New Boat Owner - Boating on Winnipesaukee
 

I am a first time boat owner planning to spend some time on the lake this summer. I am familiar with the Paugus Bay and Meredith areas from renting cottages on the lake for the last few summers but this coming summer will be my first time on the lake with my own boat (New 18' Bayliner Element). Looking for any advice you would give a newbie. I am planning on picking up and studying the Bizer chart and I have already gotten the Boating USA (Navionics) app for my phone. Already have my boating cert. Any suggestions for good routes to take to start exploring the lake? My first goal is to be able to get from Paugus Bay to Meredith for lunch. Any other suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!!

Welcome to the Forum.

Use the "advanced search" to search just the boating forum for key words like "newbie boater" and you will find similar questions and lots of answers. You just have to play around a bit with choice of key words.

The Bizer chart is a great start.

Get these
 

Bizer chart

GPS with bizer chip.

Compass

Learn to use them all and you will be all set for the big lady.


ToW

(1) Agree with Slickcraft .... this has been addressed many times (no offense) and there is a lot of detailed info already in the forum

(2) Newbie / 18' boat = Stay away from Meredith Bay (in front of the Wiers area) on a busy Saturday :D


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Keep good track of weather forecast
 

I agree look back over prior conversations but one thing you need to do with a relatively small boat is keep track of weather forecast, particularly upcoming storms and wind conditions. You do not want to be caught off guard in the middle of the broads in large swells - plan ahead

New Boater
 

If you launch early, watch for debris in the lake after ice out. Lots of stuff floats just under the surface for a couple of weeks and can give you a bad day if you hit it--stuff like trees and parts of docks!

Thanks - not really planning on heading out into the broads any time soon. Will be spending the weekend in early May (staying at Mills Falls Bay Point) with the wife. Plan to bundle up and get to know the new boat a bit and cruise between Meredith and Paugus Bays. Then have another week booked at a cottage on Paugus Bay in July.

And, don't follow someone that you think ,knows where they're going......there's way, too many , out there boating ,that don't have a clue: cool:

Not about routes to follow but this has served me well:

"Never approach the dock faster than you are willing to hit it."

And...

When the lake is rocking and rolling a light boat can get lifted and then dropped into a dock. That can rip a rub rail right off the boat!

That is a nice super easy run- I can't think of a marker between Meredith and Paugus of any concern. The Weirs Channel can be tricky based on traffic, water level and water flow, but I am sure you will be fine!

You gotta go through Sally's Gut for sure. Don't be afraid of the Broads, just pick your days carefully wind/traffic wise. Venture up toward Center Harbor, it's nice up that way and usually not too choppy.

Follow the ...
 

Obviously, you can get to the Weirs. From there, take out your chart and follow the Sophie C or the Doris E. You know they're going in deep water and they'll come back to the starting point. When the PA system says 'x;' island on your left, check the chart., and 'x' island will be on your left. EASY. Enjoy yourself and don't get all worked up about the warnings here. Wolfeboro for lunch? Follow the Mount. You just need to check her schedule for follow times. I recommend Jo Greens second floor deck.
There's a lot of talk here about GPS, but a compass is more reliable and cheaper by a factor of 10. Look at the chart, look at the compass, and follow the commercial boat home.

Broads and wind
 

My first boat was a 17.5 bowrider. We used it all over the lake. We also learned about the north west wind and the broads.

If the NW, N, and sometime WNW wind is 11 mph or above Do Not Go there. You will get tossed around and it is scary. I remember screaming in a storm going from Wolfeboro to Welch Island.. "We are going to die, we are going to die!"

Since then, I have a bigger boat (20.5') and watch the weather forecast all of the time. If the forecast for 03810 is over 12, I am probably not going out there. This is for the broads and the more southern parts of the lake.

You will learn what wind direction and speed impacts where you want to go. The more adventurous will go out there in heavy wind. On more calm days and on non-weekend days it is a joy to go all over the lake on any sized boat. Our favorite is jetski travel.

Have fun, there is no better place in the world

Watch the West
 

Welcome !!! Steveo is right on target. During the hot weather the storms usually form West of the lake (Meredith area) and progress towards the East (Tuftonboro /Wolfboro); so if you keep an eye on the sky westward it gives you some lead in time to boogie off the water before you get blasted with the thunderstorm. Use your weather app and it will give you the speed, position and direction of the coming storm so you can track it's route. Most of them are pretty intense but short lived.

The experience of being on the lake at sunset on a clear day is only accurately described as "magical." Once you see it from the water you'll know exactly what I'm talking about. Enjoy, explore, watch the markers and watch out for bone heads. The lake is awesome!

The Breeze
Wave 'cuz I'll be wavin' back :D

I boat in an 18' SeaRay.

Yes the wind can make things interesting in a small boat!

Given the choice, I'd rather be motoring along on a windy day than enduring the confused sea state whipped up by a multitude of big (they're all big compared to mine) boats going every which way.

The wind is usually only going in ONE direction.

LOL I can picture this IG!!!!

We all where given a chance in my family to get that scared once and scream out... And it was a chance and it didn't last long... My Dad then looked at us with our Life Jackets on, and asked if we wanted to find out what the worst case scenario would be like, and he offered to just through us overboard...

Needless to say we had many more hairy rides over the years, but we never screamed in panic again....

I have had many adventurous crossing of the broads of the years... The most fun I ever had was last year on my Jet Ski... I think I actually preferred the smaller vessel... As I hopped skipped, jumped my way across from Alton Bay to the Barbers Poles... But I didn't have to worry about taking water over the bow etc..... I just jumped when I felt I needed to stretch, skipped from wave to wave when I felt energetic, and hopped off the jet ski holding a tether when I need to rest...

The Broads can and will get rough. It was August 2010 in a 14' Starcraft Falcon with a 40hp Merc and my to be wife and I were just south of Diamond Island. An extremely windy day. I did a 180 between swells (3'+) to head back to Alton Bay. That was a real thrilling move to put it mildly! :eek::eek::eek::eek: We are still here too!
http://www.winnipesaukee.com/photopo...611&ppuser=628

Nice trip for a new boat owner would be from Meredith or Paugus bay up to Center harbor. Lot's of time we take a nice leisurely ride up to to Center harbor and then drop the anchor for a few hours to have lunch and swim.

Center Harbor for 40 years
 

A good GPS with the lake map is a good investment, there are lots of spots you can get in trouble. Water is high in the beginning of the summer, and lowest in the fall, that's when many rocks become visible. Favorite spots: timber island rope swing, sally's gut, the basin, picking blueberries at the islands, just mooring out and watching the loons swim under the boat by 1/2 mile island. Came back from Wolfeboro one time and the waves were breaking over the bow on my 19 ft 4winns. At night things really look different out there! I stay off the lake on holidays. They turn off the lighted buoys some time in October!

A weather radar app is huge for me.
I check the radar before dropping the boat in. If you can see a storm on its way and monitor it is priceless.
We have had times it wasn't worth boating due to time restraints and iffy weather. We also have been on the lake and watched a storm come across a part of the lake while we stayed in a dry part of it, just by monitoring it on our phones. It's been a huge help for us.

Your off to a great start.
Imo,
#1. What has helped us get started is the advice from the local experts.
#2. I hope you get as surprised as we did at how kind and helpful other boaters have been in our time of need. Mostly during slow times of the day, but regardless, I had trouble getting it just right during docking, and without asking, a gentleman and his son came over from a few slips away to have us toss them a rope. Such a small gesture was a thankful help.
If it's Winni your starting on, it can be a little nerve racking at times. The lake may not be the best beginner lake, but the local boaters compensate for that.
During busy docking times, make a mental note as to who arrived ahead of you and wait your turn to dock. The same for boat launching if you will be trailering. Be prepared ahead of time before getting to the boat launch. It never hurts to watch other's techniques while loading and unlading their boat.
#3. A laminated lake chart is must have.
#4. A GPS is very helpful but can fail for what ever reason.
#5. Keep tools and a spare prop on board. I damaged one after unloading the boat. We had everyone aboard, pushed off and lowered the out drive only to feel the boat bump something. We hadn't even put the boat in gear yet. We looked over the back and sure enough there was rock hiding out just waiting for us. We pulled the boat parallel to shore and standing in knee deep water swapped the prop in five minutes and off we went.
Figure about $100 to repair an aluminum prop.

Also do a search for radios in the boating section.
There was advice on hand helds if I remember correctly.
Try to think ahead and figure what you would do and how would you contact help in an emergency on the water.
Prepare, prepare, prepare.

Don't go out at night until you get used to the lake.

Go across the broads, under the Long Island Bridge, follow along Long Island, and then follow Little Bear Island..go around Little Bear Island, and then thru the Hole in the Wall ( Hole in the Wall is between Cow Island and Little Bear Island) then head over near Sandy Island and back out and across the broads..nice , couple of hours :)

Thanks for all of the great advice. Really looking forward to the boating season. Ordered myself a couple of the Bizer charts to start reviewing. Currently my boat is just sitting at Winnisquam Marine, waiting for the ice to melt....:(

First time I hit the lake with with a few buddies back in '93. I had a 12' Inflatable boat and a 25 hp merc. Had no clue where we were going until we picked up a chart and after going around for an hour or so across some choppy waters. Hurt like hell, but we figured it out.

Over 20 years later, we still talk about that trip. Ahh the memories.

Also learned the hard way you could not have a fire on an island.

You must be the one that burned down the island that used to be the Witches. ;)

LOL, no. Someone took a trip over to us and yelled at us. I think we were on blueberry island

My best advice for you is to just take it easy. Getting familiar with your boat, what it can handle, how to load it, keeping the weight balanced and so forth is your number one priority. Same with learning how to dock your boat and maneuver it in tight spots. It's a game of finesse to do this, and requires a bit of practice and a light touch on the throttle. When docking your boat, be nice and park in such a way that leaves the largest opening for the next guy!

Once you have a good feel for your ride, then you can start to explore the lake. Early season is great because traffic is very light and the only ones out there are usually fisherman trolling around. That said be courteous and give them plenty of space as you pass. Be aware that the markers are left in over the winter time and when the ice goes out can and does drag them around, in some cases they are broken or missing. Having a navigational map and knowing where you are is paramount because usually when something is marked it's for a very good reason! Don't make assumptions - the MP does get out there and fix them but it takes them time to survey the entire lake and get replacements in place or move things back where they belong. Typically they have it all squared away by Memorial day. Navigation can be a challenge during certain times of the day especially if you have the sun in your face low in the sky it can be hard to pick up where things are marked. Proceed with caution if you are unsure of where you are! Always drive defensively even if you know you have the right of way. If you are going to anchor for the day on a sand bar, have a good anchor front AND rear along with leave ample space between you and another boat. As previously stated watch the weather, some areas of the lake are pretty unforgiving when it's windy. Same can be said of an approaching thunderstorm. In fact if a thunderstorm is approaching it's far better to tuck in somewhere protected and ride the storm out then to try to out run it and get caught in the open (been there done that and it's not a good situation to be in).

Get out there and enjoy the lake, there are so many places to go and explore, places to swim and relax. Once you get your feet wet you'll do just fine. Don't forget one key piece of gear for your boat. A grill, nothing says summer like burgers and dogs fresh off the grill and an ice cold adult beverage at your favorite swimming hole! :liplick:

Have a great season out there and don't forget to wave to your fellow boaters as you pass on by.