living on an island year round
 

I feel the only realistic waterfront property I could afford is an island property. However, I am a year round resident so I would want to live there year round. Does anyone know if people live on some of the islands year round?? It would be great, ultimate solitude in the winter.. My only thoughts would be that i would need to have a mainland slip with deeded parking and a hovercraft for the off season..

there would be a few months each year where the only safe way you could get back to the mainland would be via hovercraft when the ice is too much for a boat and too little to walk/ride on. Some islands have bridges to the main land such as: Long Island, Governors, and Black Cat.

I once met a teacher who lived on Whortleberry Island year-round. He walked to the mainland in the winter. In December and April, he lived in a motel for three weeks during ice-in/ice-out.

Here is a story about an island resident http://lakewinnipesaukee.wordpress.c...by-hovercraft/

Year-Round Island Residents
 

check this out!

http://youtu.be/fbYBJx1GmL4

The biggest obstacle to overcome is water and Septic... For me because I have a pump up septic system and my septic lines are not deep enough in the ground it was a no go for septic. Without Septic there's no sense getting a heated water supply line from the lake because you have no place to send the waste water.

I still use my place quite often in the winter, mostly on weekends. I just had to improvise and overcome the septic and water issue which I did...

Dan

Thanks for the replies, great stories!!!

We had a 1000 Islands Airboat at one point and could access the island year round. I found the airboat to be much safer and reliable than hovercrafts. A quick search on this site for airboat in the forums or gallery will bring up pictures of our yellow boat. It was featured in Airboating Magazine at one point.

As long as your place is set up for winter use (proper heat, water, backup generator, etc) the transportation side is not that hard. All it takes is $$$.

If I did not have 3 younger kids with lots of commitments I would live on the islands year round. I am sure I will be back to it at some point.

ice/slush access
 

I have accessed our island place during the marginal months with a hovercraft which I owned for 5 years. I have to vote for the snowmobile conversion shown by Smith Point in post #6 as likely being the best solution. With a 4-stroke snowmobile, it would be by far the quietest approach, and one key consideration is keeping it from getting stuck (frozen to the ground) when you are done in the evening. Seems like this would be easier to drive up on some logs or improvised rack to keep it off the ground and also be able to manhandle it around if needed. Plus, you get to detach the snowmobile and go trail riding if you want (assuming it's a relatively easy process).

As others have said, winter water and septic are key. But you can't match the total quiet and solitude of an island place in winter.....you can hear your heartbeat.

a fairly recent incident to keep in mind

http://www.nashuatelegraph.com/news/...t-capsize.html

That's pretty slick...Locally made too.

I wonder what the cost of it is not including the machine.

There is an alternative to a septic for islanders, it is called an Incinolet electric toilet. Check out their web site.

http://incinolet.com/

I have used one at a friends place and they work very well.

Thanks... know all about them.

For me "bag it and tag it" works better! :D http://www.amazon.com/Reliance-Produ.../dp/B0024O0W94 Being able to use your regular toilet in the warmth of my house was key to this decision!

For water, I have an outdoor shower with an on demand water heater that pumps water from the lake through heated hoses that stay in year round. The outdoor shower gets warm like a sauna in the winter. It's literally 3 steps from my side door so no long runs in the cold!. Nice and toasty warm even when below zero outside!!

Dan

www.wisetechco.com/ from the youtube in post #6..... a 7' x 15' platform that fits around a snowmobile which weighs 650-lbs without the snowmobile....made in Gilford.....no mention on what it costs and seems like it could be an answer to the slushy unsafe ice problem for getting to a Winnipesaukee island

Indians had a way of pushing canoes over and through thin and broken ice. It would be an aerobic workout, but perhaps a low-tech option for an island not too far off the mainland. I'd dress for a dunking just in case, though.

I don't know about this year, but in the past there have been couples who have stayed on Rattlesnake Island during the winter. I might be able to put you in touch with a couple of them if you're really interested. This is an adventure that's definitely not for the faint of heart.

I've heard that the wind can be relentless, and the wintertime conditions are very harsh at times.

My guess is the people who did stay on the Island are getting older and staying on the Island all the time is probably becoming more of a challenge because of the aging factor.

Isolation and "cabin fever" might be a problem unless you have a LOT to do (or are a newly minted couple ;) ).

You would also need a very reliable source of alternate power, as the power has been known to go out (at least on Rattlesnake) for as long as a month in the winter.

The most practical solution would probably to get a not-too-expensive condo somewhere reasonably nearby (or make some other similar arrangement) - a place to stay if all else fails on the Island (like very bad conditions, etc.) and otherwise stay on the Island.

The same thought has crossed my mind, so you're not alone in these sorts of wild thoughts :rolleye2:

For example, me-thinks that something like a condo in Key West, Florida could be an excellent off-season choice to compliment a Rattlesnake Island cottage for the winter off-season months. The ice fishing in Key West is not too hot.....but you gotta love all those tiny bikinis! Rattlesnake & Key West ....not tooo shabby!

Yup, couldn't agree more! Was in FL for a long weekend this past weekend (3/6 - 3/10). Wow was it ever nice to be in 80 degree weather and sunshine! This was on the West Coast of FL in Fort Myers (yes, we did see a couple of Red Sox spring training games, too!).

I would live there (in FL) at least half the year - sell the main house and just keep the Island up here in N.E., but the IslandPrincess has other ideas about that sort of thing (isn't thrilled about FL except for an occasional visit).

Cost of living there seems a whole lot less than around here, and house prices are reasonably attractive.

Amphibious Ice Rescue Vehicle...see it before buying
 

I saw this thing in action in Glendale this winter. Watched them one afternoon and its not that impressive. Watched the sole operator have to get in the water several times when ice was thin because it would break through and get "hung up" on the chunks.

Worked well on solid ice...but so does a snowmobile. Didn't see it on open water. Seemed to struggle in conditions when you would need it most, the in between seasons.

Black Cat, Governors, Long, Oak, and Worcester are the islands that are connected to land via a bridge, per Wikipedia. I would start there though the houses on Governor's are out of the price range for most people.

EDIT: Can't seem to find Worcester island. What's up with that, Wiki?

To Island Radio:

I totally agree with Island Princess! Florida is GREAT to visit for a few weeks in the winter, but we sold our place down there in October and bought a year-round house up here! Florida lacks charm, history, rolling hills and mountains, quaint villages, etc. IMHO, the only things it has are nice weather (most of the time) in the winter and nice beaches. It's filled with shopping malls, tract housing everywhere, highways, sinkholes, snakes, hurricanes, alligators, billboard signs for bail bondsmen and lawyers, ugly concrete-block houses, drive-thru liquor stores, ratty-looking palm trees, etc. My advice would be to stay up here as long as possible and then go down and rent for two months!

Look for Springfield Point in Wolfeboro (just before Alton) and you will see Worcester Island.