TEXAS CITY DIKE : CLEAR LAKE SAILING CLUB --- SAILING INSTRUCTIONS
THE PLAN: We will bring out club Sunfishes and potentially other boats. You will take turns practicingyour sailing skills in the Sunfishes. For the Sunfish, we are turning you loose on it -- you will have the opportunity to sail it by yourself to develop your exquisite skills. We may also have a couple of other boats out there from other club members so that you can experience their boats.
You should bring: your favorite beverages (no glass bottles please)/snacks and appropriate beach items (suntan lotion, water/cooler, hat, skimpy bikinis, etc).Alcohol is allowed, but only after sailing is completed. You should also bring a smile and a plan to have some fun. Bring a lawn chair or beach towel, since only 1 or 2 of you will be on the sailboat at any one time. If you have a 10x10 canopy tent, you might want to bring that also. The Texas Sun can be brutal sometimes.
You WILL get wet! So bring towels, etc. There is a 99% chance you will capsize your Sunfish. This is all part of the plan. You MUST know how to swim and be comfortable in the water, but our basic plan is to initially keep you in water that is only neck deep. Sometimes, students have problems staying in the shallow area though, so be prepared. Also, PLEASE bring your own life vest if you have one. We do have 3 or 4 spare vests that we can loan out, but if you have one, it’s best to bring your own. Also, plan to bring some protective footwear: watersocks or cheap canvas tennis shoes (usually < $9 at Walmart/Kmart).
WHEN:Plan to be at the Dike by 10am and stay until 2 or 3pm. There are some porto-potties nearby, and if you want, you can leave and re-enter the Dike at anytime during the day with your car pass.
WHERE: Texas City Dike of course. If you are coming from the Kemah area, take 146 south 14 miles or so to 1764 and then turn left onto 1764 (Texas City) until it ends near Galveston Bay. At the end of 1764, you will need to make a slight jog to the right/left to get onto the Dike -- maybe only 100 yards or so. Simply jog right and then make a left at the stoplight.
If you are coming from Greater Houston, stay on the Gulf Freeway and go past NASA. Continue down to Texas City and exit at 1764 (I think it is Exit 16). Then head left - east - towards Texas City and again, stay on 1764 until it ends (about 8 miles).
You can use google maps to get detailed directions : type in: "from: <my home location> to: Texas City Dike Road".That will also give you personalized directions and an estimate of transit time.Obviously the same is true for your smart phone. Note that on weekends a bunch of people go down to Galveston so you may encounter a significant amount of traffic on the Gulf Freeway. I suggest you allow at least an hour and a half from downtown Houston to get to the Dike, or an hour from Clear Lake to get there.
As you get onto the dike, you will need to pay $5 per car, so get into the right lane. We can’t do anything about that. After paying, travel along the Dike for about 3 ½ miles. After about 3 miles, on the left you should see 3 telephone pools in a teepee- like fashion in the water. We are less than a half mile farther, also on the left. Look for my red Jeep or a narrow yellow flag saying “Clear Lake Sailing Club”. Believe me, we won't be hard to find.