The bugs at Great Salt Lake are reserved for shore, or at least they were on this spring evening.
Something else was missing. There were plenty of boats on the water, but none of them were zooming around the lake at high speeds dragging people on skis or putting along at 2 mph trolling fishing lines.
This was indeed a sailor's heaven.
And while the water remained like glass throughout the sunset and as the full moon rose, there was a light wind that we tracked to keep the sails full.
Sailor John Parker explained that the lake's water is so dense due to the salt that it takes a lot of wind to make it ripple or wave. The mineral that gave the lake and the city their names also allows members of the Great Salt Lake Yacht Club to claim they are "the World's Saltiest Sailors."
Lake stink is a common complaint that Great Salt Lake sailors find particularly offensive.
"That is one of the greatest misconceptions about Great Salt Lake. People think the whole thing is stinky. The smell comes from the shore, and it rarely smells like that on the water," said Diana Goodell of Salt Lake City. "The smell is worse at my home on the east bench than it is out here."
Plenty of natural and artificial lakes across Utah offer boating opportunities, but none have the sailing history of Great Salt Lake.
The Great Salt Lake Yacht Club was created in 1877 - not 1977, but 1877 - more than 131 years ago. Today the annual number of GSLYC members hovers around 70.
The club offers a year-round schedule of racing, socials, junior and women's sailing clinics and sailing seminars. The biggest week of the year for GSLYC is the annual Sail Fest celebration, June 11-15 at the Great Salt Lake State Marina.
"Light air sailing has to be the most relaxed sport there is. On the other hand, in a strong breeze, sailing can be one of the most exhilarating of sports," said Rock Simpson, commodore of GSLYC. "It's not just about sailing, though we have our own little community of mariners out here, and everything seems to be at a more relaxed and friendly pace. Great Salt Lake is one of the most unique places in the world. It's a place that's 20 minutes from town, yet once out on the lake, you might as well be a thousand miles away; the solitude and magnificent sunset vistas are just an incredible experience."
Most sailors on Great Salt Lake head for the marina after work for a sunset cruise or spend a day playing in the wind, but some take overnight or weekend cruises to the outer reaches of the lake.
Darin Christensen is one of those sailors found on the lake more often than not. His armada has included as many as six boats at one time, ranging from 8 to 25 feet. He is down to three boats, but Christensen is infatuated with the sport and the lake.
"Being able to go out on the lake and see its hugeness, its vitality, its life-filled enormity is reason enough to sail the lake," Christensen said. "I like to sail because of the many levels of thought it can involve."
He went on to explain the relaxing aspect of sailing, the mathematical and tactical levels and the mechanical requirements.
John Parker of Bountiful first floated the salty waters of the huge lake in 1980. Time on Great Salt Lake is a reminder of Parker's youth spent on a lake in the Adirondack Mountains of New York.
"One day I got up too late and all the fossil burners were already gone. I really wanted to be on the water, but all that was left was this little mahogany Norwegian sailing dinghy," he said. "Twelve hours later, I finally figured out how to go up wind. Ever since then, it has been all about sailing."
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* BRETT PRETTYMAN can be contacted at brettp@sltrib.com or 801-257-8902.
Getting to Great Salt Lake State Marina
Great Salt Lake State Marina is 16 miles west of Salt Lake City off Exit 104 on Interstate 80.
Sailing Utah
GREAT SALT LAKE is the most popular sailing destination in the state, but there are plenty of choices. Other waters popular with sailors include Bear Lake, Deer Creek Reservoir, Jordanelle Reservoir, Strawberry Reservoir, Starvation Reservoir, Yuba Reservoir and Utah Lake.
