This year is our forty-fith season at our cottage on East
Bear Island. It is at a location that experiences a lot of "heavy" weather situations. We are somewhat protected from northwest to southwest winds. The worst weather comes from the east to southeast [usually wet] and windy.
We keep our boat at Fay's Boat Yard in Smith Cove in Gilford. Our route to the island is across the open stretch of water between
Locke's Island and
Timber and
Round Islands. This area can be rough at times so we have had to stay at the boat yard on a few occasions [have slept in our car]. Also, we avoid going out on the lake in an electrical storm.
We have stayed on the island on a few occasions when the waves were too large. We wait until the wind calms down [usually in the evening for NW winds] or we leave at dawn the next morning.
Fog is rarely a problem. It usually burns off before mid-morning. We also have compass readings for our route. Last year, my wife and I waited on the mainland until we thought it was okay to go out to the island [partial visibility]. We got lost near
Timber Island, and used the compass to help out. We now have our GPS ready.
Our best advice is to respect the lake. She can change her mood in a heartbeat.
