usually leave after rush hour, and make it there about midnight. We're also not pulling a boat, so you are probably right on with 8 hours there.
I can't comment on Powell or Mead from personal experience, but I hear they are spectacular...
boughtabouy
New Member
- Jun 6, 2008
- 434
- Boat Info
- Sea Ray 36 SD/Caribe DL12
- Engines
- Twin 496, 8.1 Horizon/Yamaha 40HP
August and September also...actually we've even come to love the Thanksgiving and New Years weekends there. We keep our boat at the Marriott Marina downtown (I'm assuming you're talking about that one). Can't be beat!
keokie
Well-Known Member
- Dec 27, 2006
- 1,486
- Boat Info
- 2002 310 Sundancer, Westerbeke 4.5 Genset
- Engines
- 496's, Bravo III's, 2.2:1 Gears
That's the one. I think I saw your boa there last summer. Are you directly across from the transient slips (Which are F dock as I remember)?
We hope to get back this summer. If we do, maybe we can connect.
We hope to get back this summer. If we do, maybe we can connect.
boughtabouy
New Member
- Jun 6, 2008
- 434
- Boat Info
- Sea Ray 36 SD/Caribe DL12
- Engines
- Twin 496, 8.1 Horizon/Yamaha 40HP
Sure thing, let me know! You probably didn't see mine, as it didn't arrive until August, and we're on J dock. There are a few 56 DB's, and some others in between, but ours is the only 36 DB. I think they filled up all the transient slips, but they might have a few left. You might want to see if they can work something out. Let me know what they say.
Thanks for all your suggestions on marinas. We went to see Lake Pleasant first and it was a zoo to be kind. No way would we even want to put a row boatL on that lake let alone a cabin cruiser. The next day we checked out Bartlett Lake and met the owner of the marina. We were totally blown away with how beautiful it was and how nice the facilities were. If we end up moving to the north Scottsdale area this is where we would have our boat. We didn't check out Roosevelt because it was too far away and Lake Suararo would be a bit too small. With Bartlett being a somewhat narrow lake it would be more like river boating to us which was also attractive. A covered slip there for 12 months would be cheaper than what I pay annually for dockage and storage at my current marina. Pleasant was considerably more expensive for year round covered slip and Scorpion Bay was not much better if any.
