Originally Posted by jondx52 (Post 340697)

That is exactly the info that I needed to know. Thank you! I was worried about traffic and my boat being smaller so maybe the weekend isn’t the best time for the first trip. I’ll aim to get up during the week and maybe head to Ossippee or back to Silver Lake if I need to go Saturday


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Originally Posted by Descant (Post 340719)

Welcome to the Forum.
I agree--especially on the south and west side of the lake, weekend waters can be very rough and chaotic due to wakes. Collect a few friends and rent a pontoon so you avoid the aggravation of overloaded launch ramps with not enough parking. The toons will handle rough water in comfort, as long as you maintain reasonable speeds. Bring a picnic lunch. Getting dock space at public docks can mean a long wait. Again, weekdays are better.

Originally Posted by thinkxingu (Post 340702)

If you're going to go out on a weekend and NEED to visit Winnipesaukee, you could always hang out in the north. From Moultonborough Bay to Greene's Basin, a 16'+ vessel is fine most all the time, and it's much less crowded, especially if out early.

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Originally Posted by thinkxingu (Post 340702)

If you're going to go out on a weekend and NEED to visit Winnipesaukee, you could always hang out in the north. From Moultonborough Bay to Greene's Basin, a 16'+ vessel is fine most all the time, and it's much less crowded, especially if out early.

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Originally Posted by FlyingScot (Post 340787)

Disagree--tricky navigation to avoid rocks in the north. Less experienced captains make mistakes every weekend near me, especially on the Tuftonboro side. The advice to aim for a smaller lake is better

Originally Posted by thinkxingu (Post 340788)

Meh. I don't think it's tricky at all, especially with a chart—everything is marked. And compared to Squam?

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Originally Posted by thinkxingu (Post 340822)

C'mon now, fellas. I'd NEVER captained a watercraft and, in 2014, I got on our new-to-us 20' pontoon with full bimini (read: kite) and took it from Trexler's to Hanson Cove and back. It's not rocket surgery. I mean, there's a "safe passage" line to follow on the chart!

That being said, West Alton early and lunch at Pop's is pretty good, too.

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Originally Posted by Jdarby (Post 340827)

I’m biased as my first significant boating experience on the lake was on the north end. I was not accustomed to the navigational aid system being used but what I was accustomed to was always knowing where the heck I was on a chart. I’ve never hit a rock or become grounded (knocking on my wooden head right now). Whatever you decide to do be sure you have a chart and use it. You’ll be fine.

Originally Posted by Newbiesaukee (Post 340831)

My new boat does not have a compass so I have tried, on occasion while boating recently, to convince myself that the sun really does set in the East. I now have an app to indicate direction.

Originally Posted by thinkxingu (Post 340848)

Oh, and the OP has, like, GPS and stuff!
Come to the north!

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Originally Posted by 8gv (Post 340860)

I have a chart of the lake that shows all the places the Mt Washington travels.

Staying on those dotted green lines tells me that my boat, which draws about 39", should be safe.

Originally Posted by Newbiesaukee (Post 340802)

I like both of you guys but have to go with Flying on this one. I live close to Moultonborough Bay Area and have been on Winni for 17 years. We just got a new smaller boat and even with a chart in hand the trip from Long Island to Greens Basin is a difficult trip. I have only ever used the paper Bizer; but the trip is not for the inexperienced casual boater.

Originally Posted by GusMan (Post 340870)

Hey Jondx52...

Welcome to Winnie! A fabulously beautiful lake... but one that needs to be respected in a small boat.

I've been a visitor to the lake for more than twenty years... a bass fisherman that spent MANY years exploring in a 16 foot Grumman Aluminum semi-Vee bassboat with a 75hp motor. I've pretty much been to most places on the lake, but you have to choose wisely when you're in a small boat.

For sure .. weekdays are better than weekends... but even then, weather can change conditions in a moment.

If I were day tripping and wanted to explore a bit in a16 ft boat, ... I would never launch from Alton Bay, Wolfboro Bay, or Merideth Bay. Beautiful areas .. nice restaurants.. but the busiest and roughest water on the lake. As others have said, the northeast side of the lake is much quieter. launch from Center Harbor, Harilla Landing, or even Lee's Mills. Get a paper chart (along with your electronics) and take your time. Yes, the markers can be confusing (study the map!!) and when in doubt stop and reassess.

And as has been said before... NEVER! assume that other boats know where they are going...Those big boats could very well be more clueless than you!

Have fun exploring… Be (more than) careful and enjoy.

Oh...and BTW.. the scariest weather/water conditions I ever experienced was on Winnisquam! Bad weather.. huge waves... scary stuff indeed.


Gusman

Originally Posted by XCR-700 (Post 340765)

Better as far a water conditions, you wont get beat up like on Winnipesaukee, but it is very busy. VERY busy,,,

Its a beautiful lake and the sandbar is really fun if you can got on it, it fills up fast and stays busy all day.

Sunday on Winnisquam would be just a bit better.

If you go on a Saturday, just go as early as you can.

And dont give up on Winnipesaukee, just find a way to get a day off during the week. There is no where like it!

ATB

Originally Posted by SAMIAM (Post 340884)

There is a second sandbar on Winnisquam…...at the mouth of the river just a few minutes by boat from the bridge.
It is equally large but not as busy

Originally Posted by WinnisquamZ (Post 340898)

The reason it’s not as busy, being told second hand, leaches


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Originally Posted by Hillcountry (Post 340914)

I stopped at the “2nd” sandbar years ago when I had a trailerable boat and what I saw was debris and beer cans strewn about the sandy bottom...not sure if it’s the same now though.

Originally Posted by Juiced06GTO (Post 340935)

In a 16' boat with an OB, I would agree that driving further north and launching around the Lee's Mill area would be a great trip, very scenic and much more like being on a small lake especially on a weekend. The big down side is that there is not really any place to go dock and get out and walk and get food and stuff like that. With a chart plotter and paper chart you should be able to keep yourself out of trouble, especially in a boat that doesn't draw much.

My second choice would be Roberts Cove and making the run from there to Wolfeboro. You'd have the ability to dock and get out walk around get food, check out the small shops and then could cruise along the shore down towards Alton Bay. There is a bunch to explore in that area and it tends to be not as rough on the weekends.

The north west portions of the lake, north of West Alton, Rattlesnake, Meredith, Wiers, Paugus Bay are extremely busy and rough on the weekends. We cruised over to the Weirs/Paugus on my 24' boat from Moultonboro on a Saturday afternoon and it was a rough ride once we got close to those areas. We also took a pretty good wave right over the bow entering the Paugus Bay channel because every yahoo in their 30'+ boat feels the need to hammer the throttle as soon as they clear the no wake buoys even if there is a line of boats waiting to enter the channel :fire::fire:

If you enjoy boating Winni is one of the best places in the area to do it. There is no shortage of things to do/places to see. My family will be up at our cottage on Upper Suncook the week of the 17th and were going to make a day trip up to cruise around Winni for the day during the week, probably launching at Shibley's in Alton or Robert's Cove. Would love to show you around if you can make it up during the week! Have fun and be safe out there!

Anthony

Originally Posted by Top-Water (Post 341037)

Have been visiting Winnisquam my entire life since six or seven years old. This second so called sand bar that is part of Dixon point is mostly pouted by trash that is dumped in the river and floats down stream and ends up in the lake. Keep in mind this is happening 12 months of the year as the river does not freeze nor does the actual sandbar itself and for many years they dumped snow in the river with trash in it. Not to mention its for lack a of a better term a it's actually a mud bar of sorts with sand on top that is much like quicksand not a firm bottom like the sand bar down at the bridge. The sand bar down by the mosquito bridge is much cleaner and very well self monitored for trash. If you dump trash down there someone is likely to call and report you for doing so. Unlike the Dixon Point sand bar where much of the trash just floats down river from snow and ice removal from parking lots.

In the spring when the river is flowing fast from spring runoff and pulls things up, that's when it really looks like hell there.

Navigating Winnisquam? Just stay out in the middle there are very few places that will bite you. Very different than Winni. How ever if you want to know where the few trouble spots are, visit Winnisquam Marine on the lake where the gas docks are. For many years they had a map of the few problem areas on the eastern shoreline around Hog Island where folks bitched up there props or lower units. For a while I seem to recall if you got caught over there in one of there rentals in this zone, they would take away the rental or make you forfeit the boat for the rest of the day. Just one small area you have to be careful of. It was part of the contract that you would not go over there.


Despite the few problems that all lakes have Highly recommend if it is one of your first trips to a New Hampshire big lake, one of the best " big practice lakes" if there is such a thing.

-----------------------------------------------------------------
Best Advice ........ for a first timer.

Originally Posted by Top-Water (Post 341055)

Don't forget the old tires too. :eek::eek:

For years at the old water ski races at Bartlett beach we had to promise that we would discourage swimming to get the permit from Laconia to use the beach.

Originally Posted by Top-Water (Post 341070)

Do not quote me on dates that the beach was closed, but the water ski races at Bartlett were from about 1969 -1970 to August 20th 1978 as best as I can recall. The reason for an exact date is from a trophy / framed photo that my dad won in the "Old Timers Race" It was one of if not the very last races that they had there. It was a race mostly for the folks and parents of competitors that organized the races 5 miles race duration, it went from Bartlett beach to just in front of Pot Island over to Ferry Point and where the ski jump was where the very old races held back to the start at Bartlett Beach. Essentially 1/2 of a lap of the ten normal mile course. Because it was a fun race of sorts you could ski with either one or two skis. The rules for the race were *bent* to let everyone compete that wanted to participate, top speeds were about 30 to 40 mph. The photo / prize was given out a week or two later at the Banquet. Because it was not one of the regularly scheduled races they kept the prizes to a minimum and only had prizes for the skiers.

Note on the Girls races. My sister one year won the "Governors Trophy" they had . The Girls races were very competitive back then in some ways better than the boys races where generally the faster boats won all the time.

In the olden days :cheers: ..... there were two classes of boats for a given horsepower ones with power trim and ones without.

Originally Posted by WinnisquamZ (Post 340898)

The reason it’s not as busy, being told second hand, leaches
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