Center Harbor Fireworks
 

Having never been to the Center Harbor fireworks by boat, we were thinking about going to them tonight. Can someone tell me where they are set off from?

We normally go to either Wolfeboro or Alton and have enjoyed both of these shows. We are hoping the show at Center Harbor will be as good!

Thanks in advance!

Dan

We went to Center Harbor last year, and they were just ok. Not as good as years past in Wolfeboro, where we normally go as well.

They light them off from a barge just off the town beach/launch, so anywhere out there would be fine.

There definitely weren't as many boats as Wolfeboro, but the pinched exit may make egress as slow.

Assuming the wind dies down, we'll be heading to Wolfeboro tonight—looks like it'll be cool and dry (and dark with the remaining sliver of moon?).

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Thanks Think!

Sounds like Wolfeboro for us!

Dan

Dear wife was sick today, so she ended up staying home while I took the kids (and the neighbor's grandkids) to Center Harbor as I didn't want to take the boat with 4 kids and only 1 adult after dark (especially on a moonless night), but MAN IS IT A GREAT NIGHT FOR WOLFEBORO!

Enjoy, friend, and I'll update with a Center Harbor review!

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Update: CH fireworks lasted 22 minutes, but a long time of single-shots and a just ok finale. Pretty good, and a fine area to watch from, but Wolfeboro is historically better.

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Nightmare
 

We went to Wolfeboro and it was an absolute nightmare for us… First off when it was time to leave someone refused to turn off their docking lights and was blinding everyone with them. When I said something to them I was the antichrist and every four letter word came out of their mouth as they screamed at me. They drove all the way out of the bay and even into the broads with their docking lights proudly on.

Then we heard someone screaming “mayday” “mayday” which as we all know is a life threatening emergency call on the water not to be taken lightly . We immediately reacted and started driving towards the mayday hail dragging our anchor as we thought someone was either sinking or having a heart attack. When we approached the boat in supposed “peril” and asked what the emergency was, we were very casually informed that there was no emergency and they simply needed a jump start as they left their electronics going while watching the fireworks and their boat would not start! They were at anchor 100’ from shore! When I questioned their mayday hail and refused to help them I was called everything under the Sun!

I have never in my life experienced such irresponsible boating and seamanship. To say I was disgusted would be a great understatement….

Sorry I went and probably won’t bother in the future!

Dan

Oof, that's horrible—sorry to hear that.

I can't speak to what the boating situation was at Center Harbor since we drove there, but I gotta think similar things occurred as it falls in line with many of the conversations that have taken place here and elsewhere.

I WILL say that people were respectful in line at Red Hill, cars stopped for us while crossing the street, nobody sat in front of us or parked too closely, people weren't obnoxious during the fireworks, and nobody cut us off while driving to and from CH, so that was a win.

(Though now that I think about it, someone did have a laser shining during the fireworks and there were a few distracting drones flying IN the fireworks—I guess there's always something!)

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I'm not sure exactly what the boat situation was, as I was on the shore in Center Harbor, but there seemed like a lot of them. The crowd on shore seemed bigger than it had been in many years. The town band (7 - 9 concert) sounded very good. The fireworks were OK, nothing really awesome but several pretty displays. Of course with age and experience I find I have become harder to impress. :laugh: Dewey's hasn't opened yet (supply problems) so no ice cream. :(

I always enjoy the Center Harbor show. We went by boat and getting in and out was pretty uneventful - but one always has to be on the lookout for the entitled people who need to cut others off, insist on going at the perfect speed to create the largest wake possible, and/or generally lacking in common sense and courtesy. I was pleased to see the Marine Patrol calling a few people out who had broken lights. And, I continue to be annoyed by the LED lights some pontoon boats have. I don’t see the point or need to light up the pontoons in different colors and find the display particularly annoying when being used while underway.

On the way out there was a really impressive private display that lit up the way home. Overall a great night on the water with family. Thank you Center Harbor and others for a fun night of fireworks!

Sadly this seems to be the norm now. Things have changed.

CH show was good. Boats were well behaved. Several captains who have no clue how to boat were boating along with their super bright docking lights, which they apparently think are headlights, on. There were 3 that I counted because I stayed on anchor until they pulled away.

We watched two sets of fireworks on TV in our home theater and the experience equaled or surpassed the real thing, esp. the Macys fireworks: best I've ever seen, they set them off from five barges simultaneously.

Massive display, state of the art in all ways.

Then the ones from DC: OK, nothing special.

The dock light thing has been going on for years. And yes, people think they are head lights! I've seen them cruising though the broads with them on. Saw one on Sunday, i would assume after the Alton show, with what I would call Disco Lights on changing colors. It was on a "light bar" on a smaller cruiser. But couldn't see any white light or the red/green light in the front because the changing color ball was so bright.
More technology means more craziness. If it's on a boat "it must be legal".

Ishoot, good to see ya back on the forum, haven't see ya around in a while!

We avoid Winni for the 4th and go to the family's place on Upper Suncook. They usually do a show from Camp Fatima there and it was pretty good this year. Lots of boats out, but no issues like you had thankfully!

One of these days I'm sure we'll venture out to the big lake for the fireworks, but it just hasn't lined up right yet.

Easy way around the crazies
 

One way around the crazies at the fireworks is to go early and stay late. We would head out in Alton or over to Wolfeboro by before 8pm and get anchored away from the mainstream of boaters. After the fireworks end, we pour another drink (not necessarily alcoholic) and finish off the food. Once the departing boat white lights were clearly individual lights and not a mass of white, we package everything up, have the blower on, secure the bimini if up, and pull the aft anchor. Start the engine, pull the bow anchor, and start a slow cruise back to the dock. Traffic? What traffic! The ride back is normally quite smooth and my nervous nelly Mrs. Upthesaukee would enjoy the ride home.

Just my take.

Dave

CH Fireworks
 

I've never been to the Wolfeboro fireworks display, so I can't do a comparison with CH. We've always been able to enjoy the CH display from our dock and that includes watching the boat traffic infiltrate the harbor and then mostly in an orderly manner, evacuate. But like jeffK said, with age comes higher expectations. I suppose that's true. The sonic booms sounded louder when I was young, maybe I should turn up my hearing aid. Nice to see you back Dan.

But to be able to walk up your dock to the house to get a cold adult beverage then walk back down, plop your butt in a chair and watch is Priceless.

Gone are the days when you can just simply see the fireworks by boat and leave. The '60s thru the '90s were excellent times to boat in season. Starting in the 2000s the lake turned into a s**t storm on weekends. After the pandemic, I'm beginning to feel boating during the week is affected as well!

Spent a week in Sebago Lake in ME. Courtesy of a former Winni boater who 'had it' with the mayhem. Much quieter lake! I moved from 'pesaukee to 'squam basically to escape the property tax. I find Winnisquam much more civil for boating.

After Memorial Day is the best time to boat!

As for fireworks, I like to watch them from cottages on the lake.

Gone are the days...
 

Gone are the days from back in the 80s when we would watch the fireworks in Alton at 930 (shot from the beach), hightail it to Wolfeboro for their show at 10, and then cruise down to the Weirs for the midnight show.

Ah, I can hear the music "Those were the days, my friend, I thought they'd never end..." The kids napped on the floor of the boat until the Weirs fireworks started. Then a nice ride back to Alton Bay.

Ahhhhhhhh.:D;)

Dave