Spring Debris

Wolfeboro Matt · 05-16-2005, 07:51 PM

So I picked up my boat this weekend (Derby weekend) at Melvin Village and brought it back to Wolfeboro. What a ride! The lake was like a parking lot (well, a slow moving freeway...). No complaints, just an observation.

But, to the point of a recent thread, I picked up a bit of debris on the way back. To the point of that other thread I don't think it was related to the derby, but I'm curious about others' experience. What have people picked up over the years during the spring season? This year, I got a big piece of pink Styrofoam, a plastic bottle, and most notably, a 4 foot by 6 inch piece of drift wood.

What have you found?

Happy boating,

Wolfeboro Matt

islandAl · 05-16-2005, 09:50 PM

This year 6 nicely split pieces of firewood (right after the ice went out), misc branches and trash, cups, plastic bags etc.
Over the years the largest was a almost waterlogged log, about 18" diameter and 25 feet long floating with just one end protruding. Sure boat (maybe worse) killer. Hauled to swamp area and tied off, not to escape again. There have been 4 by 4's and smaller logs, many branches, cans and bottles, and even a dock section.

Lakewinniboater · 05-16-2005, 11:11 PM

Was the deceased dog that we found last year. Must have been caught under the ice.

Frdxplorer · 05-17-2005, 09:15 AM

A few summers ago (July) I had a creepy night out on the lake. We took our little 13' Whaler out at about 11:30 in the evening. As we headed down Winter Harbor to the Broads we came across a sailboard sail. We really didn't have the ability to pick it up so we continued on.

As we did, I was very lucky to catch in my night vision a 4x4 beam of driftwood. Again, this was pretty big for a small whaler.

Finally, as we nearly reached the mouth of the harbor, I again caught something in my nightvision. This time it was a day sailer estimated to be about 10-12'. Just a little more substantial than a sunfish. The creepy part came in that the fog was beginning to set in and the time of night.

I was a little concerned that the day sailer was floating around out there with noone in it and whether anybody might be in trouble. I made a cautious but swift ride home and called the Marine Patrol. I then headed back out to meet him and help him in the search. We both had spotlights but it remained difficult to find the three items. After about an hour long seach, he had managed to drag the driftwood and sail out of the lake and hook the boat up to his tow pole. (he luckily had one of the workhorse Ambar impactable boats.) Needless to say, it was an adventure of a night out there.

SAMIAM · 05-17-2005, 09:53 AM

I sure can't top that story,but I will say that I always get a good supply of kindling from all the scrap wood the the ice fisherman leave behind from shimming and leveling their bobhouses.It washes into my beach with the first west wind at ice out.Too bad i can't burn the beer cans and plastic,as well.

Grant · 05-17-2005, 10:16 AM

I pulled a nice Patagonia Frisbee out from beside our dock. My golden retrievre will appreciate it immensely. That, and the usual giant branches. Other than that, not much. Did see a bunch of limbs, etc., in Melvin and Moultonboro Bays...

Finder · 05-17-2005, 01:29 PM

Against the shore of Cow Island facing Middleground Shoal

ApS · 05-18-2005, 09:37 PM

I mentioned "The Tree" earlier.

It was a forty-foot maple resting on a big iceberg. From what I could see from my boat (back from the edge of a thick ice sheet), it had sunk in a rocky area close to shore.

There was also a leftover three-foot section of oak dock piling, cut at an angle (to sharpen the piling prior to being driven). Shaped like a giant door stop. It was waterlogged, incredibly heavy, and I had to drag it over the gunwhale with effort.

It dried out on the dock, has been split, and some of it has been converted to heat in my wood stove.

Oh yes...I still have that new mooring float that floated by after ice-out. Name it and claim it.

camp guy · 05-26-2005, 11:08 AM

After the ice went out, and the miscellaneous driftwood settled to shore, I found a sign washed up on some rocks in front of my house at the south end of Winter Harbor. This sign is 19 inches left to right, 7 inches top to bottom, and is made from a piece of tongue and groove board, with two screw eyes at the top edge. The name "BARRANCO *" is engraved with a wood burner into the board, and there are initials "JB '84" burned into the back side lower corner. If this is something you lost, please contact me.

parrothead · 05-27-2005, 11:49 AM

One year I almost hit a bob house that was floating. All that I could see was the ridge line of the roof. We've also pulled dock sections, logs, a sail board. The dock section came in handy. We made a small deck in front of our shed with it. It's still there today.

Mee-n-Mac · 05-29-2005, 12:04 PM

We got quite a bit of flotsam blown in this last week. Just yesterday I stopped and picked up 2x8 8' long, a 8" thick piece of styrofoam 2' by mebbe 6' and some rather large branches floating in the water just up from our camp. Also notice that the roof of someones boathouse near the mouth of Alton Bay is now at water level (ie - it blew down this past week).

camp guy · 05-29-2005, 12:49 PM

I posted about a family sign I found and today I had the pleasure or returning it to the owner. The sign was actually made by his son, in 1984, when the son was 13, and now he is a Major in the military. I'm glad this return took place during Memorial Day Weekend. God Bless America.

Resident 2B · 05-29-2005, 09:53 PM

Great stroy and another great use for this outstanding web site!

05-16-2005, 07:51 PM	#1
Wolfeboro Matt Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: middleton, ma and wolfeboro, nh Posts: 85 Thanks: 6 Thanked 3 Times in 2 Posts	Spring Debris So I picked up my boat this weekend (Derby weekend) at Melvin Village and brought it back to Wolfeboro. What a ride! The lake was like a parking lot (well, a slow moving freeway...). No complaints, just an observation. But, to the point of a recent thread, I picked up a bit of debris on the way back. To the point of that other thread I don't think it was related to the derby, but I'm curious about others' experience. What have people picked up over the years during the spring season? This year, I got a big piece of pink Styrofoam, a plastic bottle, and most notably, a 4 foot by 6 inch piece of drift wood. What have you found? Happy boating, Wolfeboro Matt

05-16-2005, 09:50 PM	#2
islandAl Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Mountonboro Posts: 200 Thanks: 12 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	floating danger This year 6 nicely split pieces of firewood (right after the ice went out), misc branches and trash, cups, plastic bags etc. Over the years the largest was a almost waterlogged log, about 18" diameter and 25 feet long floating with just one end protruding. Sure boat (maybe worse) killer. Hauled to swamp area and tied off, not to escape again. There have been 4 by 4's and smaller logs, many branches, cans and bottles, and even a dock section.

05-16-2005, 11:11 PM	#3
Lakewinniboater Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Westford, MA and Alton Bay, NH Posts: 225 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	worse for the pyshcy but not necessarily dangerous Was the deceased dog that we found last year. Must have been caught under the ice.

05-17-2005, 10:16 AM	#6
Grant Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: Pennsyltuckey, Tuftonboro, Moultonborough Posts: 1,510 Thanks: 387 Thanked 234 Times in 128 Posts	Junk I pulled a nice Patagonia Frisbee out from beside our dock. My golden retrievre will appreciate it immensely. That, and the usual giant branches. Other than that, not much. Did see a bunch of limbs, etc., in Melvin and Moultonboro Bays... __________________ "When I die, please don't let my wife sell my dive gear for what I told her I paid for it."

05-17-2005, 01:29 PM	#7
Finder Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Posts: 27 Thanks: 0 Thanked 3 Times in 2 Posts	Swimfloat adrift Against the shore of Cow Island facing Middleground Shoal

05-17-2005, 09:15 AM	#4
Frdxplorer Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: York, PA Posts: 234 Thanks: 2 Thanked 7 Times in 7 Posts	A few summers ago (July) I had a creepy night out on the lake. We took our little 13' Whaler out at about 11:30 in the evening. As we headed down Winter Harbor to the Broads we came across a sailboard sail. We really didn't have the ability to pick it up so we continued on. As we did, I was very lucky to catch in my night vision a 4x4 beam of driftwood. Again, this was pretty big for a small whaler. Finally, as we nearly reached the mouth of the harbor, I again caught something in my nightvision. This time it was a day sailer estimated to be about 10-12'. Just a little more substantial than a sunfish. The creepy part came in that the fog was beginning to set in and the time of night. I was a little concerned that the day sailer was floating around out there with noone in it and whether anybody might be in trouble. I made a cautious but swift ride home and called the Marine Patrol. I then headed back out to meet him and help him in the search. We both had spotlights but it remained difficult to find the three items. After about an hour long seach, he had managed to drag the driftwood and sail out of the lake and hook the boat up to his tow pole. (he luckily had one of the workhorse Ambar impactable boats.) Needless to say, it was an adventure of a night out there.

05-17-2005, 09:53 AM	#5
SAMIAM Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Moultonborough Posts: 2,937 Thanks: 349 Thanked 1,708 Times in 602 Posts	I sure can't top that story,but I will say that I always get a good supply of kindling from all the scrap wood the the ice fisherman leave behind from shimming and leveling their bobhouses.It washes into my beach with the first west wind at ice out.Too bad i can't burn the beer cans and plastic,as well.

05-18-2005, 09:37 PM	#8
ApS Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Florida (Sebring & Keys), Wolfeboro Posts: 6,028 Thanks: 2,285 Thanked 789 Times in 564 Posts	I mentioned "The Tree" earlier. It was a forty-foot maple resting on a big iceberg. From what I could see from my boat (back from the edge of a thick ice sheet), it had sunk in a rocky area close to shore. There was also a leftover three-foot section of oak dock piling, cut at an angle (to sharpen the piling prior to being driven). Shaped like a giant door stop. It was waterlogged, incredibly heavy, and I had to drag it over the gunwhale with effort. It dried out on the dock, has been split, and some of it has been converted to heat in my wood stove. Oh yes...I still have that new mooring float that floated by after ice-out. Name it and claim it. __________________ Is it "Common Sense" isn't. Last edited by ApS; 05-26-2005 at 07:37 AM. Reason: Add mooring

05-26-2005, 11:08 AM	#9
camp guy Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: formerly Winter Harbor, still Wolfeboro Posts: 1,224 Thanks: 317 Thanked 560 Times in 310 Posts	Found/Lost Family ID sign After the ice went out, and the miscellaneous driftwood settled to shore, I found a sign washed up on some rocks in front of my house at the south end of Winter Harbor. This sign is 19 inches left to right, 7 inches top to bottom, and is made from a piece of tongue and groove board, with two screw eyes at the top edge. The name "BARRANCO *" is engraved with a wood burner into the board, and there are initials "JB '84" burned into the back side lower corner. If this is something you lost, please contact me.

05-27-2005, 11:49 AM	#10
parrothead Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Merrimack, NH Posts: 132 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Debris One year I almost hit a bob house that was floating. All that I could see was the ridge line of the roof. We've also pulled dock sections, logs, a sail board. The dock section came in handy. We made a small deck in front of our shed with it. It's still there today. __________________ If we couldn't laugh we would all go insane

05-29-2005, 12:04 PM	#11
Mee-n-Mac Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2003 Posts: 1,943 Thanks: 23 Thanked 111 Times in 51 Posts	Nor'easter debris We got quite a bit of flotsam blown in this last week. Just yesterday I stopped and picked up 2x8 8' long, a 8" thick piece of styrofoam 2' by mebbe 6' and some rather large branches floating in the water just up from our camp. Also notice that the roof of someones boathouse near the mouth of Alton Bay is now at water level (ie - it blew down this past week). __________________ Mee'n'Mac "Never attribute to malice that which can be explained by simple stupidity or ignorance. The latter are a lot more common than the former." - RAH Last edited by Mee-n-Mac; 05-29-2005 at 12:17 PM.

05-29-2005, 12:49 PM	#12
camp guy Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: formerly Winter Harbor, still Wolfeboro Posts: 1,224 Thanks: 317 Thanked 560 Times in 310 Posts	Found/lost family sign I posted about a family sign I found and today I had the pleasure or returning it to the owner. The sign was actually made by his son, in 1984, when the son was 13, and now he is a Major in the military. I'm glad this return took place during Memorial Day Weekend. God Bless America.

05-29-2005, 09:53 PM	#13
Resident 2B Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: North Shore, MA Posts: 1,358 Thanks: 996 Thanked 314 Times in 164 Posts	Great stroy and another great use for this outstanding web site!