Row, row, row your boat...or try the alternative.

With gas prices climbing to the point that we might have to take out an equity loan to fill up our boats, making fuel last as long as possible has become a priority. Gas prices are expected to linger in their current price range, so it looks like we need to adapt and start changing our habits to help keep our boats hydrated. BoatUS offers these five tips:

1. Lighten your load. Remove everything that you don't absolutely need, keeping only the essentials. Clean out your boat after it's been winterized. Do you really need seven wakeboards, two tubes, and three anchors for a picnic on Goat Island? Leave unnecessary items on the dock. While I know that weighted down wakeboard boats produce a bigger and better wake, make sure you empty out those water tanks before cruising to T-bones for dinner.




2. Get a tune-up. Just like a car, a boat needs a yearly check-up to make sure everything's working properly. Your vessel may not be reaching its potential mpg if something in the engine is askew.




3. Check the prop. If your propeller has any dents or dings, a trip to the repair shop may be necessary. Consider changing up your propeller--talk to one of the local marinas and they can advise you on if your current prop is fulfilling your existent boating needs.




4. Paint the bottom of your schooner. Salt or brackish water can result in a lot of algae (fondly referred to as "green gunk") growth on the bottom of your boat's hull, creating more resistance and an overall unattractive appearance. Clean regularly and make sure a fresh layer of paint is coated on the bottom of your barge to prevent this nuisance.




5. Check the trim tabs. An unbalanced boat is a gas guzzling one. Pay close attention to your trim tabs and your reservoir to ensure that leaks aren't present.

Use these tips to enjoy a fun and efficient time on the lake this summer!

Thanks for reading my blog! For more on Lake Wylie waterfront living and Lake Wylie waterfront homes for sale, visit my website at TheLakeWylieMan.com.

Bird's the Word.

(image courtesy of NASA)

If you live on Lake Wylie, you've most likely noticed enormous osprey nests scattered around the lake, on telephone poles to artificial nesting platforms to the Catawba Nuclear station. The Lake Wylie Pilot published an article a few weeks ago providing readers a chance to watch a pair of ospreys raise their brood. The osprey parents built a nest at the Catawba Nuclear Station on Lake Wylie, so Duke Energy and the Culture & Heritage Museums partnered up and installed a live feed that can be viewed online by the public at http://chmuseums.org/osprey. The eggs hatched three or four weeks ago, and the entire family is sharing their day-to-day life with the World Wide Web.

It's really quite amazing to experience a first-hand account of such raw nature. The osprey is a magnificent creature and is the king of the waterways. The birds can be seen gliding through the sky over the main channel and plummeting 30 t0 100 feet headfirst into the water to catch fresh fish for their families.

Did you know? Ospreys mate for life, but take separate vacations and meet back up at the nest when the winter months expire. Both parents warm the eggs for about a month until they hatch, taking shifts. However, the eggs don't all hatch at once; they are staggered so that some of the siblings are larger and more dominant.

So take a few minutes and take a gander at the family of fowl on the lake. You won't be disappointed! Thanks for reading the blog, and for more Lake Wylie waterfront tips and Lake Wylie Homes for sale check out the Lake Wylie Man website!

Twiggy the Waterskiing Squirrel

Just when you thought you've seen it all . . . Twiggy the Waterskiing Squirrel! It is fairly common to see dogs on boats, or even on Waverunners on Lake Wylie. But a waterskiing squirrel? That's one's new for me.

I attend the Mid-Atlantic boat show in Charlotte every year. As you might know, I do love boats. Old ones especially, but I like to see the latest and greatest as well. Like a kid in the candy store, I guess.

This year, the show has a special guest: Twiggy the Waterskiing Squirrel. His trainer teaches water safety as this real live squirrel zips around behind a remote-control boat. He wears a tiny little life jacket, holds on to the tow rope, and really seems to enjoy the ride.

Try to get out to see him this weekend! If you miss him, though, I'm sure you'll have the opportunity to see a nutcase or two on Lake Wylie this summer . . . sorry, couldn't resist.

Thanks for reading my blog. For more blogs on Living on Lake Wylie and Lake Wylie waterfront real estate, please visit my website! Have a great weekend.

Southern Christmas Show

This blog is written by Jan Todd, an associate of The Lake Wylie Man:

Christmas is full of traditions. For some people, Christmas wouldn't seem like Christmas without eggnog . . . the smell of a freshly cut evergreen tree . . . fresh popped popcorn strung on a thread, hung on the tree . . . a visit to Santa at the mall . . . the Hallelujah Chorus.

One of my favorite Christmas traditions actually occurs in mid-November: The Southern Christmas show! With three huge trade-show rooms full of arts & crafts, sweets & hot sauces, ornaments and home decor, it is a 12-day show that just shouldn't be missed. In fact, I don't think I've missed one in over 20 years.

In my early ventures, I loaded up on Christmas decorations for my first home . . . then next home . . . then next home. Then I decided I had quite enough (in fact, TOO much) ornaments and holiday decor. But fear not, there was still more to shop for: art for my walls, a rocking chair, sports memorabilia, gifts, hats & scarves, and of course, hot sauces!

Each year, vendors offer samples of Jamaican jerk sauces, dips, barbecue sauces, gourmet hot chocolates, spiced pecans, burn-the-roof-of-your-mouth-and-cry-for-mama salsas, and more. Oh what fun it is to try, fa la la la la! I learned early on to save the gift packs of salsa for the end of the show (I try to buy nothing over 1 pound in weight early on).

Merchants have figured this out as well. Towards the back of display room #2, shopping carts on wheels do a brisk business, as do foot massagers and gel-soles.

This year, I was delighted to once again see The Gourd Lady. (See picture) This delightful lady is 95 years old, and had been selling her wares at the Christmas show since it was invented. She has been on Jay Leno twice, has rubbed elbows with big stars such as Denzel Washington, and has a children's home named after her. Her claim to fame? She wears a vegetable on her head. I kid you not! She'll let you take a picture, but will ask for a $1 donation for the children's home.

Now that's what Christmas is about. Have a wonderful holiday season, go to the Christmas show, and visit The Lake Wylie Man for a list of holiday events in Lake Wylie, a fantastic (and free!) Lake Wylie real estate search, and more. Thanks for reading!

Autumn on Lake Wylie

The chill is in the air, and I'm enjoying autumn on the lake! Truly one of the most beautiful times on Lake Wylie.

The other day, I took my boat out to show a lake property, and afterwards I just drifted down the lake, almost all the way to the dam. It was simply gorgeous!

Send me some of your pictures from Lake Wylie. I'll load 'em up for all to see.

For more blogs about living on Lake Wylie and Lake Wylie real estate, visit my website, TheLakeWylieMan.com.

Tragedy on the Clover Fields

What happened to the Clover Eagles last night?? I was so looking forward to an Eagle triumph over the Northwestern Trojans. Considering that my Eagle daughter dates a Northwestern Trojan (you know what they say about those mixed relationships . . . ), and considering a certan NW Trojan has run his mouth all year since the LAST time the Trojans trounced the Blue Eagles, and considering the Blue Eagles stomped all over South Pointe who stomped all over the Trojans this year, I just KNEW it would be the time when the Blue would win the glory.

During the first three quarters, it looked as if my hopes and predictions were right on. Clover led Northwestern by a couple of touchdowns, even though both teams looked very good on the field. The Northwestern fans were a small but fiesty bunch, and of course the Clover stand was packed. We tried to help our boys out on defense by making all sorts of noise, stomping on the stands, ringing cowbells (it IS Clover, after all), blowing horns, and generally raising a ruckus.

I was sitting next to Tom and Joy, who have to be the most superstitious football fans I've ever met. A few years ago, Tom was out mowing the grass while his beloved Clemson Tigers played ball. Tom was listening to the game on the radio, and the Tigers were winning. He finished his yard, but would not get off the mower until the game was over, because he figured if the Tigers were winning, he had to keep doing whatever he was doing, or the tide would turn. So he mowed his own yard twice and started on the neighbors'.

Last night, Joy had gone down to the concession stand to buy some boiled peanuts, and while she was gone, Clover blocked a Northwestern punt, recovered the ball, and ran for a touchdown. Therefore, Joy concluded that to cause another Clover hullabaloo, she'd have to get more peanuts. We ate a lot of peanuts last night.

Finally, by fourth quarter, we just couldn't eat any more peanuts, and tragedy struck. Clover fumbled a snap, the Trojans recovered and tied the score. Then the referees got in on the fun, joined Northwestern's efforts, and things started to fall apart. Final score, 38-31, Northwestern.

That's all I'm gonna say about that.

Next time, we need to buy more peanuts.

This blog was written by Jan, who works with David, The Lake Wylie Man. The view of the author do not reflect upon the good name of The Lake Wylie Man, who is a respected real estate agent in Lake Wylie. David specializes in waterfront Lake Wylie real estate, and you can read more blogs by David and Jan, plus search properties on his website. He can help you with waterfront real estate in the outstanding Clover school district, as well as those other school districts. Even Northwestern.

The Mysterious Lake Wylie Coyote

Around the Allison Creek Peninsula this summer, the big hub-bub was all about the mysterious Coyote/fox critter that suddenly appeared. Actually, I think there were several.

Some described a beast that had the head of a werewolf, was larger than a fox, and had a pom pom on its tail.

Others described a small skinny creature, pom pom tail, with no apparent fear of humans. It did seem to be quite hungry, and enjoyed fresh fruit and vegetables. Several of us Googled, and identified the animal as either a coyote or a Sampson fox. Perhaps it was a mix of breeds, a Foxote.

As I eagerly awaited my first homegrown tomato, ripening on the vine, you can imagine my disappointment when the almost ripe fruit just vanished one morning. I accused my wife, then my neighbor, of absconding with the tomato. A couple of weeks later, I witnessed the Foxote munching on some apples that had fallen out of one of my trees. Then, I saw it stretching on its hind legs, upright, eating figs off of my neighbor's tree. The tomato mystery was solved.

Even after all that eating, the Foxote was still skinny. It would trot through our yards, in broad daylight, and then disappear into the woods. Around the first of September, the creature disappeared as suddenly as he appeared. There have been no recent sightings. Of course, the tomatoes are long gone.

For more blogs and stories about Lake Wylie living and Lake Wylie real estate, visit my website, The Lake Wylie Man.