The Belknap
 

hey, i was just wondering, hows the conditions of the wreck of The Belknap?

If any one has pics please post

The Belknap
 

I dove this wreck 3 years ago. There are only a few timbers left and they are hard to find. This is not really a wreck dive. Depth is about 18 feet. Suggest you dive The Lady Of The Lake.

ya never dove on a ship wreck before... how is the conditions to the Lady Of The Lake?

I cant find any under water pics of it tho


but me and my uncle are going to do it this year

Lady
 

The Lady is in good shape...considering her age. The hull and portions of the deck are still intact. It's a shallow dive -- 30' to the sand -- so you can spend a good deal of time on it. Beware -- it's in one of the highest traffic areas on the Lake, so you have to watch it when descending and ascending -- stay close to the boat and up & down the anchor line. People are crazy over there, and dive flags mean nothing to them. Look for the eel that lives between the double-walled hull.

Some bad photos I took years ago with a crappy camera:

http://www.pbase.com/gfevans/image/4318398

http://www.pbase.com/gfevans/image/19987798/large

other ship wrecks
 

the only shipwrecks that i know of are The belknap and The Lady Of The Lake. and some on diamond island, i don't really so much scuba dive i like to snorkel. and i don't think i can reach the lady of the lake like that. is there any really shallow ship wrecks?

Belknap, etc.
 

bigpapi34,

The Belknap would be an excellent choice for snorkling. The largest piece of wreckage is a section of deck framework with other timbers scattered about. The max depth ranges from standing to around 12 feet. Come in on the N side of Steamboat Is, toward the footbridge. The Duncan Press chart show it a bit further N than actual, and beware of a few large isolated rocks on the way. You'll notice a shed on the shore of the Island - the main wreckage is around 30 yards directly off that shed. Follow the shore in both directions for additional stuff. If you dive down to it, beware of rusty iron spikes sticking out of the timbers. Otherwise, it's wide open and safe. Don't forget the diver's flag!

Also recommended for snorkling are the Witches, just outside Saunders Bay and the Graveyard in Moultonborough Bay between Melvin Is and Spectacle Is. Keep a sharp lookout for rocks as you enter both areas - they are shallow!

Happy diving!

You can see the more shallow wrecks by Ship & Moose Island with a snorkel, but there ain't much to them.

whats on moose island.... like little row boats....? i found a row boat in about 4 feet of water. it was cool and old, we found out how it sank and every thing.

Grant:

Thanks for the pictures. They are actually quite good!

Where to Anchor?
 

Just a curiosity question, 'cause I'm never going to do it, but if someone wanted to snorkel around the Witches, where would you recommend anchoring your boat? Thanks.

WB

Snorkelling the Witches
 

Hi Waterbaby,

Anchor anywhere inside the area. The Witches has a number of scattered rock piles at or near the surface, with channels between them that sometimes get to 8 - 10 feet deep. Assuming you have an small outboard or sterndrive boat, trim your drive up a ways, post a bow lookout, and proceed slowly and carefully into the shoal. This is NOT recommended for large vessels, straight inboards, or any boat on a windy day. Those boats, or a pilot who is uncomfortable going in, can anchor just inside the bouys where there is still adequate depth. If it's windy, anchor on the downwind side of the area. It's also a good idea to bring a non-diver along to stay with the boat while the divers are in the water. Even though the Witches is not a normally travelled channel, bring your diver's flag. Lastly, good samaritans might spot you in the shoal and call Marine Patrol, assuming you're in trouble. As a courtesy, let Marine Patrol know you're there so they don't tie up a patrol boat for a false alarm. Be sure to tell them when you leave!

If you're a fisherman, you could stock your tackle box with lost lures from the Witches!

Its hard to believe what people get away with right in front of Marine Patrol .. All this talk of new laws etc ..when I was a kid they would just park an MP boat ..it was enough

At the risk of sounding like a broken record (I've told this one before), I have to share my favorite example of boaters ignoring dive flags.

We were out for a Sunday morning two-tank trip with Dive Winnipesaukee, and made a stop at the Lady of the Lake. As usual, the Divemaster went first, and tethered two dive flags to the wreck -- one on the bow, another on the stern. The boat -- a bright red, 30-ft. vessel with dive flag, signage, etc., was anchored within 12-15 feet of one of the flags. This way, divers can enter the water, swim at surface right next to the hull of the boat, then descend the anchor line and follow a reel line from the anchor line to wreck. Nice and safe -- and NECESSARY in that area.

Well, after a dive, as we're awaiting the rest of the divers to surface, some clown ignores not one, but two, dive flags and drives right between the flag and the dive boat -- with a deck full of gear-laden divers. He might've been 5-7 feet from the flag and about the same from the boat. I literally could've (and should've) spit from the deck and hit the operator. Completely oblivious!
All we could do was shake our heads and be glad that no one was surfacing at that moment.

Belknap, etc.
 

Amen to that, Grant! It's unfortunate that the Lady is located in one of the highest Bonehead-density areas of the lake. Dive Winni's procedures are about as safe as they come - a flag at each end, anchor near the middle, and ascend/descend the anchor line. Dive defensively!

Grant, considering the vis down there, I say you have some pretty nice shots.

To All Those That Dive...
 

...can any one of you dive guys (and girls) recommend a good, safe, fairly shallow dive spot that I can just snorkel at with my three kids (9, 11, and 14)?

We're on Bear and they love to snorkel but there isn't much activity around us as far as scenery and fish.

The Beavers have gotten old to them and so has Blueberry island.

And speaking of Blueberry, is that owned by the AMC? A few years ago my family and I started to anchor off the island and a gentlemen came running down to the beach yelling at us that it was private property. He demanded we leave. I thought it was "open" to the public, for lack of a better term.

Thanks!

You know, the photos I've seen that were taken with real cameras during ice dives were incredible. I know our lakes down here have much better visibility in the winter, and I assume parts of Winnipesaukee do as well. But I wouldn't know. I'll try to find those photos.

snorkelling
 

Hi jkjoshuatree,

Several earlier posts here have mentioned various spots such as the Belknap, the Witches, the Graveyard, and Moose/Ship Islands. Check them out. Explore other shallows such as Middle Ground Shoal, the Varney Islands area, and the rock pile between Ragged and Cow Islands. Remember to stay clear of regular navigation routes and bring your diver's flag!

Regarding Blueberry Island, I don't know its ownership, but it is perfectly legal for you to anchor and swim offshore. The "surface waters" of the State are public property. It is, however, NOT legal for you to tie up to shore, come out of the water onto the land, or anchor inside a swim line. I suggest that you be a good neighbor while anchored regarding loud noise, trash, etc.

Happy diving.

Have you been all around The Beavers, or just between them? The north side of Big Beaver is pretty good snorkeling too. My son found an anchor there this summer. You might also try the shoals out in front of Patrician Shores and Brookhurst. I've seen quite a few boats lose their props and skegs out there over the years.

other than the lady of the lake, what is the best and shallow ship wrecks, or any other wrecks.i have been dying to find some good ones cazz me and my uncle are gunna dive them this summer.:banana:

Clark's Point
 

Clark's Point / aka / McKinney Park in Wolfeboro is a great spot to snorkel with children IMHO. We take our openwater scuba students there as the viz is generally decent, the depth is perfect for our needs, a lot of rocks and fish and such to see and the kids can find tons of muscles to crack open and feed the fish. Be careful as they get a teensy biit aggeessive from time to time and nip at fingertips. If you get to Winnisquam, Ahern Park in Laconia has some great rocky areas to snorkel around as well. Feel free to email me if you have any questions or if I can help you out, especially if your interested in scuba lessons or trying scuba for free.

scubajay1153@yahoo.com

barge for snorkeling in Paugus
 

jkjoshuatree,

There's a great barge in Paugus that starts off in 6' of water and extends to where the other end lies in about 15' of water. It lies 15' off a quiet shore with almost no boat traffic which makes it great for kids. I have been snorkling there for about 40 years and it hasn't seemed to have deteriorated much.

There's usually lots of bass and other fish.

Where is it? Locate Pickerell Cove (on your chart) on the right hand shore as you pass through the channel towards Lakeport. About maybe an eighth of a mile past the culvert leading into Pickerell (not Singing) Cove look for a crooked white birch tree hanging over the water. It's right there.

I don't have my chart handy so if my directions seem unclear post here and I'll clarify, possibly by phone.

By the way, did you hear about the hand grenade that was thrown on the floor in France? Yeah, it was linoleum blownapart.

Peter

Try around by the old sow!
It's not very deep there and lots of boats manage to find her!!:D

CEP

Does anyone have any underwater pics of The Belknap or the Barge.

Here's a video someone posted on youtube. Not the best quality.

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