Memorial Weekend Boat Traffic Down???

This'nThat · 05-25-2009, 09:00 PM

I know the weather wasn't the greatest. Windy on Monday; cool with morning showers on Sunday; cool on Saturday; hot and cold on Friday. But even with those conditions, did anyone notice boat traffic way, way down? I went out a couple of times, and if I was offered $10,000 for every boat I saw, I'd still be a poor man. Was it the weather? The economy? Can't be gas prices -- they were way down from last year. Or maybe I need glasses? But IMO, what a dismal start to the boating year.

KonaChick · 05-25-2009, 10:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by This'nThat

I know the weather wasn't the greatest. Windy on Monday; cool with morning showers on Sunday; cool on Saturday; hot and cold on Friday. But even with those conditions, did anyone notice boat traffic way, way down? I went out a couple of times, and if I was offered $10,000 for every boat I saw, I'd still be a poor man. Was it the weather? The economy? Can't be gas prices -- they were way down from last year. Or maybe I need glasses? But IMO, what a dismal start to the boating year.

Too funny! I was just saying to my husband that I thought boat traffic was fairly high for this early in the season. We sat on our deck yesterday afternoon observing all the boats and I was thinking it was a pretty good turn on for Memorial Day. Two totally different perceptions here

)

RumGuy · 05-25-2009, 10:22 PM

I had noticed the same. Although we were cleaning up the house and yard, we noticed a definite lack of boat traffic. We also noticed how dark the opposite shoreline was on Sunday night.

The good news was that the car traffic for the dreaded trip home was not bad....

jst_4_kiks · 05-25-2009, 10:38 PM

i think there was a fair amount of boats out this weekend. i can only say that due to my experience from working at the yacht club valeting all the boats in and out the past four days. took out around 40 boats or so today alone

Lakegeezer · 05-26-2009, 06:05 AM

My impression is there was a lot of traffic for how windy it was. It was interesting to judge how well different types of boats took the white caps and rollers as they returned north.

Phantom · 05-26-2009, 07:29 AM

Traffic was DEFINATELY down -- I have to agree with This'nThat.

We were fortunate to be able to come up and be on the Lake starting Wednesday nite. With Thursday & Friday being obviously 5 star rated days oddly there was more boating traffic on Friday mid day than there was the entire week-end. Albiet Monday afternoon got extremely wind choppy.

This seemed to reflect in the car traffic as well --- anticipating a typical "Holiday week-end" ride home, we left the Lake mid/latter afternoon and were shocked

at the lack of traffic on both Rte 11 to Tilton and subsequently South on 93

Audiofn · 05-26-2009, 07:38 AM

Traffic was down up in Maine on the lakes but the river that I live on seemed bussy for this time of the year. So I would assume that most of it was people staying out of the snotty lake water. There was still no shortage of people doing stupid things!

Rattlesnake Gal · 05-26-2009, 07:55 AM

Out on The Broads it was on and off again. Somewhat quiet on Friday evening and it was very quiet on Saturday until the sun showed it's face, though it was still pretty quiet. Sunday after the rain shower there were a lot of boaters. Yesterday there were quite a few out and surprisingly there were still a lot around after the wind picked up. I was happy we were going with the wind upon exiting the lake.

cowisl · 05-26-2009, 10:23 AM

From our viewpoint on Cow which overlooks the broads, traffic was way down. We took a ride to the Weirs on Sunday afternoon and it was quiet over there as well.

jetskier · 05-26-2009, 10:35 AM

I put the jetski in on Sunday and decided to take a ride with my daughter. We stopped at Lakeport Landing for some gas and I asked the attendant whether they had been busy. He indicated that the traffic was off for a normal memorial day weekend.

We then took a ride out through the channel and the boat traffic was quite light considering. The NASWA was reasonably crowded from the look of things, but I have seen it much more crowded in the past.

Personally, I think that this is partially the economy and partially the weather. Sunday was rainy and threatening in the morning and then it became sunny/nice. Monday was very windy.

Jetskier

VtSteve · 05-26-2009, 11:01 AM

Extremely quiet in Vermont as well. The only traffic was for Sunday's marathon. After that, it was desolate. The lake was practically barren all weekend. I must have seen a dozen boats in the open waters all day. Granted, the weather was iffy, and with the wind and 43 degree water, not many takers.

Last year's boat traffic was definitely down due to the tremendous increases in gas combined with the economy. This year's economy is far more painful than last year's gas prices.

Probably best to wait and see what June brings. It's hard to judge anything with these types of weather patterns.

LIforrelaxin · 05-26-2009, 11:28 AM

First I agree with most people here, the boat traffic was way down. Now when I say that I look back at the last 20+ years of comming up to the lake. It is definately down from the peak. However I feel that it probably wasn't that much different then last year.

Having said that.... I also noticed as I drove through Center Harbor on my way south this weekend, the the perfered properties sign stated said something to the tune of Rental Insenatives, or some such thing..... indicating to me that the Rental bussiness might be having a big down turn.

All in all given the economy we are currently experiencing, I am not surprised......

tis · 05-26-2009, 11:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rattlesnake Gal

Out on The Broads it was on and off again. Somewhat quiet on Friday evening and it was very quiet on Saturday until the sun showed it's face, though it was still pretty quiet. Sunday after the rain shower there were a lot of boaters. Yesterday there were quite a few out and surprisingly there were still a lot around after the wind picked up. I was happy we were going with the wind upon exiting the lake.

I totally agree with that. When we were off Rattlesnake both Sun afternoon after the "sun showed it's face" and Mon. afternoon, there were a lot of boats out there. I was surprised it was so busy on Monday because it was quite windy.

Excalibur · 05-26-2009, 11:51 AM

The family took a cruise along the bay for the sunset. It was a great night out light boat traffic, plenty of spaces at the town docks. On the way out of the Meredith Bay back to Gilford around 8:30 PM. I noticed a marine patrol drifting or anchored closer to shore. I was doing 22 on the GPS and throwing quite a big wake with my tabs all the way down to keep the old boat on plane. I am not sure if he had radar or lidar on, but it looked like a good spot for a speed trap.

Sman · 05-26-2009, 02:39 PM

I agree with the noticably busier after the sun showed up on sunday observations. also real busy over towards the weirs on Monday prior to the wind really blowing up, maybe about 11:00am.

Like always, all mornings were quiet, cooler to be out but no waves, used to think that was just a well kept secret, but I just don't think people can or want to get going earlier so I figure no danger in posting it, had my toddler out for a cruise at 6 am monday morning and I was looking around as she was driving and I did not see any boats.

John A. Birdsall · 05-26-2009, 03:13 PM

I noticed what I thought was a lot of small boat traffic. I only saw one cigerette boat out. I did witness a stupid jet ski boat. Dosen't understand the 150' rule, and worse when he seen me he aimed his boat at me and gunned it. What is worse he had a kid perhaps 10 years old sitting in front of him. What is it gonna take to make them learn?

corollaman · 05-26-2009, 03:22 PM

Even though the weather wasn't really all that great, there were a fair amount of boats on Paugus Bay. My neighbor had his boat out all afternoon yesterday. It's still early, and you'll see more boats as the weather gets a bit warmer. I don't believe the economy has a real great effect on boating because most of the big boats and boats in general are owned by wealthy people, and they'll always have money to run the boat. My friend is a boat mechanic, and he's been right out straight putting boats in the water. I'd imagine if people couldn't afford to run them this year, they wouldn't even bother putting them in.

BroadHopper · 05-26-2009, 03:45 PM

Usually spend Memorial Day weekend on Winni. This year I was invited to the CocaCola 600 at Lowes Motorspeedway in NC. I was boating on Lake Norman and it is quite an experience compared to our lake. This lake appears overcrowded in comparision. It also makes me glad we have the 150 feet rule. I've been sprayed a few time by passing boats.

OCDACTIVE · 05-26-2009, 04:01 PM

I also was fortunate to head up early Thursday. Beautiful weather Thursday and most of Friday. However there was no one out there. Literally on Friday I went from one end of the broads to the other around noon and I saw 2 boats, and one was a barge!!! Saturday was very slow due to the weather, and Sunday morning the same. However when the sun showed its face on Sunday afternoon every yahoo and their brother was out there.

Not going down the wrong road here but seriously...... If this weekend is a glmpse of things to come...not good. I couldn't believe it. Right in the middle of a very congested channel are 2 kayakers paddling perpedicular to the traffic. What a mess it caused. Then coming in from the broads into the barbers pole, for those of you who don't know the area, there are two markers a red and black. Plenty of room for a boat to enter and another exit at speed. There was a party boat with down riggers and outriggers, again perpendicular to traffic causing everyone to come to a hault and figure out what this guy was doing and where to go without cutting their lines. Then in another channel 2 jet skiers criss crossing back and forth, the stopping abruptly, not even looking at the line of boats coming on and off plain due to their actions.

Anyway.. I had enough and docked her for the rest of the weekend.

With that said... Great time on Thursday and Friday though!!!

PS.. I think traffic was down only due to the incliment weather. Once the sun hit it was crazy as usual.

hazelnut · 05-26-2009, 05:13 PM

On that note:

Twice..... TWICE this past weekend I saw Marine Patrol engaging in what I consider rude, inconsiderate boating practices. Once in the Barbers Pole area and the other time in the 6 pack/mini-graveyard off of Long Island.

Both times the officers, (different boat and officer each time) were cruising at no wake speed RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE CHANNEL. Making it impossible for anyone to pass above headway speed. Now I am all for relaxing and taking it slow but this is downright rude boating. It borders on entrapment IMHO. As if they were daring boaters to pass them. Both times I offered the obligatory shrug of the shoulders and shake of the head.

Seriously though consideration goes a long way in both directions. I would never ever ever take up the middle of the channel at no wake speed and I can only imagine Marine Patrol would probably pull someone over for pulling a stunt like that. Not that they would have grounds to but they'd probably give someone a stern lecture for it.

Other than that Sunday afternoon was amazing! The front line pulled through in time for a fantastic afternoon. We had just finished picnicking in Salmon Meadow cove (in a rainstorm). We cruised (covers on) all the way to the Weirs and Meredith and it was as if the rain never happened. Docks full 6-7 boats waiting. It really turned into a nice afternoon.

Weekend Pundit · 05-26-2009, 09:23 PM

While I was only out on the lake on Monday, it seemed to me traffic was down as compared to some previous years. One telling point: there are still a lot of slips available for rent. Usually by now slips are hard to find, but not this year.

VtSteve · 05-26-2009, 10:25 PM

SNAFU Kayaks and fisherman traveling across channels.

I heard about some marinas giving snarky comments and letters to people about getting their slips early.

rick35 · 05-26-2009, 11:28 PM

On a couple of occasions last year I thought the MPs were putting themselves into situations that would result in my need to drop to headway speed. There's no reason for them to go out of their way to do this. There are plenty of offenders out there that they shouldn't have to create one.

After dinner at the Lyon's Den this past Sunday night we left the dock and headed toward the red blinker where the MP had pulled over a sailboat. My wife wanted me to go left behind Lockes to avoid him but I was going headway and stayed far enough away plus I wanted to see what was going on. I almost expected to be stopped.

Blue Thunder · 05-27-2009, 05:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Audiofn

Traffic was down up in Maine on the lakes but the river that I live on seemed bussy for this time of the year. So I would assume that most of it was people staying out of the snotty lake water. There was still no shortage of people doing stupid things!

Would that be the Crooked or Songo?

chipj29 · 05-27-2009, 07:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rick35

On a couple of occasions last year I thought the MPs were putting themselves into situations that would result in my need to drop to headway speed. There's no reason for them to go out of their way to do this. There are plenty of offenders out there that they shouldn't have to create one.

After dinner at the Lyon's Den this past Sunday night we left the dock and headed toward the red blinker where the MP had pulled over a sailboat. My wife wanted me to go left behind Lockes to avoid him but I was going headway and stayed far enough away plus I wanted to see what was going on. I almost expected to be stopped.

I have seen them do the same thing. Entrapment? Not sure, but it sure seemed like they were trying to give themselves a reason to pull me over.

OCDACTIVE · 05-27-2009, 07:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by VtSteve

SNAFU Kayaks and fisherman traveling across channels.

I heard about some marinas giving snarky comments and letters to people about getting their slips early.

I mean really. I also Kayak.. I think it is very fun to do. You are able to get into coves and inlets that would just be impossible with a normal boat. Great for explorering. However I would never think of cutting across the channel where it is the only way for the power boats to go. 1. it is totally inconsiderate 2. it is just plain dangerous. Some people just don't think. Even if you need to cut across wait until traffic lightens up. Or if you need to go the same way stay outside the markers where the boats can not travel!.. You are drafting what 1 inch maybe 2 inches of water... You don't need to worry about hitting anything.

Anyway just my 2 cents.. It gets beyond frustrating. Then the same people will complain that they are scared to kayak on the big bad lake due to the power boats. Plenty of room for everyone. Just use your heads.

VTSteve.. What do you mean about getting to your slips early? letters? sorry didn't follow.

VtSteve · 05-27-2009, 08:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by OCDACTIVE

I mean really. I also Kayak.. I think it is very fun to do. You are able to get into coves and inlets that would just be impossible with a normal boat. Great for explorering. However I would never think of cutting across the channel where it is the only way for the power boats to go. 1. it is totally inconsiderate 2. it is just plain dangerous. Some people just don't think. Even if you need to cut across wait until traffic lightens up. Or if you need to go the same way stay outside the markers where the boats can not travel!.. You are drafting what 1 inch maybe 2 inches of water... You don't need to worry about hitting anything.

Anyway just my 2 cents.. It gets beyond frustrating. Then the same people will complain that they are scared to kayak on the big bad lake due to the power boats. Plenty of room for everyone. Just use your heads.

VTSteve.. What do you mean about getting to your slips early? letters? sorry didn't follow.

Kayaks are a blast. But as you say, there are far too many nowadays that either lack the common sense or common courtesy to use them properly. People have been kayaking on lakes for many decades. The past few years it's become one of those "in" things, and with that, you can get an entirely different group of people. I'd never think of doing what some of these folks do out there. Unfortunately, some actually do it on purpose. Sort of an In Your Face gesture.

There is plenty of room out there for everyone.

As for the slips, I was referring to another poster's statement that there seem to be plenty of slips still available. Not quite the outcome some places expected. It was stated on another thread that some marinas had sent out letters about advance payments and the like. I imagine any future letters might be worded differently.

Audiofn · 05-27-2009, 10:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Blue Thunder

Would that be the Crooked or Songo?

Songo River I am on the Brandy Pond side of the locks.

Blue Thunder · 05-28-2009, 05:38 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Audiofn

Songo River I am on the Brandy Pond side of the locks.

I am on the west side of Frye facing what they call Big Bay. I make the trip up and through the locks once or twice a year. There was quite a bit of boat traffic Sunday afternoon and Monday morning until the wind came up and chased everyone off the lake.

BT

This'nThat · 05-30-2009, 08:32 PM

Traffic was wayyyyyyy down today, also. Temp in the 70's. No waves on the Broads at 1:00pm. No boats anywhere! No boats, either, at 6:00pm, and the water was only a little more choppy. Beautiful day.

Something's going on. Two weekends in a row can't be just a fluke. How many summer weekends are there? And two of them with no boats on the water? Wow.

BroadHopper · 05-30-2009, 10:56 PM

That make me not boat on weekends are the Bonehead skippers. I'd rather boat during the week when they don't seem to be out there.

Gas prices do have an effect on my boating. I am cutting down on the amount of cruising I do on the lake. I would be anchoring/rafting more and staying at ports more.

kjbathe · 05-31-2009, 07:43 PM

Maybe it's because we've had the lake to ourselves since Mid-April that I thought Memorial Day weekend was busier than usual (when the sun was out). I was surprised by the traffic on Monday given the windy conditions, but what really caught my attention was how many larger cruisers and performance boats were out there -- on plane. I guess that's the difference between fuel prices this year and last.

But if traffic was indeed way way down, I'm all for it...

KonaChick · 05-31-2009, 10:38 PM

We picked up our boat at Shep's yesterday and they guy there told us that 40% of the boats were still in storage. High number for this time of year he said.

This'nThat · 06-01-2009, 06:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KonaChick

We picked up our boat at Shep's yesterday and they guy there told us that 40% of the boats were still in storage. High number for this time of year he said.

Here's an April 2009 story from the NYT regarding abandoned boats in the S.E. “Our waters have become dumping grounds,” said Maj. Paul R. Ouellette of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. “It’s got to the point where something has to be done.”

Hope the boats "in storage" are simply late -- and not abandoned!

Audiofn · 06-01-2009, 06:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by This'nThat

Here's an April 2009 story from the NYT regarding abandoned boats in the S.E. “Our waters have become dumping grounds,” said Maj. Paul R. Ouellette of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. “It’s got to the point where something has to be done.”

Hope the boats "in storage" are simply late -- and not abandoned!

I just got a boat a few weeks back that was a pay the storage bill deal. The former owner just did not have the money and gave the boat over to the yard. The yard that I got it from just got back 7 or 8 letters from other owners that were basically telling them the same thing! This was not a huge yard either. Price of fuel is back on the rise and the economy is still in the dumps. I think this is going to be the theam for the summer.

Excalibur · 06-01-2009, 11:51 AM

I noticed very light traffic on the lake and on the highway for two straight weekends. The weather was not to bad just a few passing showers both days.

It was strange not seeing a backup or even a slight slow down at the toll booth. Also the traffic pattern was lighter then the winter skiers traffic.
But I am not complaining, just wondering how long it will last.

tis · 06-01-2009, 12:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by This'nThat

Here's an April 2009 story from the NYT regarding abandoned boats in the S.E. “Our waters have become dumping grounds,” said Maj. Paul R. Ouellette of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. “It’s got to the point where something has to be done.”

Hope the boats "in storage" are simply late -- and not abandoned!

Very interesting article. I hadn't thought of that but of course just as people can't afford their houses, they can't afford their boats! It could happen to RVs and autos, all kinds of things. The insurance scheme thing is a shame. The rates for the rest of us are high enough, this kind of thing will make them worse.

fatlazyless · 06-01-2009, 04:29 PM

I was a little surprised to see two kayaks out in the middle of the area between south Bear Island and Governor's Island on Saturday at about 1pm. In the past, that would have been prime time for the usual Winnipesaukee 'day at the races' what with boaters driving Indy 500 style. But not on this weekend's sunny Saturday....it's way too early to say...but it seems like the motor boat volume is down.

fatlazyless · 06-04-2009, 07:42 AM

It's not just for Memorial Day weekend that this here Lake Winnipesaukee is seeing a lot less boating traffic. For the past few days it has been very very quiet......very few boats out there.

Yesterday, in the middle of the day, an MP boat was sitting in the middle of the buoy 3 passage for about 30 minutes, and not even one single boat passed through.

I read in the NY Times where President Obama was talking about the Winnipesaukee boating void, and how he was thinking about chopping the big lake into 50 little lakes and redistributing each piece to 50 different urban areas, one per state. Now, that kinda makes sense now don't it, seeing as nobody seems to be using Lake Winnipesaukee any more, least not for boating.

This'nThat · 06-04-2009, 10:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fatlazyless

It's not just for Memorial Day weekend that this here Lake Winnipesaukee is seeing a lot less boating traffic. For the past few days it has been very very quiet......very few boats out there.

Here's the Weir's cam shot just before noon today (Thursday). FL is correct -- it's like this all over the lake, and has been all summer so far.
___________
Updated to include additional image

VtSteve · 06-04-2009, 12:07 PM

Over here, it's pretty much like that all the time. Nobody's really gotten into the weather thing yet. Number one, this is not summer. This has been the first decent week in many, and many weekends have been cool and wet. Combine that with the wind and various storms and you have a pretty deserted place.

People are also saving money if they can, with many people having to endure hob losses and the like. It's not surprising at all to see Winni deserted on a Thursday, weekdays were always fairly space, especially so when the water is cold and the weather feels like October. It's generally pretty relaxing on the lake weekdays, except in the peak vacation months. There are some that would prefer the lake to always be free of boats, excepting their own boat of course.

ApS · 06-04-2009, 06:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by This'nThat

"...did anyone notice boat traffic way, way down...?"

Quote:

Originally Posted by Phantom

"...Traffic was DEFINITELY down..."

Down boating traffic needs to be compared to something familiar, and the memory of last year's 2008 Memorial Day is too distant.

What was the weather for 2008's Memorial Day Weekend?

How different were the gas prices? All over the map for both years.
What effect was the certification requirement having on out of state visitors?
What toll was certification taking on Winnipesaukee's wealthiest boating demographic?

(Older, and presumably wealthier, boaters were among the last to take the certification exam. And what could possibly be the least-convenient episode in the history of New Hampshire's certification exams? The new mandatory requirement to physically attend a classroom!

If the weather is sunny for tomorrow and Sunday, the following is where the best possible comparison can be made between the two weekends.

This thread from exactly one year ago can be used as a tape measure:

http://www.winnipesaukee.com/forums/...ad.php?p=72182

(That weekend was sunny, and hopefully ours will be, too).

From that thread, one quote in particular suggests that on Moultonborough Bay, Saturday, could be a great place to document the boat traffic:

Quote:

"I am looking out over Moultonboro bay on a beautiful Sat evening and there are no boats to be seen... astounding"

Only the weather can interfere with the results of this comparison, right?

Well...

***unless Forumites are all boating over to Moultonborough Bay this Saturday evening to see for themselves!

ETA:
The one-year-anniversary baseline was Saturday: I looked out to see a crowded lake being evacuated at 4:30 PM for heading home or to dinner.

That explains why Moultonborough Bay was empty (one year ago exactly) the last time we discussed boat traffic!

OCDACTIVE · 06-15-2009, 07:20 AM

Wow ... we are well past memorial day and whether it be the weather, economy, limits........ Or a combination, I personally am finding the boat traffic way down. I was out on Fri and Sat. both great boating days and there wasn't much going on. I didn't make it over to the Weirs where I figured most traffic would be, being the beginning of Motorcycle week, but everywhere else seemed very slow.

neckdweller · 06-15-2009, 07:38 AM

My very unscientific sampling over the years says that bike weekend (now two, kind of) is typically slow for boat traffic. If people are going to stay home, they choose one or both of these weekends presumably to avoid the nightmare of all the bikes.

Another factor this year is that schools are getting out later due to the ice storm and snow days. My kids should have been done Friday but they're extended out another week and a half. With that extension comes more baseball games, softball games, lacrosse games, etc. taking up the Saturdays and Sundays.

I expect it to be quite busy up there the week of 6/29 leading up to the July 4th weekend. Having the 3rd on a Friday will give a lot of people an excuse to use some vacation time.

VtSteve · 06-15-2009, 06:24 PM

We're heading down to Florida the Thursday before July 4th, to avoid the loud boats and the crowds

Resident 2B · 06-15-2009, 07:56 PM

I spent the majority of the day last Friday on the lake. Started at the Weirs, to Meredith, to Center Harbor, back down to Bear Island, over to the Hole-in-the-Wall, then the Graveyard over to Melvin Village. We then headed south back through the Graveyard, past the Barber's Pole area for a run out on the broads. From there it was past the Witches, back to the Weirs, through the Weirs channel and down around Paugus, then back again to Weirs. I saw maybe ten boats on the water in the 4 hours of poking around.

The weather was very good from 11 AM onward.

Very low traffic for this time of the year, in my opinion.

R2B

ApS · 06-16-2009, 02:31 PM

Got back at 2-PM from a 4-hour sail*** in The Broads.

Except for "The Mount" silently approaching me from dead astern

, while navigating a clockwise route around the lake

, I never saw more than 2 other boats at any time.

(Not counting barges).

***Wanted a 3-hour sail, but the wind was very variable.

.
.
.

ETA, 1.0:
1) It's not typically busy on the lake during a June weekday. The Saturday following, however, there were at least ten boats in sight at one time. (For a 500%-increase in traffic as opposed to a weekday—this was between 10AM-1PM.)

2) Certification is a factor, especially as the wealthiest demographic was the last to require, and attend, certification classes.

3) I expect the National economy to collapse in the long term, but even a short recovery is possible on the lake for the next few years.

ETA, 2.0
June 26th, Friday, update:

Extreme weather is moving in late today but this morning was another sunny June day for boating, and saw about six-to-eight boats at any one time. That's about 400% more boat traffic than on the 16th, a comparable weekday for sunny boating. Because it's a Friday, more boats (than the usual weekday) could be expected.

ETA, 3.0
July 7th, Monday, update:

Saturday and Sunday were too hectic for my accustomed style of boating, but by Noon on Monday, I counted 16 boats within view (at any one time) on my usual stretch of The Broads. (800% increase over June 16th).

ETA, 4.0
July 12th, Sunday, ongoing update:

At Noon, I counted 28 sailboats and a fewer number of powerboats (12 ?) on my usual stretch of The Broads. Is that a 2000% increase over the 16th? :huh:

Good wind, sun, and puffy clouds, again, BTW.

ETA 5.0
July 29, Thursday, ongoing update:

By Noon I'd seen four sailboats (and, at most, 13 powerboats) at one time in the same location.

Only problem was Cap'n B who, with a boatfull, came within 50' of my boat off Ayer's Point marker—then waved!

Nearly calm, hazy sun, few clouds.

OCDACTIVE · 06-17-2009, 06:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Resident 2B

The weather was very good from 11 AM onward.

Very low traffic for this time of the year, in my opinion.

R2B

I agree.. Even when the weather was good it seems very slow. There are some small congestion points Eagle Island, Ambrose Cove Channel etc. But those always seem to have boats there. Otherwise very slow overall.

Going up this weekend, but due to the weather may not even put the boat in.

Where is summer????

fatlazyless · 06-17-2009, 07:07 AM

Where is summer? Summer is here today! Today is the day, June 17, that summer arrived, and there are a total of zero boats right now, that I can see or hear from buoy 3. ....times a-wast'n....gotta go be paint'n.........oops...there's one boat....a 14'er tiller handle w/ two on board....

!

VtSteve · 06-17-2009, 09:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Acres per Second

Got back at 2-PM from a 4-hour sail*** in The Broads.

Except for "The Mount" silently approaching me from dead astern

, while navigating a clockwise route around the lake

, I never saw more than 2 other boats at any time.

(Not counting barges).

***Wanted a 3-hour sail, but the wind was very variable.

.
.
.

How does that compare to one year ago yesterday? Is it typically busy during a Tuesday afternoon in June? Do you think the certification process has slowed down the influx of out of state boaters? Perhaps the weather's been just a little bit testy of late and people are holding off. Gas prices have risen, and the economy is still bad.

This'nThat · 06-17-2009, 10:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by OCDACTIVE

Wow ... we are well past memorial day and whether it be the weather, economy, limits........ Or a combination, I personally am finding the boat traffic way down. I was out on Fri and Sat. both great boating days and there wasn't much going on. I didn't make it over to the Weirs where I figured most traffic would be, being the beginning of Motorcycle week, but everywhere else seemed very slow.

Same here. The only busy spot on Saturday was at Weirs. Everywhere else -- traffic way down. How much? Don't know -- I don't have those measurements. All I know is from personal experience -- the weekend traffic should have been much heavier than it was.

ILoveWinnipesaukee · 06-17-2009, 10:33 AM

I wonder if the slow traffic issue has to do with the fact that many area schools at least here in Massachusetts are not even out of school yet. Most I know of have had to extend the school year because of the December ice storm, and most of the people who come up to the lake for vacation have to wait for the kids to get out of school.

Plus with the weather the way it has been, no one has wanted to go boating in 50 degree rainy weather.

Mee-n-Mac · 06-17-2009, 11:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ILoveWinnipesaukee

I wonder if the slow traffic issue has to do with the fact that many area schools at least here in Massachusetts are not even out of school yet. Most I know of have had to extend the school year because of the December ice storm, and most of the people who come up to the lake for vacation have to wait for the kids to get out of school.

Plus with the weather the way it has been, no one has wanted to go boating in 50 degree rainy weather.

It was that way last year IIRC. I noted a lot of boats out and about the very first hot weekend after ice out. Thereafter it's been pretty slow except for last Sat, when I thought there were more boats that I'd have expected given the weather. The real test comes after school's out. July 4 falls on a weekend and that'll be telling.

So it's a combination of bad weather, bad economy, late school year, gas prices ..... and swine flu. This year everything get's blamed on swine flu. Global warming ... baaah .... that's so last year.

LIforrelaxin · 06-17-2009, 11:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hazelnut

On that note:

Twice..... TWICE this past weekend I saw Marine Patrol engaging in what I consider rude, inconsiderate boating practices. Once in the Barbers Pole area and the other time in the 6 pack/mini-graveyard off of Long Island.

Both times the officers, (different boat and officer each time) were cruising at no wake speed RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE CHANNEL. Making it impossible for anyone to pass above headway speed. Now I am all for relaxing and taking it slow but this is downright rude boating. It borders on entrapment IMHO. As if they were daring boaters to pass them. Both times I offered the obligatory shrug of the shoulders and shake of the head.

Seriously though consideration goes a long way in both directions. I would never ever ever take up the middle of the channel at no wake speed and I can only imagine Marine Patrol would probably pull someone over for pulling a stunt like that. Not that they would have grounds to but they'd probably give someone a stern lecture for it.

Other than that Sunday afternoon was amazing! The front line pulled through in time for a fantastic afternoon. We had just finished picnicking in Salmon Meadow cove (in a rainstorm). We cruised (covers on) all the way to the Weirs and Meredith and it was as if the rain never happened. Docks full 6-7 boats waiting. It really turned into a nice afternoon.

Here is the thing, was the marine Patrol boat, the only boat in the six pack at the time you witnessed him going down the middle??? I wouldn't be surprised by the fact that he was.... I live over in that area, and everyone including the MP comes right down the middle of the six pack if no one else is around.... Its only when there are other boats in the channel that you need to scoot off to the sides...... Oh and by the way if two boats are in the six pack, it is very quesitonable as to weather they are 150 feet from each other.... so they should just be at headway speed.....

hazelnut · 06-17-2009, 12:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LIforrelaxin

Here is the thing, was the marine Patrol boat, the only boat in the six pack at the time you witnessed him going down the middle??? I wouldn't be surprised by the fact that he was.... I live over in that area, and everyone including the MP comes right down the middle of the six pack if no one else is around.... Its only when there are other boats in the channel that you need to scoot off to the sides...... Oh and by the way if two boats are in the six pack, it is very quesitonable as to weather they are 150 feet from each other.... so they should just be at headway speed.....

He was in fact the only boat on a day with very limited boat traffic.

Also, one day about 2-3 years ago I actually had the opportunity to ask a Marine Patrol officer the very question you raised. I was curious as I go through that area quite often. I asked if two boats could legally pass above headway speed through the 6 pack. He replied yes that they could provided both vessels were "hugging the markers." He gauged the channel to be greater than 300 feet across. Just barely I'm sure. So if you're passing the Mount

You better come off plane. A traditional 8- 8.5 foot beam would be the key to passing legally. Any more than that it becomes a close call.

05-25-2009, 09:00 PM	#1
This'nThat Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2006 Posts: 534 Thanks: 19 Thanked 134 Times in 61 Posts	Memorial Weekend Boat Traffic Down??? I know the weather wasn't the greatest. Windy on Monday; cool with morning showers on Sunday; cool on Saturday; hot and cold on Friday. But even with those conditions, did anyone notice boat traffic way, way down? I went out a couple of times, and if I was offered $10,000 for every boat I saw, I'd still be a poor man. Was it the weather? The economy? Can't be gas prices -- they were way down from last year. Or maybe I need glasses? But IMO, what a dismal start to the boating year.

05-25-2009, 10:22 PM	#3
RumGuy Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Cape Cod / W.Alton Posts: 76 Thanks: 4 Thanked 9 Times in 5 Posts	Traffic I had noticed the same. Although we were cleaning up the house and yard, we noticed a definite lack of boat traffic. We also noticed how dark the opposite shoreline was on Sunday night. The good news was that the car traffic for the dreaded trip home was not bad....

05-25-2009, 10:38 PM	#4
jst_4_kiks Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Laconia NH Posts: 126 Thanks: 22 Thanked 15 Times in 11 Posts	i think there was a fair amount of boats out this weekend. i can only say that due to my experience from working at the yacht club valeting all the boats in and out the past four days. took out around 40 boats or so today alone __________________ Marine Technician - Learning Something New Every Day PM with any questions about marine repair

05-26-2009, 06:05 AM	#5
Lakegeezer Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: Moultonboro, NH Posts: 1,657 Blog Entries: 1 Thanks: 342 Thanked 618 Times in 278 Posts	My impression is there was a lot of traffic for how windy it was. It was interesting to judge how well different types of boats took the white caps and rollers as they returned north. __________________ -lg

05-26-2009, 07:29 AM	#6
Phantom Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Berlin, Ma / Gilford Posts: 1,931 Thanks: 445 Thanked 604 Times in 340 Posts	Traffic was DEFINATELY down -- I have to agree with This'nThat. We were fortunate to be able to come up and be on the Lake starting Wednesday nite. With Thursday & Friday being obviously 5 star rated days oddly there was more boating traffic on Friday mid day than there was the entire week-end. Albiet Monday afternoon got extremely wind choppy. This seemed to reflect in the car traffic as well --- anticipating a typical "Holiday week-end" ride home, we left the Lake mid/latter afternoon and were shocked at the lack of traffic on both Rte 11 to Tilton and subsequently South on 93 __________________ *A bad day on the Big Lake (although I've never had one) - Still beats a day at the office!!*

05-26-2009, 07:38 AM	#7
Audiofn Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Bedford, MA/Naples, ME Posts: 162 Thanks: 3 Thanked 2 Times in 2 Posts	Traffic was down up in Maine on the lakes but the river that I live on seemed bussy for this time of the year. So I would assume that most of it was people staying out of the snotty lake water. There was still no shortage of people doing stupid things!

05-26-2009, 07:55 AM	#8
Rattlesnake Gal Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Central NH Posts: 5,252 Blog Entries: 1 Thanks: 1,447 Thanked 1,349 Times in 475 Posts	Boat Traffic Out on The Broads it was on and off again. Somewhat quiet on Friday evening and it was very quiet on Saturday until the sun showed it's face, though it was still pretty quiet. Sunday after the rain shower there were a lot of boaters. Yesterday there were quite a few out and surprisingly there were still a lot around after the wind picked up. I was happy we were going with the wind upon exiting the lake.

05-26-2009, 10:23 AM	#9
cowisl Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Cow Island Posts: 167 Thanks: 6 Thanked 20 Times in 12 Posts	From our viewpoint on Cow which overlooks the broads, traffic was way down. We took a ride to the Weirs on Sunday afternoon and it was quiet over there as well.

05-26-2009, 10:35 AM	#10
jetskier Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: North Reading, MA and South Down Shores Posts: 850 Thanks: 57 Thanked 183 Times in 114 Posts	Down indeed I put the jetski in on Sunday and decided to take a ride with my daughter. We stopped at Lakeport Landing for some gas and I asked the attendant whether they had been busy. He indicated that the traffic was off for a normal memorial day weekend. We then took a ride out through the channel and the boat traffic was quite light considering. The NASWA was reasonably crowded from the look of things, but I have seen it much more crowded in the past. Personally, I think that this is partially the economy and partially the weather. Sunday was rainy and threatening in the morning and then it became sunny/nice. Monday was very windy. Jetskier

05-26-2009, 11:01 AM	#11
VtSteve Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2008 Posts: 1,320 Blog Entries: 1 Thanks: 230 Thanked 361 Times in 169 Posts	Extremely quiet in Vermont as well. The only traffic was for Sunday's marathon. After that, it was desolate. The lake was practically barren all weekend. I must have seen a dozen boats in the open waters all day. Granted, the weather was iffy, and with the wind and 43 degree water, not many takers. Last year's boat traffic was definitely down due to the tremendous increases in gas combined with the economy. This year's economy is far more painful than last year's gas prices. Probably best to wait and see what June brings. It's hard to judge anything with these types of weather patterns.

05-26-2009, 11:28 AM	#12
LIforrelaxin Senior Member Join Date: May 2006 Location: Long Island, not that one, the one on Winnipesaukee Posts: 2,821 Thanks: 1,014 Thanked 880 Times in 514 Posts	Some observations First I agree with most people here, the boat traffic was way down. Now when I say that I look back at the last 20+ years of comming up to the lake. It is definately down from the peak. However I feel that it probably wasn't that much different then last year. Having said that.... I also noticed as I drove through Center Harbor on my way south this weekend, the the perfered properties sign stated said something to the tune of Rental Insenatives, or some such thing..... indicating to me that the Rental bussiness might be having a big down turn. All in all given the economy we are currently experiencing, I am not surprised...... __________________ Life is about how much time you can spend relaxing... I do it on an island that isn't really an island.....

05-26-2009, 11:51 AM	#14
Excalibur Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Gilford,NH is where I would like to be and Southborough, MA is where I have to be Posts: 85 Thanks: 14 Thanked 10 Times in 3 Posts	Sunday Meredith Bay The family took a cruise along the bay for the sunset. It was a great night out light boat traffic, plenty of spaces at the town docks. On the way out of the Meredith Bay back to Gilford around 8:30 PM. I noticed a marine patrol drifting or anchored closer to shore. I was doing 22 on the GPS and throwing quite a big wake with my tabs all the way down to keep the old boat on plane. I am not sure if he had radar or lidar on, but it looked like a good spot for a speed trap.

05-26-2009, 02:39 PM	#15
Sman Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2005 Posts: 102 Thanks: 3 Thanked 27 Times in 8 Posts	I agree with the noticably busier after the sun showed up on sunday observations. also real busy over towards the weirs on Monday prior to the wind really blowing up, maybe about 11:00am. Like always, all mornings were quiet, cooler to be out but no waves, used to think that was just a well kept secret, but I just don't think people can or want to get going earlier so I figure no danger in posting it, had my toddler out for a cruise at 6 am monday morning and I was looking around as she was driving and I did not see any boats.

05-26-2009, 03:13 PM	#16
John A. Birdsall Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Norwich, CT Posts: 599 Thanks: 27 Thanked 51 Times in 35 Posts	boat traffic I noticed what I thought was a lot of small boat traffic. I only saw one cigerette boat out. I did witness a stupid jet ski boat. Dosen't understand the 150' rule, and worse when he seen me he aimed his boat at me and gunned it. What is worse he had a kid perhaps 10 years old sitting in front of him. What is it gonna take to make them learn?

05-26-2009, 03:22 PM	#17
corollaman Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Laconia NH Posts: 181 Thanks: 8 Thanked 10 Times in 9 Posts	Even though the weather wasn't really all that great, there were a fair amount of boats on Paugus Bay. My neighbor had his boat out all afternoon yesterday. It's still early, and you'll see more boats as the weather gets a bit warmer. I don't believe the economy has a real great effect on boating because most of the big boats and boats in general are owned by wealthy people, and they'll always have money to run the boat. My friend is a boat mechanic, and he's been right out straight putting boats in the water. I'd imagine if people couldn't afford to run them this year, they wouldn't even bother putting them in.

05-26-2009, 03:45 PM	#18
BroadHopper Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Laconia NH Posts: 5,509 Thanks: 3,116 Thanked 1,089 Times in 783 Posts	Lake Norman Usually spend Memorial Day weekend on Winni. This year I was invited to the CocaCola 600 at Lowes Motorspeedway in NC. I was boating on Lake Norman and it is quite an experience compared to our lake. This lake appears overcrowded in comparision. It also makes me glad we have the 150 feet rule. I've been sprayed a few time by passing boats. __________________ Someday may never be an actual day. Last edited by BroadHopper; 05-27-2009 at 08:27 AM.

05-26-2009, 04:01 PM	#19
OCDACTIVE Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Fort Myers FL / Moultonboro Posts: 1,045 Thanks: 444 Thanked 574 Times in 178 Posts	I also was fortunate to head up early Thursday. Beautiful weather Thursday and most of Friday. However there was no one out there. Literally on Friday I went from one end of the broads to the other around noon and I saw 2 boats, and one was a barge!!! Saturday was very slow due to the weather, and Sunday morning the same. However when the sun showed its face on Sunday afternoon every yahoo and their brother was out there. Not going down the wrong road here but seriously...... If this weekend is a glmpse of things to come...not good. I couldn't believe it. Right in the middle of a very congested channel are 2 kayakers paddling perpedicular to the traffic. What a mess it caused. Then coming in from the broads into the barbers pole, for those of you who don't know the area, there are two markers a red and black. Plenty of room for a boat to enter and another exit at speed. There was a party boat with down riggers and outriggers, again perpendicular to traffic causing everyone to come to a hault and figure out what this guy was doing and where to go without cutting their lines. Then in another channel 2 jet skiers criss crossing back and forth, the stopping abruptly, not even looking at the line of boats coming on and off plain due to their actions. Anyway.. I had enough and docked her for the rest of the weekend. With that said... Great time on Thursday and Friday though!!! PS.. I think traffic was down only due to the incliment weather. Once the sun hit it was crazy as usual. __________________ Have you had your Vessel Inspected Yet?

05-26-2009, 05:13 PM	#20
hazelnut Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2003 Posts: 1,348 Blog Entries: 3 Thanks: 508 Thanked 462 Times in 162 Posts	On that note: Twice..... TWICE this past weekend I saw Marine Patrol engaging in what I consider rude, inconsiderate boating practices. Once in the Barbers Pole area and the other time in the 6 pack/mini-graveyard off of Long Island. Both times the officers, (different boat and officer each time) were cruising at no wake speed RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE CHANNEL. Making it impossible for anyone to pass above headway speed. Now I am all for relaxing and taking it slow but this is downright rude boating. It borders on entrapment IMHO. As if they were daring boaters to pass them. Both times I offered the obligatory shrug of the shoulders and shake of the head. Seriously though consideration goes a long way in both directions. I would never ever ever take up the middle of the channel at no wake speed and I can only imagine Marine Patrol would probably pull someone over for pulling a stunt like that. Not that they would have grounds to but they'd probably give someone a stern lecture for it. Other than that Sunday afternoon was amazing! The front line pulled through in time for a fantastic afternoon. We had just finished picnicking in Salmon Meadow cove (in a rainstorm). We cruised (covers on) all the way to the Weirs and Meredith and it was as if the rain never happened. Docks full 6-7 boats waiting. It really turned into a nice afternoon.

05-26-2009, 09:23 PM	#21
Weekend Pundit Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Gilford Posts: 290 Thanks: 19 Thanked 51 Times in 31 Posts	While I was only out on the lake on Monday, it seemed to me traffic was down as compared to some previous years. One telling point: there are still a lot of slips available for rent. Usually by now slips are hard to find, but not this year.

05-26-2009, 10:25 PM	#22
VtSteve Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2008 Posts: 1,320 Blog Entries: 1 Thanks: 230 Thanked 361 Times in 169 Posts	SNAFU Kayaks and fisherman traveling across channels. I heard about some marinas giving snarky comments and letters to people about getting their slips early.

05-26-2009, 11:28 PM	#23
rick35 Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Bear Island/Merrimack Posts: 709 Thanks: 55 Thanked 170 Times in 104 Posts	Entrapment? On a couple of occasions last year I thought the MPs were putting themselves into situations that would result in my need to drop to headway speed. There's no reason for them to go out of their way to do this. There are plenty of offenders out there that they shouldn't have to create one. After dinner at the Lyon's Den this past Sunday night we left the dock and headed toward the red blinker where the MP had pulled over a sailboat. My wife wanted me to go left behind Lockes to avoid him but I was going headway and stayed far enough away plus I wanted to see what was going on. I almost expected to be stopped.

05-30-2009, 08:32 PM	#30
This'nThat Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2006 Posts: 534 Thanks: 19 Thanked 134 Times in 61 Posts	Saturday AFTER Memorial Day Traffic was wayyyyyyy down today, also. Temp in the 70's. No waves on the Broads at 1:00pm. No boats anywhere! No boats, either, at 6:00pm, and the water was only a little more choppy. Beautiful day. Something's going on. Two weekends in a row can't be just a fluke. How many summer weekends are there? And two of them with no boats on the water? Wow.

05-30-2009, 10:56 PM	#31
BroadHopper Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Laconia NH Posts: 5,509 Thanks: 3,116 Thanked 1,089 Times in 783 Posts	One thing That make me not boat on weekends are the Bonehead skippers. I'd rather boat during the week when they don't seem to be out there. Gas prices do have an effect on my boating. I am cutting down on the amount of cruising I do on the lake. I would be anchoring/rafting more and staying at ports more. __________________ Someday may never be an actual day.

05-31-2009, 07:43 PM	#32
kjbathe Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2006 Posts: 281 Thanks: 3 Thanked 21 Times in 11 Posts	Down? Maybe it's because we've had the lake to ourselves since Mid-April that I thought Memorial Day weekend was busier than usual (when the sun was out). I was surprised by the traffic on Monday given the windy conditions, but what really caught my attention was how many larger cruisers and performance boats were out there -- on plane. I guess that's the difference between fuel prices this year and last. But if traffic was indeed way way down, I'm all for it...

05-31-2009, 10:38 PM	#33
KonaChick Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Posts: 518 Thanks: 19 Thanked 62 Times in 15 Posts	We picked up our boat at Shep's yesterday and they guy there told us that 40% of the boats were still in storage. High number for this time of year he said.

06-01-2009, 11:51 AM	#36
Excalibur Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Gilford,NH is where I would like to be and Southborough, MA is where I have to be Posts: 85 Thanks: 14 Thanked 10 Times in 3 Posts	Very light traffic this weekend also I noticed very light traffic on the lake and on the highway for two straight weekends. The weather was not to bad just a few passing showers both days. It was strange not seeing a backup or even a slight slow down at the toll booth. Also the traffic pattern was lighter then the winter skiers traffic. But I am not complaining, just wondering how long it will last.

06-01-2009, 04:29 PM	#38
fatlazyless Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Posts: 8,525 Blog Entries: 1 Thanks: 295 Thanked 957 Times in 698 Posts	I was a little surprised to see two kayaks out in the middle of the area between south Bear Island and Governor's Island on Saturday at about 1pm. In the past, that would have been prime time for the usual Winnipesaukee 'day at the races' what with boaters driving Indy 500 style. But not on this weekend's sunny Saturday....it's way too early to say...but it seems like the motor boat volume is down. __________________ ... down and out, liv'n that Walmart side of the lake!

06-04-2009, 07:42 AM	#39
fatlazyless Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Posts: 8,525 Blog Entries: 1 Thanks: 295 Thanked 957 Times in 698 Posts	It's not just for Memorial Day weekend that this here Lake Winnipesaukee is seeing a lot less boating traffic. For the past few days it has been very very quiet......very few boats out there. Yesterday, in the middle of the day, an MP boat was sitting in the middle of the buoy 3 passage for about 30 minutes, and not even one single boat passed through. I read in the NY Times where President Obama was talking about the Winnipesaukee boating void, and how he was thinking about chopping the big lake into 50 little lakes and redistributing each piece to 50 different urban areas, one per state. Now, that kinda makes sense now don't it, seeing as nobody seems to be using Lake Winnipesaukee any more, least not for boating. __________________ ... down and out, liv'n that Walmart side of the lake!

06-04-2009, 12:07 PM	#41
VtSteve Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2008 Posts: 1,320 Blog Entries: 1 Thanks: 230 Thanked 361 Times in 169 Posts	Over here, it's pretty much like that all the time. Nobody's really gotten into the weather thing yet. Number one, this is not summer. This has been the first decent week in many, and many weekends have been cool and wet. Combine that with the wind and various storms and you have a pretty deserted place. People are also saving money if they can, with many people having to endure hob losses and the like. It's not surprising at all to see Winni deserted on a Thursday, weekdays were always fairly space, especially so when the water is cold and the weather feels like October. It's generally pretty relaxing on the lake weekdays, except in the peak vacation months. There are some that would prefer the lake to always be free of boats, excepting their own boat of course.

06-15-2009, 07:20 AM	#43
OCDACTIVE Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Fort Myers FL / Moultonboro Posts: 1,045 Thanks: 444 Thanked 574 Times in 178 Posts	Wow ... we are well past memorial day and whether it be the weather, economy, limits........ Or a combination, I personally am finding the boat traffic way down. I was out on Fri and Sat. both great boating days and there wasn't much going on. I didn't make it over to the Weirs where I figured most traffic would be, being the beginning of Motorcycle week, but everywhere else seemed very slow. __________________ Have you had your Vessel Inspected Yet?

06-15-2009, 07:38 AM	#44
neckdweller Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Moultonborough & Southern NH Posts: 133 Thanks: 6 Thanked 37 Times in 18 Posts	My very unscientific sampling over the years says that bike weekend (now two, kind of) is typically slow for boat traffic. If people are going to stay home, they choose one or both of these weekends presumably to avoid the nightmare of all the bikes. Another factor this year is that schools are getting out later due to the ice storm and snow days. My kids should have been done Friday but they're extended out another week and a half. With that extension comes more baseball games, softball games, lacrosse games, etc. taking up the Saturdays and Sundays. I expect it to be quite busy up there the week of 6/29 leading up to the July 4th weekend. Having the 3rd on a Friday will give a lot of people an excuse to use some vacation time.

06-15-2009, 06:24 PM	#45
VtSteve Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2008 Posts: 1,320 Blog Entries: 1 Thanks: 230 Thanked 361 Times in 169 Posts	We're heading down to Florida the Thursday before July 4th, to avoid the loud boats and the crowds

06-15-2009, 07:56 PM	#46
Resident 2B Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: North Shore, MA Posts: 1,352 Thanks: 987 Thanked 310 Times in 161 Posts	I spent the majority of the day last Friday on the lake. Started at the Weirs, to Meredith, to Center Harbor, back down to Bear Island, over to the Hole-in-the-Wall, then the Graveyard over to Melvin Village. We then headed south back through the Graveyard, past the Barber's Pole area for a run out on the broads. From there it was past the Witches, back to the Weirs, through the Weirs channel and down around Paugus, then back again to Weirs. I saw maybe ten boats on the water in the 4 hours of poking around. The weather was very good from 11 AM onward. Very low traffic for this time of the year, in my opinion. R2B

06-16-2009, 02:31 PM	#47
ApS Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Florida (Sebring & Keys), Wolfeboro Posts: 5,788 Thanks: 2,084 Thanked 742 Times in 532 Posts	Sunny, with Small, Puffy Clouds—PERFECT !!! Got back at 2-PM from a 4-hour sail* in The Broads. Except for "The Mount" silently approaching me from dead astern , while navigating a clockwise route around the lake , I never saw more than 2 other boats at any time. (Not counting barges). Wanted a 3-hour sail, but the wind was very variable. . . . ETA, 1.0: 1) It's not typically busy on the lake during a June weekday. The Saturday following, however, there were at least ten boats in sight at one time. (For a 500%-increase in traffic as opposed to a weekday—this was between 10AM-1PM.) 2) Certification is a factor, especially as the wealthiest demographic was the last to require, and attend, certification classes. 3) I expect the National economy to collapse in the long term, but even a short recovery is possible on the lake for the next few years. ETA, 2.0 June 26th, Friday, update: Extreme weather is moving in late today but this morning was another sunny June day for boating, and saw about six-to-eight boats at any one time. That's about 400% more boat traffic than on the 16th, a comparable weekday for sunny boating. Because it's a Friday, more boats (than the usual weekday) could be expected. ETA, 3.0 July 7th, Monday, update: Saturday and Sunday were too hectic for my accustomed style of boating, but by Noon on Monday, I counted 16 boats within view (at any one time) on my usual stretch of The Broads. (800% increase over June 16th). ETA, 4.0 July 12th, Sunday, ongoing update: At Noon, I counted 28 sailboats and a fewer number of powerboats (12 ?) on my usual stretch of The Broads. Is that a 2000%* increase over the 16th? :huh: Good wind, sun, and puffy clouds, again, BTW. ETA 5.0 July 29, Thursday, ongoing update: By Noon I'd seen four sailboats (and, at most, 13 powerboats) at one time in the same location. Only problem was Cap'n B who, with a boatfull, came within 50' of my boat off Ayer's Point marker—then waved! Nearly calm, hazy sun, few clouds. __________________ Every MP who enters Winter Harbor will pass by my porch of 67 years... Last edited by ApS; 07-30-2009 at 10:23 AM. Reason: Updating the observed Broads boat count for June 2009.

06-17-2009, 07:07 AM	#49
fatlazyless Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Posts: 8,525 Blog Entries: 1 Thanks: 295 Thanked 957 Times in 698 Posts	Where is summer? Summer is here today! Today is the day, June 17, that summer arrived, and there are a total of zero boats right now, that I can see or hear from buoy 3. ....times a-wast'n....gotta go be paint'n.........oops...there's one boat....a 14'er tiller handle w/ two on board....! __________________ ... down and out, liv'n that Walmart side of the lake!