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CanisLupusArctos · 09-15-2007, 01:57 PM

At Black Cat , in the northwestern end of the lake, the waves were running 1 to 1.5 feet all day, with white caps. I photographed a jetskier getting a few inches of air off some of the waves.

The area where the boat went down is about 10 miles southeast of Black Cat, with no obstructions (straight line of sight.) The wind and waves were blowing toward that direction (from the northwest.) In my experience boating the length of the lake in NW winds, the waves around Rattlesnake/The Broads have always been about twice the size of those I found when I got back to Black Cat.

Back in the early 80s, I was out with my family in The Broads where we encountered 4-5 footers coming from the NW. We were in a 17' bowrider and we were terrified - very, very, close to sinking due to water over the bow. Dad had us put the canvas on, ordered life jackets for all adults (we kids already had them) and he somehow managed to straddle the waves rather than point right into them, until we got near shore. We made it home by hugging the shore until we had islands to shelter us from the waves.

I remember a few of those waves were high enough so I couldn't see over their tops. That was frightening.

The lake is similar to Mount Washington in many ways - its weather varies greatly from place to place and is very unpredictable. Wave heights and wind can vary from one square mile to the next - just as on Mt. Washington. When I got into winter climbing I discovered there are some conditions where the wind on Lion's Head (well below the summit) can be a lot stronger than the wind on the summit - who woulda thought? But the same sort of weirdness is true on our lake as well.

The lake is a reflection of that mountain - literally and meteorologically.

I always thought this lake would be a good candidate for a couple of well-placed NOAA Weather Buoys that measure wave height/period. They'd probably do it, if enough citizens (like us) approached the local National Weather Service office and came up with a way to fund them.

One thing the NWS used to do, but doesn't do anymore, was issue a daily recreational marine forecast for the lake. They continue to issue one for the higher summits of the White Mountains (4,000' +) and the Vermont office of the NWS (in Burlington) issues marine forecasts for Lake Champlain that many boaters rely on, but the NWS in Concord discontinued their Winnipesaukee marine forecasts about the same time they relocated in Gray, Maine. Perhaps it's time a bunch of us pester them to start that service back up again.

09-15-2007, 01:57 PM	#154
CanisLupusArctos Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Center Harbor Posts: 1,049 Thanks: 15 Thanked 472 Times in 107 Posts	wave height At Black Cat , in the northwestern end of the lake, the waves were running 1 to 1.5 feet all day, with white caps. I photographed a jetskier getting a few inches of air off some of the waves. The area where the boat went down is about 10 miles southeast of Black Cat, with no obstructions (straight line of sight.) The wind and waves were blowing toward that direction (from the northwest.) In my experience boating the length of the lake in NW winds, the waves around Rattlesnake/The Broads have always been about twice the size of those I found when I got back to Black Cat. Back in the early 80s, I was out with my family in The Broads where we encountered 4-5 footers coming from the NW. We were in a 17' bowrider and we were terrified - very, very, close to sinking due to water over the bow. Dad had us put the canvas on, ordered life jackets for all adults (we kids already had them) and he somehow managed to straddle the waves rather than point right into them, until we got near shore. We made it home by hugging the shore until we had islands to shelter us from the waves. I remember a few of those waves were high enough so I couldn't see over their tops. That was frightening. The lake is similar to Mount Washington in many ways - its weather varies greatly from place to place and is very unpredictable. Wave heights and wind can vary from one square mile to the next - just as on Mt. Washington. When I got into winter climbing I discovered there are some conditions where the wind on Lion's Head (well below the summit) can be a lot stronger than the wind on the summit - who woulda thought? But the same sort of weirdness is true on our lake as well. The lake is a reflection of that mountain - literally and meteorologically. I always thought this lake would be a good candidate for a couple of well-placed NOAA Weather Buoys that measure wave height/period. They'd probably do it, if enough citizens (like us) approached the local National Weather Service office and came up with a way to fund them. One thing the NWS used to do, but doesn't do anymore, was issue a daily recreational marine forecast for the lake. They continue to issue one for the higher summits of the White Mountains (4,000' +) and the Vermont office of the NWS (in Burlington) issues marine forecasts for Lake Champlain that many boaters rely on, but the NWS in Concord discontinued their Winnipesaukee marine forecasts about the same time they relocated in Gray, Maine. Perhaps it's time a bunch of us pester them to start that service back up again.