Leavitt Beach
 

Hi everyone.

Does anyone know what happened at Leavitt Beach the other day? I heard marine patrol was there and asking boats to move away from the swim line and a lot of people were unhappy and were questioning what the rule actually is. 150 feet from shore or 150 feet from the swim line etc.

The 150' rule only applies if boat is going over headway speed, not anchored. If anchored and in NRZ area, 150' from shoreline. As long as they were not rafting, not sure if a No Raft Zone area, but even if single anchored, they just need to be 25' away from each other, not swim line.

I looked over the RSA's... There is no rule about anchoring near a swim line, (other than you cannot operate inside a swim line) I don't believe that area is a designated no rafting zone. (I saw nothing mentioning it in the RSA's. However, if it is a designated NRZ, then they do have to be 150' off the shoreline etc etc.

Woodsy

Motorboats anchored just outside the Leavitt Beach floating swim rope line
 

.....https://m.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1434202839987467 .... has a few different photos which show the 300' long, Lake Winnipesaukee swim area at Leavitt Beach which is owned by the Town of Meredith.

The State of N.H. has a law that prohibits boats from anchoring within 300' of a beach swim line. It is a water safety zone to keep the swim area safe and enjoyable for swimmers and waders out beyond the swim line.

At Leavitt Beach, the water depth is about four feet deep at the outer swim line and people can easily swim or wade out beyond the swim line. The lake bottom is smooth and sandy.

Having motorboats anchored just beyond the swim line there, is similar to parking a car in the middle of a grassy public playground, a place where they DO NOT belong.

If you look closely at the photos in the facebook link, above, you can see how close the motorboats are anchored just beyond the swim line, there.

Thanks, FLL.

I don’t have Facebook so I couldn’t look at the pictures. Has the lake really become so crowded that you’re not even safe in a roped in swim area?

FLL.... Can you point to the specific RSA that mentions 300'? I can find no mention of that distance anywhere! SAF-C 404 sets the requirements for swim lines, but makes no mention of 300' The Handbook also makes no mention of 300'. Some of the photos in that group show boats well within 300' of the swim line. I am pretty sure 300' is wishful thinking on your part.


Woodsy

Moving the Meredith-Leavitt Beach swim rope line to deeper water?
 

Comparing the outer swim rope lines at Leavitt Beach swim area in Meredith, and Weirs Beach swim area in Laconia, Meredith-Leavitt is four foot water depth and Weirs is six to seven foot water depth.

These swim area rope lines serve just like a fence on the water as a way to keep motorboats outside the swim area.

The Meredith-Leavitt swim line set at four foot depth is too shallow. It could be moved further out to six to seven foot depth, similar to Weirs Beach, to better protect and enhance the Meredith swim area from the motorboats.

For example the outer rope line at Ellacoya State Beach in Gilford is set at about six foot water depth.

The rope line at Meredith Leavitt Beach is just too shallow at four feet depth, and it could get moved deeper out to create more space for the swimmers/waders and move the motorboats out from anchoring in the 4-5' shallow water.

What do you think?

I have seen boats literally tie up to the swim line. As FLL has said, people frequently swim out beyond the swim lines because it is so shallow there. I have anchored off the beach but have been about 300 feet from the beach. Not a big deal to be safe and share the area with swimmers.

I did see a rule that prevented actually tieing up to a swim line...

Woodsy

Not a big deal with a competent captain. But people swimming around boats with a distracted captain or who may not know of all the swimmers in the water is quite dangerous

I think certain beaches have long shallows that are more apt to be used like a sandbar would.

I remember Leavitt going out a long way before it became neck deep even when I was a child. I seem to remember a cove or something off to the right beyond the actual beach if you are orientated toward the lake that boaters used to use as a means to protect their crafts from the waves generated by the Mount when it would pass by.
I used to love how the shallow ledge would increase the wave height and allow for a little body surfing.