Rafting
 

Can someone rattle off a list of good areas for anchoring and swimming (both sand bars and non sand bars)?

I know the frequently mentioned ones (Braun Bay, Saunders Bay, and somewhere in Paugus) and I've seen people in Johnson Bay (Winter Harbor) and in and around the Varney Islands, but where else?

Thanks,

Wolfeboro Matt

No Rafting Zones marked on map
 

It is easy to find those good places to anchor. They are marked on the maps as No Rafting Zone. Those are the places that are the best and earned the No Rafting designation.

You can find other places too. Around Timber Island. near Smalls Cove inside Sleeper's Island. Not marked as a No Rafting zone is an area around Ragged Island. Navigate in carefully when the water is low but it is nice and secluded.

When you look for a nice place to anchor think Calm Water. Anchoring by the Margate sandbar in Paugus or in Sanders Bay can be a rocking experience. On a weekend the waves just keep on comin'. It's fun for kids but adults can't walk on board due to all the motion. And when you are in shallow the waves can rise and dip enough so that you are bashing the bottom with your boat. More protected areas like Braun Bay do not have that problem.

Enjoy

2 more perhaps
 

Gilligan pretty much sums it up. I would add looking around Stonedam I, but be very careful picking your way amonst the rocks on the western shore, less so if you anchor on the eastern shore. Another place is near Sands of Brookhurst, (across from Black Cat I) just before the point that starts Center Harbor bay (geeez, I forget the name and I used to live there).

That's one of the problems I always had with Braun Bay in the busy summer days. The water is too calm, not enough current to flush it out. But it is a fun place.

Help me out here jrc, does "flush it out" mean what I think you mean? (key word flush as in toilet? :eek: )

Well, there are a lot of people standing in waist deep water drinking a lot of beer or Coke. Every once in a while someone might not climb in the boat to use the porta-potty. Plus there are lots of kids and dogs. I'm sure on a normal day it's no big deal. But when the air is 100 degrees, the water is 80 degrees, it's crowded, no wind, no current...
I just don't like to think about it.

That's what I thought, maybe on those days everyone could jump in their boat, start up and run in reverse for a minute to mix up the water. :D All kidding aside, that's pretty nasty.