The weather gods have spoken and told us to reschedule our Opening Day Parade to Sunday 5/2 instead of Saturday. The weather charts indicate Sunday has only a 6% chance of sprinkles with no accumulation and 50% clear skies, however Saturday has a 55% chance of heavy rain. The rest of the plan remains the same:

Let’s DO the Lake Sammamish Opening Day Boat Parade!
We got a great response to my 3/14 NextDoor LakeSamm post:
https://nextdoor.com/p/c736wgYr_nM_?utm_source=share&extras=NTA2ODI%3D
Over 40 people commented expressing interest in joining or watching.

I NEED YOUR HELP with:
– Publicity/Awareness – getting news coverage before or after the event
– Recruiting – contact individuals or businesses to see if they would like to participate with a boat or some other “Parade Float” perhaps with commercial advertising if they like
– Contact Boat Dealers – ask if they will participate or do boat Demos for potential customers as part of the parade
– Judging decorations – Perhaps ask Boating stores or restaurants to donate prizes (for sponsorship publicity).
– Organizing Parade watching parties (being COVID safe) – potentially Sammamish State Park, Vasa Park, Idlewood Park, Sammamish Landing, or just your own neighborhood
– Photography of the parade
– I would appreciate a couple boats volunteering to act as a safety boats at the end of the parade with throwable life jackets and a tow line in case boats get into trouble.

Please Post what you can volunteer to do and your results. I’m offering active participants in the parade and organizing 1 year membership in the Lake Sammamish Yacht Club at no cost (other than volunteering)

The Theme:
After the year of Covid we’ve been through, lets go with “Care and Optimism”, positive and rebuilding Community and Neighborly support. A thanks to our community care givers, essential workers, and all the people who responded changing their lives to stop the spread. As well as somber reflection for all those we lost or who have lost someone. Anything pro-vaccination is also great. Decorate if you like or don’t, just bring your smiling faces 🙂

The Plan:
Meet at the Lake Samm State Park Launch ramps at 11:30 to get organized, if you are launching a boat and/or decorating come earlier so we can get all the boats in the water, decorated, and ready to go. We will always have stragglers who miscalculated how long it will take to get there and launch. At Noon we will begin going clockwise around the lake.

Lake Sammamish State Park beaches will be the first good viewing area, this is also a great spot for anyone who wants to join for some or all of the route by Kayak, Canoe, SUP – Lifejackets and Thermal protection (e.g. wetsuits) are MANDATORY the water is under 50F and very dangerous. Anyone in small boats who refuses to WEAR a lifejacket will be asked to demonstrate their swimming skills by swimming or treading water for 3 minutes in this 50 degree water without a lifejacket before joining the parade.

We may circle in front of the State Park beaches if there’s a good viewing crowd, and to form up the parade order. We will travel at 4-7 MPH generally inside the slow wake buoys (except where there are hazards – if you see me go wide, follow me to avoid poorly marked stumps), we may move a little faster in areas with no houses (e.g. Marymoor). Slower inside the Sunken Forest – here it is important to stay close to the docks ~ 20-30′ to avoid hazards.

At this pace we expect to reach South Cove about 12:30, Vasa 1:00, Weowna Point 1:15, Idlewood Park 1:45, Apartments 2:00, cross over to East Side 2:15, Sammamish Landing 2:30, Webber Point 2:45, Mint Grove 3:15, getting back to the Launch ramps by 4:00 – ALL times are APPROXIMATE, if it’s really nice we tend to go a bit slower, if cool and windy we may go faster.

Boaters & Floaters are welcome to join in at any point for as much of the parade as they would like to participate in. Be Safe don’t extend beyond what you can safely cover especially if wind is a factor and be mindful of cold water danger. I’ll be playing the stereo with earplugs in to get people to realize we are coming and come our or down to their docks. I will not be able to hear you on the boat. My mobile phone is (425) 449-0070 please call if there is an emergency or safety issue, but the phone drives the stereo so don’t call with questions during or before the parade as I’ll be busy. Happy to talk the day before, that’s a fine time for questions.

Date and timing is subject to weather, if significant rain is likely, we will shift to Sunday, or an alternative date TBD. No one wants to spend 4 hours on a boat in the rain or come out to see the parade with umbrellas. We will probably make a Go / No-Go decision by Wednesday night based on the forecast, and post it here.

SO – Please post how you can help with the requests above!
– Get those boats out of storage (should be great weather this week)
– Think about decorations if that’s you thing
Let’s make this first annual Lake Samm Opening Day Parade a success!

If you can volunteer with any of the above let me know what you can do.
Jim Mackey
LSYC Commodore
(425) 449-0070

Todd Thull has graciously stepped up to be our Safety boat at the end of the parade behind any canoes, kayakers, SUPs, etc. Please take safety seriously, wear your lifejacket, and follow his guidance for staying with the parade. I’ll be up front and most of the powerboats will be playing music and looking forward. I ask the hand or sail powered boats to stay behind the powerboats, or VERY close to the docks so we don’t have a problem with a capsize and a long line of closely spaced boats coming right at them (while skippers are looking at the shore waving). All boaters, if you see anyone go into the water sound your horn (continuously) and point at the person in the water (while trying to render aid). This is a photo of Todds boat – try to stay ahead of JUST that boat so he can keep an eye on everyone.

@Angela Marks from Nothing Bundt Cakes in Issaquah offered to donate some cakes. Maybe bring those to the launch ramp post parade for a little pick me up for the participants after their circumnavigation of the lake?

If it’s as nice as expected, anyone who wants can join me in a tie up by the launch ramps at the end. Maybe attach one boat to the non-launch ramp dock to the right of the ramps and others tie on? Keeping masked or socially distanced if not fully vaccinated. I got my shots 🙂

Would be great to get people’s ideas for what other events LSYC might do with the lake. For example I hear Seafair on Lake Washington has just been Canceled – maybe we should do our own? I’ve tried to get folks interested in other events like traveling BBQ events, parties at Sammamish Landing, etc. We just never get much participation. Hoping this activity might get more people to have fun on the lake as a community, and we find more ways to do things together.

-Jim Mackey
LSYC Commodore
(425) 449-0070