A good swimming spot?
 

Hello everyone!

I just found this place - great forum you have here!

I bought a new boat last year (20' CC) which will mostly see salt water use. I have a seasonal camp in Warren and I thought it would be great to bring the boat some weekends and make the drive to Winnipesaukee for some family fun - tubing, swimming and cruising.

I'll be getting a chart of course but I wanted to start by asking about a good swimming spot. I know there's a popular sandbar but I'd like a less popular area ;). When visiting boating forums, I'm always seeing pics of boats pulled right up to a beach. Is there any place where that is allowed? (I'm pretty sure that is a no-no but I wanted to ask). Anyway, I don't think my mother in-law really wants to get out of the boat in deep water so I was hoping to find a swimming spot that suits our needs.

Thanks in advance.

See you on the lake!

PS - everyone usually likes pics so I'll share a couple. Here's the new boat:

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3162/...766aaa50_o.jpg

At Salisbury res:

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3073/...c08c4422_b.jpg

my fishing partner and first mate:

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3167/...031b04ea_b.jpg

his first fish in the new boat:

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3215/...fa6e6959_b.jpg

dogfish are a pain but he was happy LOL.

I hope to have some lake boating pics to show in the near future!

First of all I hope that fish didn't come out of the lake! Yikes i avoid the ocean because of fish that look like that. Anyway, great pics. There are many places to anchor and swim off the boat in the beautiful lake. Take your pick. There are many coves and calm areas to go. Most have clear water over 6' deep. I don't really suggest pulling up on beaches or within 20' of shore unless you are knowledgeable of the waters. Your lower unit and hull will become the victim of that. I suggest flying a diver down flag if you do swim off the boat anywhere on the lake, it alerts others that you have people in the water. I'm sure other readers will give their suggestions. I would also read up on the rules and regulations for the lake before you go. Be respectful of others ( loud noise etc.) Keep your distance from the loon sanctuaries and take your trash with you and you will have a great time. Enjoy the experience and more importantly don't forget the camera.

I don't know of any public spots where you can actually beach the boat. There may be one or two spots that are conservation land and are a gray area.

There are several spots where you can anchor in shallow water with a nice sandy bottom. These spots are very popular and crowded, plus some have special rafting and spacing rules. So if you want to try them out, get there early or go on a weekday. And make sure you know the rafting rules (search this forum)

To find the good spots search for sand bars on this forum.

To swim around in shallow water, and also have nice sand to step in, I anchor near Ellacoya State Beach in Gilford. This area isn't obviously too secluded and does get busy on the shore, but you can anchor a long ways past the swim line/boundary and still be in really shallow water (less than 6 feet). Has a nice backdrop with the mountains and like I mentioned above, the ground is sand covered not weedy. Was a bit unsure of anchoring there at first but I have seen plenty of other boats doing it!

Timber Island is an uninhabited primeval, 130 acre forested island, thats a popular spot for anchoring offshore along one of its' desolate sandy bays.

I still say the state missed the boat a few years back when it was up for sale, on the cheap. Now, its some type of conservation island forest that gets studied by forestry students as it hasn't been cut in a hundred years or more .

Every once in a while the long distant, native-resident shows up and get a little antsy about boaters using his Timber Isl secluded beaches, but not too often.

Timber Island - leave nothing but footprints - take nothing except photographs :)!

Patrician Shores
 

You can back up to the beach as close as your outdrive allows, the water is only a few feet deep at the shore. Nice sandy bottom, no rafting zone (which is a good thing, believe it or not). Welcome to the lake!

Before we became islanders, we liked the north end of the lake, look for Blueberry Island and Blackey's Cove. Blueberry is a private uninhabited small island with a sandy bottom on the north side, there is a small beach you can wade in, don't venture on the island, it is private. It fills in fast so get there early.
Blackey's is a nice spot if it is a windy day and a good place to ski or tube.
Have fun, enjoy the summer!

Thank you all so much for the replies!

I have some really nice places to check out now.

I only have one trip on my boat so far and I still need to break in the motor. I'm going to Winnipesaukee on Saturday! A good friend is going with me and he knows the lake so I'm pretty psyched to start learning my way around.

Rocks at Blueberry Island
 

If you try and venture into Blueberry Island. Watch the rocks to the west side as you enter toward the sandy area.

that ,s one sweet looking boat you have there

oops, sorry I didn't mention that, there is a lot of live and learn around the lake, keep the chart handy

Feet wet.
 

Around the lake, you'll see various areas that are roped off with float lines. Owners of water front property are allowed to establish "swimmer safety zones." The water inside these areas is still part of the lake and is still in the public domain. As long as you do not trespass on the land, you may swim in these areas as much as you like.

In other words... Keep your feet wet. If you are wading along the shore line and come to a dock you may get out to the extant neccessary to walk around it or step up and cross the dock. I'd prefer getting out because docks are not always in as good a condition as they look and your wet fet could slip.

Motor boats are excluded from these areas unless they have the owners permission to launch or dock there. The no-wake rules are extended from the shore line to begin at the safety line.

Why are you encouraging someone to get themselves into a possible explosive situation with a waterfront property owner? There are plenty of places to drop anchor and swim and there are also public beaches on the lake. Not cool....

Sometimes just dropping anchor and swimming anywhere within sight of some property owners is enough to be an explosive situation. Try to remain polite while you invite them to jump in the lake with you.;)

Patrician Shores
 

Be careful! There is a very poorly marked rock field in front of patrician shores. To get there- If you're traveling north towards center harbor, stay in the channel and turn west (port/left) just to the south of Farrar point. That will take you north of the rock field.

Agreed, however that's not what Kamper was talking about in his post. This subject like the speed limit has been debated ad nauseam. Let's not flame this fire anymore....

The purpose for the safety zone is to create a safe area for swimming. I'm not encouraging anyone to be rude. I think awareness of what these float lines mean will result in less hostility than more.

I've experienced this on both sides of the water line. When I'm in the water, I smile, mind my own business and keep moving. When I'm on the beach I smile and mind my own business. It's the same as somebody walking down the street. No more, no less.

I used to maintain a good-sized private beach for some friends in Laconia. I found there was less movement and vandalism of the floats after I told nearby boaters it was acceptable for them to 'cross the line.' Some hang-outs get pretty packed and I think it's useful info for folks to know they don't have to restrict themselves to the "anchorages."

Have fun. Be safe. SHARE !!

jcv is new here. He/She may not have seen the other thread(s) and needs to know of all possible explosive situations. Sorry if it touched a nerve.

I don't have swim lines near my beach however if someone is walking across my beach with their feet still "wet" and climbing up onto my dock I'm going to have a problem with that legal or not. This is my last post.

So you see JVC, the lake is a great place but it's not without its controversies and people who have strong emotional issues with a variety of factors. It's a big place though, so if you feel unwelcome in one area, there's plenty of opportunity to find a spot you like and will fit in.

I must say, though I don't like to get involved in too much controvery, I have to agree with Kona, I would not be too happy if suddenly a little parade of boaters started walking along the edge of my propery and walking across my dock. I think it would be very inconsiderate of them. It would certainly make me uncomfortable and I would think it would make them uncomfortable. After all, we do pay a LOT in taxes, we should get some privacy for it.

protect what is left
 

In another thread, there is discussion about how the new shoreline protection act has diminished building. Here, we see the positive side of it. There are many formerly sweet swimming spots that have been wrecked by development over the last 20 years. There are a few spots left. Any pressure to not build there is welcome.

Seriously? Why would that be an issue for you? Is it the wet feet on your dock that is the problem? It's not like they'd be tramping through your living room with wet, muddy feet. We're talking about a dock here. What's the big deal?

While I'm sure it's technically legal to wade along a beach, even inside someones swim lines, I wouldn't do it if people were around. I would feel very rude invading their privacy.

Even if the beach was unoccupied but obviously well used, I would stay away.

Now it may seem inconsistent, but I would have no problem wading along private beaches on undeveloped land. Places like Timber Island, the open stretches of Bear, Blueberry, Ragged and many other open shoreline.

I would never cross someones dock unless it was a real hardship to go around. I can't think of a time when the need to cross came up or would ever come up. I'm not sure how people believe this is OK to do.

I own undeveloped waterfront property (not Winni) and this is how I would expect to be treated.

Why did the chicken cross the dock?
 

To get to the other side.

Sorry that I don't have a better picture to help illustrate this but this satellite shot might help explain my point. The are separate two community docks in this photo. Both communities have expansive beaches and it would be quite easy to walk from one to the other by the shoreline. What you can't see in this photo is one private residence with a smaller dock right on the beach between the two communities. The only other way to get from one community to the other would be via route 25. Are you telling me that you would go around, way out of the way and on a heavily traveled road, in order to go see a friend on the opposite beach?

As long as you are below the high water line it is not only legal but, IMO, reasonable to cross the beach and the dock to get from one place to the other. I wouldn't stop and go for a swim but I wouldn't consider it rude to cross, even if they had a party going on.

I know I wouldn't be comfortable getting on someone's dock anymore than I would appreciate them on mine. The other issues are different, and everyone seems to have issues one way or the other. I'm guessing it depends on either perception, or personal experiences (and I'm guessing neither one is positive?)


While I rarely if ever raft up, I'd do my level best not to do it in front of someone's camp. That's just me maybe, but it seems rude. On the other hand, some seem to think it's just bad, anywhere. Personally, I can keep track of what I consider courteous and responsible behavior more than I can keep track of the official do's and don'ts, or the unofficial ones.

I have no doubt that crossing the beach below the water line is legal, I don't know if crossing a dock is legal or not.

I don't know the area well enough to know if I would cross the beach or dock. I guess it all depends on the situation and the people. My general rule would be to give the landowners the respect that I would expect. I'm sure you use the same judgement.

I do indeed. I just don't consider crossing the beach in front of their property to be disrespectful. To me it would be the equivalent of walking in the street in front of their house. Neither is illegal or disrespectful.

Just ran across this thread
 

Sorry for the late resurrection of the thread, but reading it reminded me of a NYTimes story I read a while back:

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/06/05/fa...s/05beach.html

Appears to be a common theme with owners laying claim to rights they don't have and visitors behaving like boors.

Would be nice if everybody treated Winni like what it is--a shared public resource.