Paugus Bay Rocks
 

New member here and wanted to share my ALMOST expensive mistake. We were traveling to the sand bar in Paugus Bay. I decided to go between Big and Little Island. Going slow because I knew there was an issue with boats running aground-according to a post by Bizer. I was also unfamiliar with the area. I picked out one black buoy but didn’t see the other one. About that time I see a red buoy off my starboard bow. I also realized I was BETWEEN the two black buoys. Suddenly my son who was on the bow yelled stop! I see a large rock just under the surface marked by several gouges. Fortunately I stopped in time and backed out the way I came in. I realized my mistake and will certainly not make that again. We have been boating on the lake for five years but only for one week each time. I still get nervous in an unfamiliar area. I just wish some of these rocks were marked better but it probably turn the lake into a lake of buoys.

Given the typical conditions of Paugus Bay and the larger craft in/out of Spinnaker & Irwin you are quite lucky that a wave didn't wash you up on those rocks.

There is one way through Little & Big islands -- but ya best know exactly what your doing before attempting !

I thought in another thread that Bizer or someone chimed in that there was MP plans to better mark the proper route (i.e. Like the six pack & Graveyard)


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Welcome to the forum and to the lake! You think Winni is full of hazards try Squam!

Never leave the dock without a map! Even with GPS. Make sure you know exactly where you are on the lake in regards to the map. If in doubt, find the nearest light buoy and correspond the number to the number on the map.

Be familiar with Red Hill. Red Hill will generally be North on the lake. Great way to get your bearings.

Spend an evening reading the Winni chart and pay attention to the buoy's position relative to North on the lake and you will get a fair idea. Still rely on the chart if in doubt!

Piloted the lake since I was 12. I am familiar with all parts, yet I still carry the chart in case my brain freeze.

As for Big and Little Island, the chart shows that you should be navigating close to Little Island the markers will be between you and Big Island!

Have fun! And make sure you wave!

Paugus Bay Rocks
 

Honestly there is no reason to take a chance going between big and little island especially if you are going to the sand bar by Margate. Just follow the makers to the east of little island and if it is busy on that side take the channel to the west of big island passing the South Down Boat Club. Neither choice is a no wake zone. Welcome to the forum. [emoji4]


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Thanks for all your responses. Lesson definitely learned. I will be waving Broadhopper.

I always go out using my Navionics gps app. It shows suggested routes and rocks. We live in SDS and have seen 4-5 boats already hit the rocks by us because they don't know how to navigate the markers. The app has a suggested route around those islands....

Broadhoper and others make good points for all over the lake, not just Little/Big Islands. I double checked on my 1962 chart published by the Public Utilities Commission (simpler and easier to read for me, but I use Bizer on the boat because it is updated for buoys that didn't exist in 1962). Anyway, when I was a kid, we had a boat stored in Lakeport and went between Big and Little Islands day and night. The buoy locations then were the same as they are now. One difference than was that buoys were larger, but also wooden. More visible but prone to breaking and sinking. So you couldn't always rely on seeing a buoy. The plan was to know where you were in relation to land masses and where the water was deeper. If there was a buoy, fine, but it could be missing or out of position. That's why it is only an "AID" to navigation. Charts, MP, USCG etc all disclaim any responsibility for you grounding if there was no buoy.
Someday in late fall when water is low, take a small airplane ride over the lake at low altitude. Bring your Bizer chart and compass and look at the shallow or rocky spots. The buoy system will make a lot more sense.

My crew always takes bets on how often I'll pull out my chart when I go to Moultonbourough or a lake i'm not familiar with, Last time the over under was 8, I was under by 1.

Often, when people are discussing 'trouble' or lumpy spots on the lake, I'll go to Google Maps and turn on their Satellite view. It's amazing what you can see from a satellite (and much less expensive than an aircraft ride)! Some of these rocks show up easily, especially if you have the brightness turned up on your computer screen.

https://www.google.com/maps/@43.5708.../data=!3m1!1e3

Compare that Satellite view with the Navionics chart for the area and you'll see why the NAVAIDS are there:
https://webapp.navionics.com/?lang=e...y=wz%7ChGtadsL

Rich, when I zoom in on that Navionics map in the area between Long Island and Moultonborough Neck, if I read the depth numbers as feet, it says the water along the shore where I am is only a foot deep way out past the ends of the docks near me. That of course makes no sense. It shows perhaps two feet deep where my swim float goes, where I know the depth is 13-14 ft. But the numbers do make sense as feet farther out, and they couldn't be fathoms or even meters; no part of the lake is that deep. What am I missing?

Navigation
 

If you do not know how to read a compass, or you do not know the navigation rules for buoys on the lake, and you know knot where you are headed... sell the boat!! I do not know of any area where you pass between two black buoys. Stay East or North. That area is very well marked and if you know the rules, with or without a chart, if YOU KNOW how to skipper,and navigate, it should be obvious. :rolleye1:

You pass between two black topped spars at the south end of Bear Island.

Absolutely correct. Many find that particular area confusing, especially the southern tip near the Black and Red spars.


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I don't work for Navionics, but... If you click the left menu open, then click settings, then units, you will see depth options for feet, meters or fathoms. My guess is that it's set to fathoms for you.

Or if it's errors in their charts, contact them to let them know. They have been responsive to me in the past and corrected errors I found on their charts.

FL #30 is another


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I've heard that as long as you draw less than 6 feet, it does not matter where you pass any of those three ATONs, never tested it though, I usually go between Bear and he red-topped spar. There's another spot on the lake, on the east end of Barndoor Island, where you are supposed to go between the two red-topped spars.


IMO, the NH marking system is terrible compared to the standard that all the other states use. It's much easier to understand not to pass between the nearest shore and the ATON with the black and white vertical stripes, or to not go between the group of white and orange ATONs, than it is to determine that I need go north of that black-topped spar and south of it's companion black-topped spar.

That's the spot I meant.

I agree with the title...

Paugus Bay ROCKS!

My apologies. I did notice on Bizer Chart East end of Barndoor Island the two Red Spars. I understand passing between because of change in direction from West/East (keep South) then hard turn to Port now North/South so stay West of other Red Spar which is accompanied by Black Spar. The Black Spar just East of Clay point is the marker you stay North of marking rock area on shoreline. The other Black Spar is accompanied by Red Spar to mark rocky area East side of Barndoor. I understand passing between two Black Spars by the way it appears however they are marking two different underwater hazards. I also cut the South end of Bear between shoreline and Red Spar...plenty of water there and was taught that by The Old man of The Lake.

I believe we invalidated your broad brush statement !


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I assume whatever is between the red/back pair to the east of the southern tip of Barndoor must be down pretty deep. I've never seen anyone hit anything there and nothing ever shows even in November.

There is another confusing pair of markers off one of the Varney Islands a little further east too, but you can see rocks in there on the satellite view. I always wonder if there is 150 feet between the island and the black marker, but I hate going around the south end because there are often ski/wake boats in there and I got a wake boat wake over my bow there a couple years ago.

Discount shallow depths
 

I think most electronic depth maps fail to show shallow water accurately and Navionics is bad at that. I figure the boat doing the sonar survey isnt going into risky water and that the "shallows" are calculated from shore, 0 ft, to the first real sonar depth. Lakemaster maps on Humminbird are much better than Navionics but still are not going to have super accurate near shore readings in very shallow water.

I totally agree. I don't trust any chart readings within 100 feet of shore and if going somewhere new near shore, I pick my way carefully to avoid grounding.

Without a chart, you won't know if you should be looking for a second or third buoy in the area. For example, there are three black tops north of Eagle Island. If see two and go north of the second one, you could be in trouble. You need the chart so that you will look for the third buoy, even though you may have been right to go north of the other black buoy(s).

Great example. Moultonborough Bay also has several areas where buoys alone are not enough, and understanding the chart is critical

Another difference is reflectors on the wooden buoys. Shine a light and you will see a sharp reflection. Not so on the new 'plastic' buoys.

Decades ago when 'light pollution' was minimal, light buoys stands out at night. One can very easily navigate from light to light. Today it becomes a challenge. However the new LED lights makes it more 'noticeable'. Still a challenge.

The red-topped spars have bright reflectors. They arr easy to see with a spot light from very far away.

I was out at night recently and noticed that the red top east of The Hole in the Wall didn’t have reflector tape. Was wondering if the stopped adding it.


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The old, old, wooden spars were square. The flat surface reflected better in a spotlight. Also, I think, easier to see when looking into the sun. The PVC buoys have their advantages, of course, mostly durability.

I have been very fortunate to have been on the lake my entire life. I can travel just about anywhere on the lake without looking at a chart or my GPS. That being said there are off the beaten path areas on the lake that I do not know without using my GPS or chart. During the winter I pull out my chart and then study the unfamiliar areas on the lake. I think most people put their lake chart away and never look at it again until they are out in their boat the following spring. Also when I study the lake chart I dream about that day in the spring when ice-out is declared. Yippee! I can put down my docks and pick-up my boats!!!!