[ApS]

Originally Posted by sa meredith

"...As for rafting, the rules cannot keep getting changed. I have freinds who always went to Braun, but now it is "No Rafting", so they and their friends switched to East Cove, and it seems "the Rules Police" are following them there. This cannot keep happening...
Lastly, I recently came upon a cove over in Winter Harbor...very small...but no homes at all...however "For Sale Signs" every 20 yards or so. Probably 10 in all. Seemed like a nice quiet place to hang out. Is anyone familiar with this cove..."????

You're describing Johnson's Cove, the site of a major Wolfeboro industry before WWII. I'll cover it in the "History" forum and include a vintage photo. I know it well.

As I've previously written, there used to be rafters off my shore years ago. They just enjoyed an afternoon's lunch at anchor; however, nearby Johnson's Cove has attracted many of Winnipesaukee's largest cruisers.

On weekends starting at 10AM, you can see a line of cruisers approaching from across the Broads. Last year, many flew the "Martini-glass" burgee—now replaced by a yellow burgee. A few have "Alton Bay" lettering. Too-few cruisers slow to headway speed when entering Winter Harbor; curiously, at their customary 4PM departures, nearly all do!

Cruiser wakes make anchoring off Winter Harbor shorelines (and lunch) impossible: even large boats are given "mal-de-mer" moments. A neighboring floatplane has left for quieter waters. Docks, presently 26" above the lake level, get washed.

Coves offer the only respite to violent tossing by wakes and that's why rafters are concentrating in coves. That's 182 miles of Winnipesaukee shorelines—like mine—being unused for rafting.

Johnson's Cove was owned by the same individual since WWII; however, most of that Cove's shoreline was bought recently by a developer—my source says for 3 million dollars. One lot, although soggy, is for sale for $4¾ million.

Even with prices like that, I don't see Johnson's Cove staying the same rafting site for long. If the lots are shown Monday through Thursday (or from helicopter in the off-season), prospective buyers will see only one or two boats anchored there—maybe none. (Prior to 1990, you didn't see any rafting there, period).

Since "wake-surfing" has entered Winter Harbor this year, even Johnson's Cove gets shaken up.

If ocean-cruisers, ocean-racers, and ocean-surfing went to the ocean, rafting by boaters could be spread out along Winnipesaukee's 182 miles and become more family-accessible.

Partying in coves is a separate issue: if you Google "party-cove", there's a lot not to like. Party-Cove videos are an Internet cottage industry.