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Old 08-15-2022, 12:16 PM   #1
XCR-700
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Unhappy Saturday Boating on Winnipesaukee

So this past Saturday I broke my multi-year rule about not boating on Winnipesaukee on Saturdays and though it quickly reminded my why I dont boat on Saturdays, I did manage to survive it by being off the water by noon ;-)

One interesting observation is that a lot of the pontoon boats are rentals! Saw several being checked out at the marinas on the bay side of the Weirs bridge.

One poor guy knew so little about the boat he was renting that he started the outboard while the engine was tilted all the way up... That was a bit troubling. I believe the young person checking him out had tilled the motor to shown them the prop clean/undamaged, and had not yet instructed them to tilt it down before the renter started it. Fortunately the marina staff was right there and had them tilt it down quickly.

It was very clear most of the renters had little experience in boats, and several of the younger ones were eager to just get on the throttle hard.

Its a challenging situation, as many visitors to the area want to get out on the lake and some want to experience operating a boat to see if its for them. The problem is Winnipesaukee is so busy on a Saturday its not the best day to be a first time boater. I think more marinas should offer drivers at a modest cost or in combination with a reduced boat rental cost. Maybe then let the renter do some test driving where its reasonable to do so, but ensuring everyone is safe and having the best time they can have on the water. Well its just a thought,,,

I will now revert back to no boating on Saturdays, just better to be out of the way and not contributing to the madness.
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