Route Question

[wtibert]

Appreciated the comments. I'm not into looking for trouble, at least while driving the boat.

I do see advantages to going through some of these areas to see where they are in the real non-chart world, if for no other reason to be able to avoid them, and just exploring the lake.

I do agree that hitting a tricky unknown area would require the right conditions and traffic.

I'm enjoying the varying opinions and options. You can't have too many.

[Descant]

Easiest for me means the least number of buoys to find.
Without referencing a chart, I'd go from Meredith between Eagle and Governor's Islands (NWZ), then between the Witches and Timber Island. Straight ahead is Welch Is. Keep it on your right and go to Sandy Island, keeping it also on your right. So far, this is all wide open and if you stay in the middle, you don't even need to see any buoys. ("Middle" between Timber and the Witches,. means in the middle of the channel. If you split the visual difference between TI and the Witches, you'll be in dangerous territory.)
From Sandy Is. two choices. Straight ahead is the "Hole in the Wall", Ragged Island on your right.. A NWZ but easy enough to go through. Two boats can pass, and I've even seen sailboats sail through, no motor. You can also go a little left and go around Little Bear. After either of these routes, head for Chase Point, then go around Melvin Island on the south side. As you go around that flasher you're headed for more open water and Melvin Bay. If you go north of Melvin Is. you go through the Graveyard. On the chart this looks like a straight row of buoys. It is not. In real life, there is a dog leg in the middle. After you've gone through a couple of times at headway speed, you can go through at a speed fast enough that you hold your breath all the way, just like you do when driving past a graveyard in your car. A really deep breath if there is another boat around 'cuz you're guaranteed to be less than 150' and have to slow down to headway speed.
Because there aren't a lot of buoys this way, there are plenty of segments where you'll want to use your chart and compass, just to get used to the process.

Hmm. It was a fun ride just imagining doing this point to point. Thanks for the exercise.