Weirs Beach Public docks
 

Just a quick question...i recently went to the Weirs with the Family by boat. It was my first time by boat. It was empty so there was no problem. but i couldnt figure out how people dock there when it is busy. I docked at the end and I have a 22 ft Bowrider with a 8'4 beam. It didnt seem like there is enough room between those docks to park on the inside. So my question is what is the protocol when it is busy?

Seems like lately it's never busy; perhaps because of the docks...

The whole lake has been very slow this week. It must be because so many kids went back to school? I am surprised that school affects the lake that much. I think it's too bad they start before Labor Day as it must hurt the economy. Governor Wentworth starts the day after Labor Day this year which I think is good.

Search on a long discussion a few years back.

Short answer is there is no protocol.

If you go in too far, someone will block you in. I think three 8' wide boats will fit but very few boats are only 8' wide anymore. I usually try to take the ones nearest the Mount dock. They are short and there is really only room for one boat.

The dock furthest away from the Mount is drop off only on the inside but open on the beach side. So another spot without blocking issues.

On very busy times like bike week, people planning to stay all day, will pull all the way in letting themselves be blocked.

I've seen people move a boat blocking them, to get out. I don't condone it but it does happen.

It IS tight, but, if all the boats in both rows are trailerable width, it is, and can be done.

Boat waves and wind can be troublesome when doing this maneuver.:eek:

I prefer backing in/bow out...on the end.:laugh:

Yes, it has been super quiet. I know Kingswood in Wolfeboro and Interlakes in Moultonboro (?) are back in session this week. There hasn't been more than 3 boat trailers in the Nineteen Mile Bay parking lot as far as I've seen all week. Not a single boat at the public docks at Weirs when we were there yesterday.

Best answer
 

I think the best answer regarding the Weirs docking system is POOR DESIGN!!! What the heck were they thinking?? They needed to be streched out. You cant get a boat in between at the Weirs. DUMB DUMB DUMB!!! The better dock designs are in Meredith and Wolfboro. Centre Harbor docks are pretty good but there could be more docking there.

Last Fri.
 

We were out last Fri and decided to go to Wolfeboro for ice cream. No open spots except the Handicap Dock :( and a few boats waiting, so we made the trip down the lake to the Weirs. There were a few spots open on the end, but my big fear is someone will move the boat further in and I will be stuck inside. We did find a spot on the beach side of the last dock, and as we walked up toward the boardwalk, we saw a friend who had pulled his boat all the way when he docked. He was now blocked by two good sized bowriders. We talked for a few mins and then went up to JB Scoops for ice cream. We ate it there, walked down to the train that had just pulled in, and then headed down to the boat to head home. Time on shore was maybe 20-25 mins. As we got on the dock, we saw our friend untying his ropes...one of the boats was just pulling out. Told him, could have been worse...he may have had to wait for hours to get out rather than 35-40 mins.

Yup...it is a lousy design. And I am not sure that there is much room for anything other than a really small boat to get out between two boats. Other thing that can complicate the situation is the boat wake wave action that can toss any boat around.:rolleye1:

My observatons
 

Yes it is tight and as mentioned it is a poor design but considering how old the docks are things were different back when they were built.
I personally have driven down the slot as we call it to the back docks with my 25 Baja many times when the front spots were taken.
We found that as long as there are no big Carvers or the like then there was more then enough room to get through. Yes is is close but not as close as it looks with well over a foot of clearance on either side.
The trick, as with backing up, if you have enough space then you only concentrate on the drivers side and know if you keep it tight then there other side of the boat will clear.
As mentioned if the wake action is bad it makes it that much tougher.
We found that getting the boat lined up and just driving through the gap at headway speed worked great.
Getting out was usually a little more challenging but we never hit another boat.
The really kool part was turning a 25ft boat around under power between the docks. We found out that once the lake goes down it gets tougher.

Actually Kingswood hasn't started yet. They have been having open houses and the Freshmen had an optional day yesterday and the busses ran. The teachers had to go Tues, Wed. Thurs. School actually starts on Tuesday.

Once school starts, weekday crowds drop like a stone. I know a lot of families where Mom and kids stay up all summer, and Dad visits on weekends. When school starts, everyone moves back down south.

One last thing about the Weirs docks, use your fenders. There's a lot of bolt heads sticking out waiting to gouge your boat.

Given the weather forcast it should be a really busy weekend.

Weirs beach docks have detiorated to the point that i wont dock my boat there. They are In need of some heavy maintainance


:D

Oh did I mention that when my boat was a week old that we were parked at the Weirs and low and behold I come back to a nice dent in the side of my boat.

Is it possible that the docks were designed for the smaller boats of yesteryear? My wife keeps campaigning for a bigger boat. My Sea Ray 18' bow rider can fit into some pretty small places, including the docks at Weirs and my garage for storage. Anything bigger will cost me winter storage.

Does anyone here need a transfer of wifey's permission to move up?:D

I know this question may not belong here - so scold me if you like. But I don't understand why so many people turn thier boats around at public docks - like Wolfeboro? I find it much simpler to pull in going forward and just back out. I assume people are hesitant to back up but with a little practice it is no big deal. I have always backed out with no issues.

backing up.....
 

I think it's just a matter of preference, and how a boat handles. One boat I owned was practically uncontrollable in reverse, so it was difficult to back out between boats without at least one spotter. My next boat had dual props and would back up almost as easy as if it had wheels.

It's not about backing out; it's more about wave action.
 

While it is most certainly a matter of preference, and for some people, backing out is a challenge, I back in at the weirs and at any dock that gets some serious wave action. Boats take waves much better from the bow, thus my boat won't slam against the dock with every rogue wave like it would if I were stern-to. Regardless of how strong my lines are (and the cleats of course), I prefer to minimize the stresses on the boat as much as possible. I think a lot of people feel the same way.

Probably they were good back in "the day" but they can definitly be improved on for today's traffic. I would shorten every-other pier by about 1/3-1/2 and add at least that length to the remaining fingers. They could also lenthen the one furthest from the steam-ship dock, some more.

Back in to dock
 

As a matter of preference, whenever possible I face out of a docking space, whether it be private or public. I also find my boat takes the wave action much better and its a lot easier when I go to leave.

It may come from the fact that I will also back into a driveway/garage etc. Again I find it much easier when I go to leave.

Bill

When we went from our 19 ft bowrider to the 25 ft bowrider, the first question my wife asked was not how much is it, how many can it seat, how is the economy, etc. It was does it have a bathroom!!!:D

The obvious answer is Yes It Does....cuz I have the 25 footer. ;)

We stopped at the Weirs docks last week because my 91 year old mother had to use the rest room. The number of stairs is incredible. Once you get near the bathroom then you have to go down very steep stairs. I

Anchor and Channel marine have clean, close bathrooms. Puts new meaning to the splash and go pit-stop.:D

Even for a 56 yo youngster like me, the walk to The Weirs bathroom can be a long, tiring one.;)

And it needs a major over haul, too.

The bathroom there is a joke. You can see the bathroom from the dock but to get there you have to go all the way up and then all the way back down. Plus the are usually overused.

For people with stair issues, like GBG's 91 year old mother, there is a handicapped bathroom at the upper board walk level. Just ask at the ticket window.

Also in a situation like that, I'm sure the Anchor marine people would let you dock and use their bathroom. They are very helpful. I would buy some snacks, just because, but you really wouldn't need to.

I stand corrected. I could have sworn the sign said 8/28. My bad, sorry. :D

No big deal. It was easy to think it might have started with the busses running that day last week!

We actually purchased gas at Anchor Marina that day. If we had only known?

For me anyways it is a lot easier to drive forward then it is to back up.
Same with my truck, although I consider myself good at backing up any trailer I own, box, dump, boat, landscape and snowmobile, I'm still more comfortable driving forward.
I always try to back into a slip but to back between 2 boats with little room to spare would create more of a chance for error then driving forward will.

Wow this thread is going all over the place...

The problem with the Docks at the weirs is indeed the age of the system. The Dock was designed during an age where boats where not as wide... As time has rolled on boats have gotten wider. Hence now there is a problem

The correction of the problem is not so easy as one may thing however.
To start within order to change the dock, they will need to remove the old setup which will require the removal of some of the Pilings that were driven into the lake bed. And then off course new pilings will have to be driven, in before the new dock can even be built... Not to mention the permitting that will need to be done, to allow all this to happen. This all costs money$$$, and lots off it. To get the money the town has to allocate it. To get the Town to allocate it the land and business owners need to lobby the town, and show how it will add value to the area, improve their business, and create more revenue for the town.

The bottom line is right now the obstacles in the way of improving the dock at the weirs are not easily over come. None of the business in the area, seem to be taking the time to improve their properties. So what is the incentive to the town to improve the public areas.....

Anyways just my $0.02.......

The Miss Winnipesaukee is currently in the water at Irwin Marine. It is 27 feet long and only about 6 feet wide. I talked to Jack Irwin and he told me that when his father built the pier that they kept the boats under and all the widths were for that period.

Maybe they could keep the current fingers as is for smaller boats and extend every other finger by 35 feet creating a wide docking section further into the bay. A study and impact would need to be created but if approved it may be a less expensive solution........